Rage by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

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Rage by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

It took me a while to get my hands on this book. Stephen King pulled it, written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, because it was found in the possession of people who had attempted or committed high school shootings. This is the story of Charles Decker, a senior in high school who assaulted his chemistry teacher. The teacher survived and he was forced to see a psychiatrist. Then he walked into his Algebra II classroom, after getting into an argument with the principal and setting his locker on fire, and shot his Algebra teacher in the head. Charles then killed another teacher and held the classroom of over twenty students hostage for hours. 
Rage is a very interesting novel. Not only do you have the aspect of a school shooting but you have really in depth reflections on life by not only our narrator Charles, but some of the other students he has taken hostage. The students’ reaction to the shooting was much calmer than I could ever imagine and the situation that transpired was unlike anything I would ever imagine happening in this situation. I think that’s why I find this novel so different and yet great. King imagined a scenario outside of anything I ever thought would happen in any situation similar and produced a character in Charles Decker that somehow managed to control the situation. Charles is a frightening character because he wasn’t insane yet he was some type of madman. His calm and frank demeanor throughout is extremely unsettling. I had no idea what he would do next. 
After reading this I understand why King felt the need to pull it. Charles’ control of the situation in intoxicating and if the wrong people in any shape, way or control think they can harness that power in use it in a similar situation than things can go south fast. This was a short and very intense novel set in a high pressure situation. So many of King’s books aren’t for the weak and this maybe one of those. I give it 4 out of 5 stars simply for being so damn original. 

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