| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 06/05/03 10:45 AM |
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Bentley Little
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What's the feedback on Bentley Little? Like him, hate him... Can't get enough? Wonder how he ever got published? I'm interested in your opinions.
| FAZE |
| (Risen from the Grave) |
| 06/18/03 02:33 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I enjoy reading him, his books are fast pace, full of gore and lots more action. Usually from the opening pages you take an interest that follows you all the way to the end. Some recommendations: The Revelation and The House if anyone has any others please let me know.
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 06/19/03 12:41 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I enjoyed his short story gathering: The Collection. From cannabilistic presidents to snuff movies and other eerie material, this one garners a thumbs up!
I've got all his books sitting on my shelf collecting dust, but everytime I open one end up with a *sigh*. Unfortunately, the one book I want from him - Death Insticts (written under the pseudonym Phillip Emmons - is long OOP. Another *sigh*, lol.
If you're interested in Little, I suggest checking out a very good fansite on him. It's got plenty of news and reviews (though the forum is rather tepid):
The Horrifying World Of Bentley Little
| Fenril |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 08/12/03 11:49 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I finished reading his The Mailman recently, and it is the only thing I have read by him so far. I found it very, very good, except for an abysmally weak ending. Nevertheless, at least 90% was just fine, suspenseful and creepy as hell. I am looking forward to reading "The Ignored", "The Store", "Revelation" and "The Collection" as well. We'll see.
| diezman |
| (Risen from the Grave) |
| 08/20/03 07:41 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I have been a fan of Bentley Little for a few years now. I discovered "The Store" once while browsing an online bookstore. I read the description and thought it sounded different compared to most everything else that was out at the time. I said "what the hell" and ordered "The Store."
Needless to say, The Store turned out to be a fairly interesting novel. Bentley Little definately has a gift for scaring the reader. I then ordered "The Walking" and "The Revelation" and liked them even more than the Store.
"The Mailman" and "The Ignored" were out of print at the time. I found good used copies on an online auction site and bought them. I really liked the Mailman but was not as impressed with the Ignored.
His later works, namely "The Association" and "The Return" left much to be desired as a Bentley Little fan IMO. It seemed as if he ran out of ideas for the Association. It almost seemed as if he were rushed with the Return. The Association and the Return both had the worst endings I have ever read in horror.
I still have "Dominion" sitting on my shelf. I have been on an Edward Lee kick lately and haven't read much else.
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 08/21/03 07:02 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I'll agree with The Return having a weak ending, but thought everything else was pretty good. Though it took me awhile to get over the 'Zane Grey' bit, the campfire tale and subsequent 'face in the tree' spooked me, lol. Unfortunately, that's near the beginning of the title and you still have a few hundred pages to wade through...
Seems I recall reading a Little interview where he admitted both the titles you mentioned were, indeed, rush jobs. I don't believe he was happy with the efforts, either.
We'll see how he does next with The Policy.
| JNewman |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 09/02/03 07:17 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I'm new here, but if you don't mind my jumpin' in . . . .
Anybody picked up THE POLICY yet? Can't WAIT to get this one . . . though I wasn't *crazy* about the last few (novels, I mean -- THE COLLECTION was fantastic), I always get excited when I hear a new Bentley Little book's coming out . . . .
J.N.
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 09/02/03 11:33 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I've got it, but haven't each read the first page yet. Am working my way back from the beginning of the Little catalogue (though will agree The Collection is classick!).
Definitely one of my anticipated releases this month, however, alongside Laymon's To Wake The Dead (though I've yet to crack page 1 there, either
).
| Thunder |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 09/06/03 02:40 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Only read THE WALKING, THE TOWN and THE ASSOCIATION. Agreed, his work
should always be anticipated. A purebred horror writer.
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 09/26/03 09:20 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Well, I abandoned my original plan of reading his work in order and have just been chewing up the pages however I feel. Have finished a few of his books over the past couple weeks and here's my rundown:
The Town: Absolutely loved it. Did anyone feel like they were reading Little's version of The Amityville Horror? The incest, the murderous father, the possessed house, etc? It was also refreshing for Little to try a 'different' ending. He appears to be quite weak when conducting finales - a fact he has admitted himself since he doesn't like to write conclusions, lol - and it played decently.
The Mailman: Tour de force. Read it. I was shocked at 'the photograph' and couldn't imagine what the young protagonist felt when he viewed it. Sorry to be so vague, but if you've read the book you'll know what I'm talking about.
