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The Running Man cover art

The Running Man

By: Stephen King,Richard Bachman
Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
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Summary

It's not just a game when you're running for your life.

Every night they tuned in to the nation's favourite prime-time TV game show. They all watched, from the sprawling slums to the security-obsessed enclaves of the rich. They all watched the ultimate live death game as the contestants tried to beat not the clock but annihilation at the hands of the Hunters.

Survive 30 days, and win the billion-dollar jackpot - that was the promise. But the odds were brutal and the game rigged. Best score so far was eight days. And now there was a new contestant, the latest running man, staking his life while a nation watched.

©1982 Richard Bachman (P)2010 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Running Man

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Please read before you download.

A great performance by Kevin Kenerly! Solid all the way through. HOWEVER. I'd seen the film of the running man about 20 years ago. Never knowing that it was based on a book. And a good book at that. So I was looking forward to this experience. Then bloody Stephen King starts the whole thing by spoiling the ending. THE TWIST ENDING! Within the first 5mins of the introduction! The audacity of the man! You write pulp fiction you fool! It's not of mice and men! We didn't do running man at school! It completely ruined, what would have been, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Please buy and enjoy. But skip past the first chapter to avoid the giant bombshell of a spoiler made by the pretentious arse.

73 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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skip the first part

the first part of the book discusses the book and tells you how it will end

48 people found this helpful

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spoiler in first 2 minute's!

wouldn't be so bad, but during the introduction you are told the ending of the running man. What's the point in that!

43 people found this helpful

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skip chapter 1

The foreword gives away the ending of the book. feel cheated. hi. I'm Stephen king. formally blar. the ending is thus. not the Arnie version. enjoy the next 7 hours!!!!!!!!

26 people found this helpful

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ending of the book is spoiled in the first chapter

What a joke !! The ending is spoiled in the first chapter !! complete madness

22 people found this helpful

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Don’t listen to authors foreword!

Great story and fantastic narrator. Don’t listen to the Stephen kings foreword, although very interesting it spoils the ending!!!

14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Lean, very exciting story and the narration by Kevin Kenerly was excellent. He puts so much feeling into it that you become totally involved. However please take note that there is an introduction by the author before the book starts that is interesting but gives away the ending! This was a shame but I still really enjoyed it even though I knew what was coming.

13 people found this helpful

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Shame about the spoiler

Decent story, recommended skipping the introduction until you've finished the book though as there's a massive spoiler.

12 people found this helpful

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DONT LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR AT THE START

one major disappoint in this book is that at the very beginning when the author is talking about writing under a different name he lets out the ending of the book and for someone who doesn't
know the story i was really unhappy about knowing the end before the book had even started other than that its a great story which a really bad film didn't do justice to..

11 people found this helpful

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Skip the first chapter

There is a big spoiler in the introduction so skip it.

I really enjoyed this, wasn't expecting it to be like the film (actually nothing like the film), but the way this story is told leads you all over the place trying to figure out what might happen next.

The narration is great, although I did get lost a bit at times because his voice is quite soothing. Even with the talk of gunshots and exploding heads.

8 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Aaron H.
  • Aaron H.
  • 17-07-20

Spoiler in the Foreword?

Why did Mr King decide to spoil the ending of his own story in the foreword of the same book? Maybe it’s a generic piece of writing attached to all of his Bachman stories, but still. Recommend users skip it the first time.

Otherwise an okay story with a good performance.