Dallas' Book Report: Rage by Richard Bachman (1977)
I will be honest: I am at a loss for how to approach this book. Set aside any idea that this trepidation comes from thinking this is a bad book; far from it. Rage is one of Richard Bachman's (Stephen King's pen name) best-written works. It's tight-paced, gripping, harrowing, and unsettling. Everything a thriller should be, and then some. But it leaves me conflicted because I cannot tell whether I am supposed to root for its antagonist or loathe him. Rage is already about a heavy topic since it surrounds a school shooting and the main lead is the shooter. The story follows Charlie Decker, a student who is about to be expelled, and when he is given orders to clean out his locker and leave the premises, he does so. But not before setting his locker on fire, assaulting a fellow student, shooting two teachers, and holding his algebra class hostage. That's about the gist of the story, and it is a wild ride full ...