The Store: Couldn't get much better. And the ending, leaving it open with a missing main character, classick. The incest angle returns in a 'shocking' revelation, and Little continues to deliver the goods.
The Policy: Starts off decent, with a few creepy moments. There are the results of a burning house, and the woman trapped inside, that made my skin crawl. There is a birthing passage filled with evil clowns and an unfortunate baby. Little pulled my heart strings here when the infant was delivered. I just had to say, whoa... But the ending! Damn. Much like the other Little books I've read, when he reaches those final pages they just slam into a brick wall. The finale to this one tries a bit harder, but ultimately doesn't pay off. And I have to give a thumbs up to the creepy insurance salesman, if only because he reminded me of someone I know!, lol.
But Bentley Little is defintely a highly-recommended author. He's a mesh of Stephen King and Richard Laymon, imho. He's got King's sweeping style, inbred with Laymon's gore and sex. I like the mention of his pseudonym Phillip Emmons (can't wait to read that book!) in most of his titles, and the way most of his books all seem to interconnect.
If you've read The Policy and The Store, tell me: Were the insurance salesmen related to the Night Managers?
Sorry for the rambling, but I'm highly medicated this a.m. and just allowing the fingers to do the walking!, lol. Bentley Little has possibly etched himself into my favorite author hot spot, and with good reason. If you haven't read him yet, do so now. You won't be disappointed.
| JNewman |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 09/26/03 10:57 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Bought THE POLICY a few days ago but I haven't cracked it open yet. I don't think I can wait much longer after reading your thoughts, though, Messiah! Great little "mini-review" -- thanks for sharing, and for keeping them spoiler-free!
Can't WAIT to start this one now,
James N.
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 09/26/03 11:08 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Mr Newman: I actually hurried up and read that one so I could post a 'review' for you, lol. Glad to see it's spurring you to buy some insurance! And please, post your thoughts when you're finished. I'd love to talk about this title with someone.
Hope you enjoy!
| Fenril |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 09/26/03 11:24 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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It'll be a while before I can pick up The Policy.
But in the meanwhile, on the book I did read:
Quote:
The Mailman: Tour de force. Read it. I was shocked at 'the photograph' and couldn't imagine what the young protagonist felt when he viewed it. Sorry to be so vague, but if you've read the book you'll know what I'm talking about.
At that, there are plenty of genuinely shocking moments... Remember what happens to Billy in the treehouse? That made my blood run cold.
**SPOILER**
Too bad Little later chickened out in the hospital scene... oh, well...
**SPOILER END**
And by the way, whatever happened to Lainey? He just dissappears from the story.
But it's still a great novel, and it reminded me of King's "Needful Things" (one of my favorite King novels, at that).
If most of Little's books are at least this good, then I definitely second all of your opinions --a writer not to be missed!
| Fenril |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 06/23/04 05:48 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Finished The Store --in one day!
I agree with everyone's comments: impressive, with its' mixture of real-life hostile homogenization horror and supernatural going ons. At times, it is almost too intense to bear.The ending was nice, if a bit Stephen King-ish
**SPOILER** With it's mirrored prologue and epilogue **SPOILER END**
| Knifey |
| (Zombie) |
| 08/29/04 04:48 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I just recently heard of Bentley Little and am now about 40 pages away from the end of THe Walking. Kick ass stuff. Any others of Mr Little's work you would label as Essential?
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 08/29/04 05:56 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I label all Bentley Little essential, but if you want the titles that never seem to fail its readers:
- The Revelation
University
The Mailman
The Store
The Collection
And don't forget he has a new book (the first of a new 3 book deal) arriving Sept 7: The Resort
| Astrodart |
| (Recently Deceased) |
| 08/29/04 06:31 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Been a long while since I last read Bentley Little, but I remember enjoying the sheer gory perverseness of his books. I've read Dominion, University, and The Ignored (which I really liked from concept through to execution). Is The Mailman the best book to jump back into his work or would you recommend something else?
slack
| Messiah |
| (Living Dead) |
| 08/30/04 05:51 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I think that'd be a perfect spot, as it's definitely one of his best books.
| Bart |
| (Risen from the Grave) |
| 09/18/04 06:42 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I've read The Association recently - and it's a thrilling read, too! I was amazed by the King-ish scope of the novel as well, 'cause I thought Little's books are much more humble.
