two endings?

[Pucker]

It's also rumored among at least some of the Walkers that the whole thing is a put-up job and that nobody ever collects any "prize." The Walk seems to me to have a morbid-curiosity draw along the same lines of The Running Man. Come on out and watch these kids walk until they die. I can't imagine dispatching 100 kids a year would put much of a dent in the population. It was just cheap entertainment.

[mandolin]

Hmmm... The one we bought recently was a single book, edition published in 1999. The version I remember reading was from the Bachman Books compilation - I'm pretty sure it was one of three or four stories in a compilation, anyway. I thought that maybe that was the answer, but since that's the one you re-read I'm puzzled again. I read it when I was ~14 years old - maybe there was a version printed with a less brutal ending just for kids? From the threads though I'm starting to think I made the other version up, perhaps my young mind couldn't handle the real ending?

[Doc Wilson]

Hmmm... The one we bought recently was a single book, edition published in 1999. The version I remember reading was from the Bachman Books compilation - I'm pretty sure it was one of three or four stories in a compilation, anyway. I thought that maybe that was the answer, but since that's the one you re-read I'm puzzled again. I read it when I was ~14 years old - maybe there was a version printed with a less brutal ending just for kids? From the threads though I'm starting to think I made the other version up, perhaps my young mind couldn't handle the real ending?

Well, people talk like the ending is cut and dried; in true SK style its very ambiguous. My initial interpretation during this recent reread was that he was delirious and simply didn't realize he had won so he kept going. it was only here on the message board that I read people interpreting it as Death.

[catnoel]

It's also rumored among at least some of the Walkers that the whole thing is a put-up job and that nobody ever collects any "prize." The Walk seems to me to have a morbid-curiosity draw along the same lines of The Running Man. Come on out and watch these kids walk until they die. I can't imagine dispatching 100 kids a year would put much of a dent in the population. It was just cheap entertainment.

Sounds about right. I think the spectators were placing bets too. How horrible is that!!!!

[catnoel]

Hmmm... The one we bought recently was a single book, edition published in 1999. The version I remember reading was from the Bachman Books compilation - I'm pretty sure it was one of three or four stories in a compilation, anyway. I thought that maybe that was the answer, but since that's the one you re-read I'm puzzled again. I read it when I was ~14 years old - maybe there was a version printed with a less brutal ending just for kids? From the threads though I'm starting to think I made the other version up, perhaps my young mind couldn't handle the real ending?

The end in ambigious in the version I read, he sees someone waving in the end, and keeps on walking (running) even after he won!!! The reader is left to speculate what happened. Is he crazy, did he really see someone, does he die, etc, etc etc. I think this is one of those the journey is more important than the end books. I remember the 4 story Bachman book too, but with the same ending with him running after the waving figure. At least I am pretty sure that is what I remember!!!