#35 – Blaze

Plot

Blaze is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. — of the crimes committed against him and the crimes he commits, including his last, the kidnapping of a baby heir worth millions.

Blaze has been a slow thinker since childhood, when his father threw him down the stairs — and then threw him down again. After escaping an abusive institution for boys when he was a teenager, Blaze hooks up with George, a seasoned criminal who thinks he has all the answers. But then George is killed, and Blaze, though haunted by his partner, is on his own.

Review

I’ve previously talked about how I structured the order in which I read these Stephen King books. After some back-and-forth, I ultimately landed on reading the older books first (while also reading any new King release). At the end of the day, it led to Blaze being the last book I needed to read to finish my 13-year pilgrimage.

Blaze was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, but by now everyone knew that this was a Stephen King novel. He originally wrote it back in the 1970s, before he wrote Carrie. Very quickly it became a “trunk novel” and it wasn’t until 2007 that he re-wrote this story and offered it for publishing. Thank goodness this novel didn’t stay in that trunk, because it’s a well-told story that clearly drew inspiration from Of Mice and Men.

One of the many things I enjoy about King is his ability to write flawed – and special – characters. When he writes from the perspective of a dog, or a child, or someone suffering from a stutter, he’s able to bring the reader into their world. He does this with Blaze, who is our main character but is limited in his mental capacity. King expertly allows us to view the world from Blaze’s eyes and by doing so invokes a plethora of feelings – empathy, sorrow, and humor among many others.

Details

Pages: 320

Dates Read: July 2 – July 6, 2022

Quote: “Memories are contrary things; if you quit chasing them and turn your back, they often return on their own.”

Best Part: Blaze returning to the convenient store a second time had me absolutely rolling with laughter.

Hint for #34: Arguably one of Stephen King’s most famous novels. It’s hard to look at clowns and not think of this story.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.