The Running Man

De: Stephen King

Narrado por: Kevin Kenerly

A desperate man attempts to win a reality TV game where the only objective is to stay alive in this number-one national best seller from Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman.

It was the ultimate death game in a nightmare future America. The year is 2025 and reality TV has grown to the point where people are willing to wager their lives for a chance at a billion-dollar jackpot. Ben Richards is desperate - he needs money to treat his daughter's illness. His last chance is entering a game show called The Running Man where the goal is to avoid capture by Hunters who are employed to kill him. Surviving this month-long chase is another issue when everyone else on the planet is watching - and willing to turn him in for the reward.

With an introduction by Stephen King on "The Importance of Being Bachman".

©1982 Richard Bachman (P)2010 Penguin Audio

Don’t Listen to the First Chapter

This was a great story and great story telling; however, Stephen King gives away the ending in the first chapter literally saying what happens to Ben Richards at the end. For all you other constant readers, I would greatly encourage you to skip the first chapter and listen to it last. It also has some worthy insight into why SK used Richard Bachman. Overall, I would highly recommend this story especially for those of you who, like me, grew up with the movie. The book as always surpasses the movie by leaps and bounds.

Incredibly Good!!!

Wow! I loved this story. A Perfect amount of detail and getting to the point.
If your expecting the movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, it Is NOT that film. It is the outline of that film, but so much more gritty and not at all cartoonish.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves a dark thriller.

Absolutely brilliant and riveting!

I was hooked from start to finish. King really knows how to keep you riveted and turning the pages, sympathetic to Ben Richards and the plight of the poor in this future, dog-eat-dog world. Much better than the movie, a waste of time. (I've just seen a few scenes of the film, but they were horribly cheesy and struck a completely different tone from the book, by someone who does not get King.)

Kevin Kenerly was a fantastic, talented narrator, able to act out all the major parts wonderfully with distinct personalities and voices! I definitely want to hear more of his audio books! A+

Predicts so many things that happen decades later, from reality TV to 9/11. This book will be turned in a new film by Edgar Wright. Can't wait!

Something I didn't like was too many stream of consciousness digressions into Ben's mind, past, dreams, etc. I sometimes skipped them because they slowed down the narrative pace.

Besides this, the novel was outstanding, very cinematic, and you feel comfortably in the hands of a master. Incredible that King wrote the whole book in just one week!

Skip the intro and listen to it after the book....

unless you've already read this book. The book starts in chapter 2. I enjoyed the story, it is dark, but good if you like that sort of thing. This book is very different than movie.

OG Hunger Game

This is an amazing book. It's the original Hunger Games, without all the sappy teenage love and angst. I love that while Steven King realizes that the good guys ALMOST always win, they don't always live "happily ever after". The ending was horrible and beautiful and not what the reader expected, but full of justice.

Spoilers in the Author's Forward

Grew up with the movie. As an adult now I have a great appreciation for how much better the book is. The ending is spoiled in the author's forward, but also has fun insight into the public revelation of the real author. it's on the shorter side of Kings works but its direct and makes it's commentary and doesn't drag.

Definitely, Not One of King''s Best Novels!

Normally, the master Storyteller himself, Stephen King leaves you feeling good about the ending of the story. So, without trying to give away any spoilers here, let's just say the ending wasn''t your typical Stephen King or Richard Bachman, for that matter, endings. In my personal opinion, it felt like he started out with the really great idea for a story and three quarters of the way into it, didn't know how to come up with an ending. Or one might say that this is one of his got to meet the deadline scenarios. Either way, you expect more from the master himself...

A classic for a reason.

A great book, quite different from the movie though. honestly I actually prefer the movie but the book was a great story on its own.

Great story but...

I absolutely loved this story. Couldn't stop listening. The only problem I had was that the first chapter about Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman spoils the ending.

spoliers

spoilers in the introduction, listen with caution!!
in discussing the pen name he gives away the ending.