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Stop Being So Pretentious
Good God. I've read through a lot of these posts, and seriously, please stop.
I've read several SK books. I think he's a phenomenal writer with great imagery and eloquently paced story-telling. Nothing seems to lull too long, and he knows how to get his readers hooked and unable to drop a book, finding themselves saying "just one more chapter and I'll go to bed."
This is not to start a flame war, as it is my first post, but I had to say something.
The Long Walk is a great book. Really. I enjoyed it from start to finish - and yes, the ending was acceptable because I think I "got" it. Allow me to explain:
First and foremost, the ending loosely translated to Garraty dying. He was out of his mind the last third of the book. Wracked with pain and mental anguish. The Long Walk absolutely destroyed him inside and out. He watched friends die, and others he was even remotely concerned about endure brutal, violent ends. He was constantly stumbling through murderous pain, and the book was very descriptive in how it decided there "was no winner" or "betrayal" or simply a delusional sense of victory. I honestly thought that was pretty damn obvious.
The only thing that would allow him a sense of well-being and freedom would be death. Even from a medical standpoint, I'd say that was pretty obvious. You can go for 4 days walking continuously surrounded by death and sickening occurrences, at a young impressionable age and possibly survive, but doubtfully. In fact, almost impossibly. Point being, the fact that the hero didn't drop dead 24 hours earlier is essentially a medical miracle. He sees a glimmer of death at the end, and follows it into the underworld. I kind of thought that was the whole point.
Now, here's what pisses me off and really obligated me to post here.
Stop being pseudo-philosophical pretentious critics. It's obnoxious. No offense to my man SK, but he's not quite as deep as you lackluster intellectuals are making him out to be. I studied philosophy and psychology for seven years. That's not a trump card, it's a fact. It's exhausting to see people delve into this absurd attempt at analyzing depth that doesn't exist. It's a lot like J.J. Abrams' work. He creates an entire universe, breed of monster, complex human dynamic, then claims secrecy to veil the fact that he basically has no idea where the f*** where he was going with the story.
So uh, there's a race called the Homebrewians, and they uh, live on planet Booz'e, and uh, they are building a weapon to destroy the human race, and the human race doesn't realize that the Homebrewians are actually building this weapon to protect the humans from theirselves because they know a dark secret and uh... you know, what, I'm out out of f'ing ideas. So I'm done. End of novel / movie / tv show. I'm dark and mysterious because I left it open to interpretation right? No, I'm a bad writer and a total hack. I can't stand this crap.
Stop digging into these books with a fading level of intelligence and turning them into epic works of metaphorical art. They're not.
Perhaps, just maybe, the Long Walk is not a metaphor. Do you really think you're going to blow people's minds because you interpreted it as a metaphor? Come on, guys. It's not that deep. Why? Here's why:
1. They mention several times there are billions of dollars betting on this event.
2. They mention that the event is fully voluntary.
3. People die in horrible, horrible ways.
4. The ending is somewhat vague, but leans towards the main character going fully insane and / or dying.
So I ask this, what the hell kind of metaphor is that? Oh, are you going to suggest life is constantly bet on? No. Good luck comparing The World Series or The Superbowl to a deep, philosophical meaning of life. If you do, you're attempting at being philosophical for the sake of, not because it exists. So The Long Walk is all about life? Really? You see people gunned down metaphorically because they can't endure it? Doubtful. Suicide, maybe, but how do you explain the ridiculous hardships they endure in terms of real life? You're telling me that The Long Walk is like life? Then you must know 100 miserable, pain stricken people stumbling to their deaths. The Long Walk could be a metaphor for life, if you and 99 people were talking through mine fields and begging to stay alive. That's a little much. Sure, we all struggle through life, but don't be pretentious and turn a book about a fictional military event into some grand metaphor for life. If it's really that bad for you, walking and stumbling and faltering hoping not to get your brains blown out of your skull then your life is exceptionally tragic.
Take SK novels for what they are. Entertainment. Typically dark, but entertainment. As I said, SK is a great writer, but you're going to tell me that the guy who writes about killer clowns is trying to express a resounding philosophical metaphor in line with Kant, Schopenhauer, or Nietzche? Please stop. It's just damn pretentious. Enjoy the book, and if the ending is vague, don't turn it into some epic intellectual feat. If you didn't get it, then I'm sorry, I agree that it sucks, but don't turn it into some philosophical attempt by a fictional horror novelist. If you're so deep, let's discuss some real philosophy, otherwise, stop being a pretentious p**** and take it as it is.
Homebrew
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and I hope you stay around for further discussion but just keep in mind that in the future your posts will be edited to eliminate the personally directed remarks if you include them. You seem intelligent enough not to have to resort to that to make your point. 
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...I kill myself sometimes!)
Originally Posted by boogerb53
We are pseudo-stupid because we are trying to be smart! While reading SK work we see a metaphor for X (our life, the world, realty, etc) but being the little pea-brains we are, we percieve that alcohol and alcoholism can make a man ruin his life,lose his sanity, end his marriage and even put his wife and son in danger (The Shining) but it's NOT. It's just a little ole' horror story.
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