“John Hawks died and kept walking. They had not expected it, but neither did it take them totally by surprise.”
Bentley Little’s novel The Walking is a fascinating story about corpses that get up and start walking toward Arizona. Like zombies, they’re dead. Unlike zombies, they don’t stop for a bite to eat. Little’s story shows that it’s hard to keep a dead man (or woman) down.
Remember, if you are interested in this book, click the mouse on the book cover to order it from an online bookseller.
TITLE:
THE WALKING
WRITER:
by Bentley Little
GENRE:
Horror Fiction,
DESCRIPTORS:
Private Investigator, Arizona, California, Corpses, Zombies, Witches, Badlands, Colony, Towns, Dams,
CHARACTERS
Miles Huerdeen, a private investigator who lives and works in Los Angeles.
William Johnson, A witch who lived long ago.
Jeb Freeman, A witch who lived long ago.
Isabella, A witch discovered in the Badlands.
SUMMARY:
Miles Huerdeen, a private investigator, tried to deal with his father who had begun to act secretive and strangely. Then he died. But all that proved to be easy compared to coping with the fact that after death, his father’s corpse, wearing nothing but cowboy boots, got up and walked away.
While trying to find his father, Miles encounters a strange madwoman who lets on that she knows more than she should, but isn’t able to focus to be of much help. He also discovers other families who have had corpses of loved ones get up and walk away.
Soon he discovers that the corpses — and there are a lot of them — are all making their way into the Arizona desert and a little-known givernment protected colony in Wolf Canyon.
Intertwined in Miles’ story is another story that took place over a century ago. William Johnson and his new friend Jeb Freeman are witches and tired of living in fear of discovery among humans. Their kind live precarious lives only to be discovered — the lucky ones are hounded out of town — the unlucky ones are killed.
Together they decide to create a town solely of witches in isolated Wolf Canyon. However, near the town is a desolate pocket of land — a land of untouchable, malicious evil — the witches call it the Badlands. Out of the Badlands comes a witch named Isabella who captures William’s heart. But Isabella is much more than she seems and by the time William and Jeb see the danger, it may be too late.
APPEAL:
In The Walk Two stories play out, intertwined in their telling until they finally come together in a gripping climax. The reader must take care when the book shifts from the present day story to the story in the past.
The pacing of the story is quick despite the amount of description that Bentley Little used. His descriptive passages were not long but rather well thought out. He coveys more of the scenery of Wolf Canyon in the Arizona Territory or the civilized Los Angeles, California. His descriptions of the Badlands, however, are wonderfully chilling.
Bentley Little uses recognizable character types and devlopes the major characters as the story continues. Miles is changed by his ordeal as is Claire. William, who in his own story is a foil for Miles, is also gravely changed by the story’s end. Isabella remains a mysterious but active force throughout.
The story is told in third person past tense limited omniscence. It is mostly told through Miles and William’s point of view.
READALIKES:
Bentley Little has been writing horror for over a decade. He won a Stoker Award for his novel The Revelation
Popularity: 47% [?]
