It’s not inexplicable. It’s made fairly clear that the class all disliked Mrs Underwood - remember the exam that nobody passed except Ted and Charlie? - and hated Mr Grace and Mr Denver for the phoneys they were, if I may sneak in a Caulfieldism (and under the circumstances I think I can).
Then also, when Charlie kills the teachers they are stunned and as such are easily led. By the time it occurs to them to get unstunned, Charlie has put himself in charge, told them he’s not going to shoot any of them and ripped chunks out of Mr Denver … and they start to empathise with him because rebelling against the authority figures who demand respect they don’t command is something they’ve all secretly wanted to do.
As for Ted, I don’t think he went catatonic because of what his classmates did to him, but rather because they all sided with Charlie. We know Ted hates craziness and mental instability; he hates his drunken mother, and he gets angry and worried that the others may be going crazy along with Charlie. Ted Jones is very much in favour of the concept of the Outsider, the one who doesn’t fit in, but his assumption that the Outsider has to be the weakest is flawed; really he’s the one who doesn’t fit in, because he’s cast himself as being better than everyone else. All the others have a point of connection with Charlie; they are able to admit that they are imperfect in some way or another. Ted is the only one who cannot. What I think breaks him is the knowledge that he, the guy that every guy wants to be and every girl wants to date, is the real Outsider.
When I first read “Rage”, I didn’t think it was all that weird. But I guess my views are different in light of such events as Columbine. Charlie isn’t as crazy as Dylan or Eric, but he still isn’t all there.
Isn’t “Rage” practically the only book King has written that he regrets and wished he had never published?
No. Pet Sematary spent several years in the trunk because King thought it was too nasty to publish. I believe it only saw the light of day because King wanted out of his NEL contract and needed one more book to do it.
Good lord! That’s the best explaination I’ve heard for it yet. It… Makes an eerie ammount of sense!
Unfortunately, as King has never gone on record about it (as far as I know), I’ll just hum loudly to myself and -pretend- that he recently gave a news confrence saying exactly what you said. It’ll make me feel better.
So Munch , you have a copy of Rose Madder and you can’t bring yourself to throw it away…can I have it? I actually like that book.
Also, what the heck book was The Long Walk in? I know it was a collection of short stories but I can’t remember which one.
I need to read It again. I don’t remember a gangbang. I also don’t remember the spider being preggers. Apparently, I don’t absorb much. Maybe that’s why I like Rose Madder.
“…it could sense one of them, walking steadily up the trail of its birth, almost insane with revulsion…”
I know that’s not the exact quote but can you tell it stuck in my mind? It had LOTS of eggses.
As for the gangbang…well I guess technically it was a loving mating ritual, designed to bring them all together. It was not unwilling or anything like that.
The Long Walk was in a book called “The Long Walk”, on account of it being a book. You’re unlikely to find it outside The Bachman Books, though - but if you do, buy it because there aren’t many of them around. I have a Bachman edition Running Man, and my local library moved a hardback Bachman Thinner out of circulation when I told them how much it was worth.
Thanks guys. I got confused. I haven’t read The long Walk in so long that I forgot it wasn’t in a short story book. That might explain why I haven’t been able to find it in my house. I gave my copy of The Bachman Books to a friend.
Elenia28 , It’s been a VERY long time since I read It. Considering I was only about 13 when the movie came out and I read the book before that, I’m not surprised I don’t remember those parts. At that age, I probably didn’t even understand the sex part for what it was.
Dear God, congo, there’s a whole scene where Ben is lighting matches, and using the light to smash the eggs. Sometimes he has to chase the little Itlet as it scurries away.
The sheer horror of that always shivers me out.
I’ve only been able to read [i[Cujo* once, because of the ending.
And when it was over, they were considerably less “childlike”, and therefore of little interest to It. I have to admit, though, it was a bit skeevy, if only because earlier that day, Bev’s father had been accusing her of being a “slutchild”…and look what she ends up doing.
That’s the US edition. A UK first edition hardback is worth $85 and upwards. I was very tempted to withdraw it, claim it had been irreparably damaged and give them a brand new replacement paperback, but my better nature prevailed.
In IT it was really a spider at the end, but IT’s real image was so horrendous that they couldn’t see it, so it took the shape of something terrifying to many people, like a spider. I actually found that interesting.
Also in Tom Gordon, the implication is it’s not really a bear but a wendigo, but it kinda keeps you guessing so you’re not entirely sure.
giggle I went to the search engine to find this post to link to it after reading the OP.
Turns out “this post” is in this thread. Freaking zombie threads. OTOH, where better for zombie threads to turn up than where Stephen King is the subject thereof?
