Drew MagaryThe Hike: A Novel

I love this book. I originally got this book from the library and read it in a few days and then purchased it for a friend because I needed them to experience it as well.As far as the story, it's so insane, and the book starts immediately. There's not pages and pages of set up, it jumps into the craziness right from the get go. There are parts that seem to go on a little bit about half way through the book but it's definitely not unbearable just a difference from the crazy speed of the story from early parts.I thought the first twist would be the only one, but right up to the end it's like riding on a train with no tracks. Just read it.If you liked this I would read John Dies at the End and the rest of the book (heck, just start with that one and read the author's entire collection).

The Hike is somewhat imaginative, but poorly executed. The story is poorly structured which made it impossible to get into for me.First problem. It drops its protagonist onto this strange path from the start. No setup. No character development. You don't know why he is on this path, nor do you care.Second problem. The story is very linear. Follow the path, occasionally battle some boss, repeat.Its like someone took an old, bad video game and tried to convert it into a novel. It does not work.

I bought this on a whim when it was on sale for 2 bucks thinking that "The Hike" would be funny football related stories told by Drew... It was a very confusing start to the story with that mindset.I'm about 3/4ths of the way through and I think Drew needs to see his therapist more often. He's got some issues he needs to resolve. It's a mix of Stephen King's The Long Walk and that acid trip you had your first time at Burning Man.

A twist, so astronomically improbable as to be absurd, awaits you at the end of this book... it's a light read, nothing complex. Bubblegum fiction. Kinda hard to get into, feels like it peaks midway into the story then fades like an aging prize fighter does in the 9th round...That fighter tries desperately to K.O. the opponent in the final seconds of the 10th round but only feels air against his gloves as he's clawing for breath and remembering better days...If this book is free via prime give it a go and see what you think but I can't recommend paying any amount for it

When I was a kid I used to think about the universe and my own consciousness and quickly get a shiver. It happens more rarely now, but Magary searches for that spot. That goal ties Postmortal and The Hike together. Even better, he does it with a moral: we must *work* to find that spot, where the fact we are here, today, in this life with people we love is the miracle. Then the rest is gravy. I've been reading Magary for a long time and he's the people's DFW. He is uber sensitive to the daily indignities and challenges of even the most nerfy life, but fights against that to find the sacred. This is water. With whatever he writing, whatever the subject, he embraces the spectrum from the profane to the sacred.

Garbage. A waste of money. Take out the profanity and you have a childs' book, but not a very good one. Don't waste your money like I did.

The story stayed with me when I was done.It was creative and a bit different from a usual modern fantasy.I don't want to trash the novel because I know how much work goes into writing one.The only downside was that the main character was kind of a wimp and lacked in deserving empathy from the reader.If that's what the writer was going for, then nailed it.But at times the wining was a a bit repetitious and made me have to walk away from it more than a few times.Perhaps I was the wrong demographic for the intended audience, but as a Male adult I found the main character to be a rather winy for a straight guy.But I'm gay so what do I know.

Ok, I don't know how to write a review here because this isn't really an easy book to review. I can't imagine how he sold the dang thing.It's, um, about a surreal journey, right?And there's a crab.It's a really messed up story.I loved it. The characters are awesome. Like, absolutely awesome.Man. Ok. Um... It's just good. Real good.

Drew is someone who I follow closely online and has given me a lot of laughs over the years (who could forget his appearance on the TV show Chopped, or his weekly Funbag column on Deadspin?), and so I felt compelled to give his latest novel a shot.It's a lovely piece of surrealist literature, that grabs you and keeps beating you over the head with its strangeness until you give up any attempt at rationalisation. I was reminded favourably of the work of Mountain Goats singer John Darnielle, in that this has a brutal simplicity about it and the way it communicates its ideas.To say too much more would mean venturing into spoiler territory. Suffice to say that this may not be for everyone, but I think if it clicks with you then you won't be able to help loving it.

The art of storytelling is often abused, frequently poorly understood, but when executed well yields a story that flows well and is pleasurable to read.Drew Magary matches characters who mirror the everyman's insecurities with the self-determining hero we all aspire to (unless you're one of those wretches that ends a sentence with a preposition...). His narrative is well crafted, linking grand odyssey with the tropes of modern cinema all the while keeping the reader engaged. It's not necessarily the Most Brilliant Story Ever, Man, but it's a quality story that explores the frailty and resilience of the human condition.Certainly worth a read.

What a brilliant story. Quite bizarre and I often found myself wondering how a writer could travel in his mind to such way out scenes.I am usually a murder mystery reader, but this caught my imagination and kept me enthralled. It's a combination of fantasy, science fiction, coming of age and death scenes with an unreal twist. Very very clever novel.

Abgefahrene Story, gute Spannungsbögen, sehr kurzweilig, überraschende Auflösungen. Sicherlich keine buchgewordene Hochkultur, aber wer schwere Kost sucht würde so einen Roman ohnehin nicht in die Hand nehmen. Ich fands super!

Just excellent. I have no idea how Drew Magary will top this novel. Though- I did like his novel 'The Postmortal' marginally more than 'The Hike' - but I prefer dystopian SF personally...