The Running Man

The Running Man, by Michael Gerard Bauer, is a book about a hunated vietnam survivor and his slowly and awkwardly developing firendship with an aspiring young artist, Joseph. The pair both have dark secrets which they hope to keep hidden, but have to confront in order to continnue their lives...at least, thats what the book is supposed to portray, with powerful conviction and feeling. I found the book drear and it was a struggle to convince myself to finish reading it. Although the book is not long, it is slow reading and i find that there is not much of a climax. It would be of more intrest to younger readers, and although as a powerful story it doesn't get very far, it does effectivley make a mental picture of the huantings war survivors have to face, and is an insight to the horrific repricutions of war, spread far beyond the battlefeild.
The Running Man was shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literay Awards and was also shortlisted for The Childrens Book Council Of Australia. Michael Gerard Bauer has written other books, apparantly funny ones...