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Roadwork  By  cover art

Roadwork

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: G. Valmont Thomas
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Publisher's summary

Only Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, can imagine the horror of a good and angry man who fights back against bureaucracy when it threatens to destroy his vitality, home, and memories.

Barton Dawes' unremarkable but comfortable existence suddenly takes a turn for the worst. A new highway extension is being built right over the laundry plant where he works - and right over his home. Dawes isn't the sort of man who will take an insult of this magnitude lying down. His steadfast determination to fight the inevitable course of progress drives his wife and friends away while he tries to face down the uncaring bureaucracy that has destroyed his life.

This number-one national best seller includes an introduction by Stephen King on "The Importance of Being Bachman".

©1981 Richard Bachman (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Under any name King mesmerizes the reader." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

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What listeners say about Roadwork

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Great narrator; awful book

I love King so much, and decided that I would read all his works in chronological order just for fun. Roadwork is one of his titles I had never read, and it was painful to get through. I even switched to the audiobook because I didn't think I could a slog through the text on my own.

G. Valmont Thomas gives a stellar performance in the audiobook, but the story is godawful. There definitely is a huge voice difference between King and Bachman, and I am learning that I really can't stand Bachman...

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

23 years makes a difference

Read this 23 years ago while in highs school and didn't get how Bart could get so unhinged. Listening to it now after college and grad school and 9/11 and 2008 and totally understand his rage against the machine. Not your typical King, cuz he's Bachman, but a nice break from his work. Narration was first class but his women's voices are off.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator

Audible review: If I never have to listen to this guy do his approximation of a woman's voice again it'll be too soon. I have to assume he has never heard a woman speak at all, and only had the sound of a woman's voice relayed to him by a 10-year-old boy. It made the book almost unbearable.

Story-wise the book is fine. Not great, one of my least-favorite of King's, but his sharp character development as always makes it worth a read. (NOT a listen.)

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Great narration.

So as a King fan I try to stay near his "own" work, but this book is amazing, added by it's storyteller you will not regret purchasing this one. job well done all around

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story! Great representation of the differences between King and Bachman.

Like watching a cigarette burn out in your hand and your unable to drop it.
Your watching a man on the edge, preparing for the ultimate finales.

The performance is riveting and very impressive.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

boring

I've listened to almost all of Stephen King's books and this one was boring and dry and not worth listening to No horror no excitement just a tale about a guy

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

worst female voices ever

I liked the story and the narration until female characters came along. The narrator did the same terrible voice for all women - petulant, whiny, unintelligent. Hopefully it's not a reflection of how he sees women and he's just really bad at women's voices.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Classic

This was on of his better books and shoes the struggle and pressure mid class America feels on a daily basis

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Bleak and Depressing

Let me first say that Thomas' performance as narrator was perfect. The way Bart's troubled world is brought to life is as magical as it is chilling. Bravo, Thomas. Bravo.

It is important to go into this particular tale with the understanding that this is not a King story; it's a Bachman story. Bachman differs from King on many levels, and I feel Roadwork is a prime representation of their differences. It is the story of a deeply troubled man falling into bottomless pits of desperation and despair. There's very little sugar to be found in this bitter novel, but strangely that's part of the appeal.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good book, not so great narration

I enjoyed the story, but the narrator was difficult to listen to when he did female voices. Other than that, it was fine.

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2 people found this helpful