History Literature / Roadwork

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: {{Zigzagged}}. The novel was published in 1981, while the story takes place between August 1973 and January 1974. Frequent references to real-world events of the year make it feel a bit like a period piece; but it was in fact written in the early-to-mid seventies, and just took a while to get published.
* {{BFG}}: Dawes purchases a heavy-caliber pistol and rifle early in the story. The rifle (described by its seller as "a freaking anti-tank gun") has enough recoil to make his shoulder ache when he test-fires it, and both weapons do quite a number on the police cars that arrive on the morning of his eviction.

* TheSeventies: The story takes place during the energy crisis of 1973-74.

* InfantImmortality: Subverted. Dawes' son dies from a brain tumor before the book begins.

* SpellMyNameWithABlank: The city where the novel is set is never named. It's almost invariably referred to simply as "the city", and at one point where the context demands a formal name, it's given as M———, W———. Probably the most prominent candidates (or at least the most famous) based on those initials would be either {{UsefulNotes/Milwaukee}} or Madison in Wisconsin, though whether this was King's intention is anybody's guess.

* SpellMyNameWithABlank: The city where the novel is set is never named. It's almost invariably referred to simply as "the city", and at one point where the context demands a formal name, it's given as M———, W———. Probably the most prominent candidate (or at least the most famous) based on those initials would be {{UsefulNotes/Milwaukee}}, Wisconsin, though whether this was King's intention is anybody's guess.

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: {{Zigzagged}}. The novel was published in 1981, while the story takes place between August 1973 and January 1974. Frequent references to real-world events of the year make it feel a bit like a period piece, but it was in fact written in the early-to-mid seventies, and just took a while to get published.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roadwork_face_7871.jpg]]

* PointlessCivilProject: [[spoiler:The titular roadwork turns out to be this in the end.]]

'''''Roadwork''''' is a 1981 novel written by Creator/StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an Interstate highway.

* StuffBlowingUp / DoNotGoGentle: [[spoiler:Dawes buys two high-powered firearms and a crate of explosives. When the police arrive to forcibly evict him, he shoots it out with them all morning long and then kills himself by blowing up the house.]]

* GenreAdultery: Was written in between ''Literature/SalemsLot'' and ''Literature/TheShining'' as an attempt to write a "straight" novel.

'''''Roadwork''''' is a 1981 novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an Interstate highway.

* {{BFG}}: Dawes purchases a heavy-caliber pistol and revolver early in the story. The rifle (described by its seller as "a freaking anti-tank gun") has enough recoil to make his shoulder ache when he test-fires it, and both weapons do quite a number on the police cars that arrive on the morning of his eviction.

* CommunityThreateningConstruction: Barton George Dawes learns that his neighborhood and workplace are scheduled for demolition, to make room for an interstate highway extension. Dawes has a mental breakdown and can't bring himself to leave. [[spoiler:At the end, he wires his house with explosives, gets into a gun fight with the police who try to evict him, then blows up the house while he's still inside.]]

'''''Roadwork''''' is a 1981 novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an interstate highway.

''Roadwork'' is a novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an interstate highway.

* OldShame: King stated in the first printing of ''The Bachman Books'' that it was his least favorite of the bunch. He changed his mind later for the second printing, saying that it was his favorite.

* {{BFG}}: Dawes purchases a heavy-caliber pistol and revolver early in the story. The rifle's recoil is enough to make his shoulder ache when he test-fires it, and both weapons do quite a number on the police cars that arrive on the morning of his eviction.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: After all is said and done, the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler: there was no real reason for the extension project; the city simply had extra money in its road construction budget, and had to spend it for fear of having the next year's budget reduced.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roadwork_face_966.jpg]]''Roadwork'' is a novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an interstate highway.

* {{Determinator}}: Dawes becomes one to his own detriment.

''Roadwork'' is a novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman. Barton George Dawes, grieving over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage, is pushed to the edge when he learns that both his home and his workplace will be demolished to make way for an extension to an interstate highway.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: After all is said and done, the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler: there was no real reason for the extension project; the city simply had extra money in its road construction budget, and had to spend it for fear of having the next year's budget reduced.]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: After all is said and done, the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler: there was no real reason for the extension project; the city simply had extra money in its road construction budget, and had to spend it for fear of having the next year's budget reduced.]]

''Roadwork'' is a novel written by StephenKing under the alias of Richard Bachman.