One of my favourite horror books this year.
| Fenril |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 07/23/05 11:51 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Read The collection --Very, very good. As the title implies, it's a collection of short stories... They are all very sort and tackle all sort of topics, so at least one story is guaranteed to please readers.
It also covers all the range of Little's work: from perverse satires on corporate (and academic) life to moody, reflective horror riffs, to no-holds-barred gorefeasts, to just plain weird stories.
Not all of the stories were exactly quality stuff, and his oh-so-politically-incorrect attitude does get on one's nerves now and then, but even the weaker entries had at least one memorable scene. The effect is roughly like a really good "party mix" bag of goods, with a couple gourmet chocolates thrown in the mix.
I have "The ignored" sitting on my bookshelf, and will probably give it a try when I have the chance. However, the other day I caught a review of "The summoning", which sounded very interesting and a bit different from his usual stuff. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print. Damn.
| Bart |
| (Risen from the Grave) |
| 08/06/05 03:15 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Just bought Little's The Resort. Any thoughts on this one yet?
| Knifey |
| (Zombie) |
| 10/21/05 01:30 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I've dabbles in a little Bentley Little myself. He's great! Last one I read, I think was The Walking.
| EdgarAllen |
| (Living Dead) |
| 07/29/09 10:19 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Bump. Since the last post was about four years ago, I know nobody has discussed 2007's The Vanishing yet. I'm halfway through and so far it's been a quick and enjoyable read. Good pacing, lots of creepiness and gore, interesting characters. I'm not sure I dig the direction the plot is starting to take but I'm definitely sticking with it.
** Minor Spoilage **
So far the story is more about upper crust CEO's turning into madmen and an odd supernatural/possession bent instead of disappearing children as the cover might imply. But it has been highly enjoyable so far. I just finished a section involving child rape and I'm always taken aback when I bump into scenes like this, especially when I don't see them coming. Like Laymon, and as discussed some above, there is alot of sexual perversion in the writing. But it generally fits in with the plot, and if a particular sex scene isn't important to the moment, he's seems happy enough to gloss over the details quickly. Laymon and Little's writing styles are similar, but there's more of a maturity and seemlessness in Little's writing. Also as mentioned above, he's using some traditional horror devices throughout the book like creepy woods and moving shadows and a bag of bones, things you might find in dime store anthologies or Poe or young adult offerings.
| Knifey |
| (Zombie) |
| 08/01/09 04:41 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Glad you bumped this. Little is great and I have not read any of his stuff since my last post in this thread. I cant believe its been FOUR years.
| EdgarAllen |
| (Living Dead) |
| 08/02/09 10:22 PM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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I am definitely enjoying The Vanishing. I'm 3/4 of the way through. A little bit nervous I'm not going to dig the ending but we'll see. Regardless, I think I will eventually read some more of Little's novels. An interesting tidbit about The Vanishing, one major character and at least three minor one's are true 19th century historical figures, and he not necessarily pulling any punches regarding they're behaviors in the book.
| Knifey |
| (Zombie) |
| 08/03/09 03:00 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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That's interesting. Let us know your inpressions once you finish. I hope the edning turns out okay!
| EdgarAllen |
| (Living Dead) |
| 08/12/09 08:11 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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Regarding The Vanishing, I wasn't crazy about the wrap up for two reasons....
** SPOILERS **
First, in the last fifty pages, Little introduces a mercenary squad to accompany the protags to the bad guys' place. It just didn't fit at all, and the same ending could have been accomplished without this element AND been alot more suspenseful. That part bordered on stupid and was by far the biggest detractor in the book. Second was the weapon used against the baddies. Whereas it's a crucifix for a vampire or silver bullet for werewolves, you need dirty limericks in this story, I shit you not. But, at least there's some explanation for it throughout the book and the only place it really made me wince was the final parts.
** END **
Despite these issues, overall I enjoyed the book and will probably end up reading another Little book somewhere down the line. Maybe one of his earlier works I think, based on board comments elsewhere (maybe at his website???) that his earlier works are more entertaining.
| JNewman |
| (Rotting Corpse) |
| 09/28/09 05:01 AM |
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Re: Bentley Little
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The wife and I just started reading Little's brand new one, HIS FATHER'S SON. Gonna be a good one, I'm hoping . . . the reviews I've read claim it's much different from his usual stuff. Which isn't a bad thing -- I hate to say it, but as much as I love Little's work, his last few have fizzled out for me and I never even finished 'em.
J.N.