Early thoughts on Roadwork

I started listening to Roadwork the other day. There are some things I really like about this book. For instance, I am still fascenated with King's method of keeping a story set in the time it was written. This gives us a freeze frame of what the world was like. Roadwork is set in the far gone world of 1973. I was born that year! Of course, King mentions not only prices, but cultural events of the time.

The book does start with a wonderful introduction. I didn't know this existed! The only work I'd really read on Bachman by King was either in interviews, or the introduction to the Bachman books. But this introduction was quite different, and refreshing.

Concering the book, this is not an easy novel for me to read. I don't know why, but the story and character have not yet captivated me. King usually bounces around from character to character, or at least from scene to scene. However, Roadwork focuses in tight on Dawes (called "he" throughout) in an almost unrelenting narrative. It feels like we're watching someone from a security cam as much as King is telling us a story. Here's the problem: Watching security cams is not really much fun.

I did some digging around today to find out more about this book. Turns out, a lot of people like this. And, Stephen King called it one of his favorites of the Bachman set. That surprised me. So I'll push on. Maybe it will grab me. So far my experience with the Bachman books has not been good -- except for Running man. Perhaps I like the more upbeat works; or the scary stuff.

Is this anyones favorite book? Anyone a fan of Roadwork? Enlighten me. What am I missing here?