Scan barcode
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
5.0
Savage Night might be the most existential Thompson novel I've yet read. The story of Carl Bigelow, a malformed man, someone who only makes five feet by wearing enormous lifts, who operates as a mob boss's hired executioner, takes place against a background of sordid lust, looming death, and purposeless existence. Nobody is safe, not Carl's target, his ally in the plot, the man he thinks is standing watch over him, or the even more malformed woman, Ruthie, he pities. And in fact Carl and Ruthie essentially are man and wife here, two corrupted monsters who also seem to operate with an aura of magic surrounding them.
The style of Savage Night also stands out. There is the usual amorphous and ambiguous start to things, where the world only seems to come into focus in a manner of someone emerging from a hangover. But the surprise is the ending. Often, Thompson leaves things hanging. But, here, he's gone one step further. Carl Bigelow transitions into the essence of non-existence, unlife, which isn't so shocking, because he has been chasing it down the path of madness throughout the novel.
Reading Thompson makes you realize just how much of a level he existed at above other writers of the genre. I've read a lot of James Hadley Chase lately, working on him from an academic point of view, and while Chase has a few works that hop on the boundary of literary modernism, none come close to the world Jim Thompson creates.
Final note: I haven't read a Thompson novel in a few years. One reason is that I ran out of books of his I owned copies of. This is the first downloaded digital Thompson I've read. And he is one of those authors that does not lend his work to digital e-readers. You need the visceral feel of the pages in your hand. He's like Maugham in that regard. Or Conrad. Turning the pages of a Thompson novel are part of the experience that I miss with the digital format. It just doesn't seem the same.
The style of Savage Night also stands out. There is the usual amorphous and ambiguous start to things, where the world only seems to come into focus in a manner of someone emerging from a hangover. But the surprise is the ending. Often, Thompson leaves things hanging. But, here, he's gone one step further. Carl Bigelow transitions into the essence of non-existence, unlife, which isn't so shocking, because he has been chasing it down the path of madness throughout the novel.
Reading Thompson makes you realize just how much of a level he existed at above other writers of the genre. I've read a lot of James Hadley Chase lately, working on him from an academic point of view, and while Chase has a few works that hop on the boundary of literary modernism, none come close to the world Jim Thompson creates.
Final note: I haven't read a Thompson novel in a few years. One reason is that I ran out of books of his I owned copies of. This is the first downloaded digital Thompson I've read. And he is one of those authors that does not lend his work to digital e-readers. You need the visceral feel of the pages in your hand. He's like Maugham in that regard. Or Conrad. Turning the pages of a Thompson novel are part of the experience that I miss with the digital format. It just doesn't seem the same.
bundy23's review against another edition
2.0
Has Jim Thompson ever written a likeable character? 80% are arseholes and the other 20% are pathetic...
I was digging this most of the way so 2-stars feels mean but the end was dumb so fuck it.
I was digging this most of the way so 2-stars feels mean but the end was dumb so fuck it.
sireno8's review
3.0
A fascinating study in pulp paranoia from one of the masters of the genre. It's slickly paced and peppered with imagery brilliant and disturbing, some of it downright disgusting--but like an accident on the side of the road, it's impossible to turn away. It's a real testament to a writer when they getting you rooting for a character who is completely despicable. What I found particularly surprising was the deft character deliniations drawn largely out of dialogue. Much of it has stayed with me--I keep moving the plot pieces around in my head. Dark but dazzling.
jakewritesbooks's review
4.0
Seems like standard issue noir until the ending, which is crazy and dark. I like Thompson's books and, while this wasn't the best of the bunch, the ending is pretty nuts.
robert1234's review
2.0
Jim Thompson is usually one of my favorite authors. However, this book fell way short of my expectations. Too much bad poetic indulgence. By the time I got to the garden of woman's body parts and screaming goats, I just wanted to put the book down and go to sleep.....
booksnguitars's review
3.0
Another gritty thriller from Thompson. Great language at points, this guy was obviously years ahead of the pack, as far as noir thrillers go.
thomasroche's review
2.0
Great writing marred by discursive and inexplicable subplots, problems with the overall story structure, much too slow a pace, and a murky ending that I found totally incomprehensible. Stylistically, it's great at times, but there are just too many logic problems and weird characterization glitches for me to really think it was a good book. However, there are a few passages that should be textbook examples of building suspense.
cullen_mi's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. Rounded up to 3 because I'll give Jim Thompson the benefit of the doubt.
I've liked every Thompson pulp crime novel I've read so far, but I had to abandon this one with about 50 pages to go. I can't quite articulate why I found it so lacking. The first person protagonists in Thompson's books are usually dark and interesting and satisfying. The delicate and sickly hitman in Savage Night I just found to be annoying and completely uninteresting.
I've liked every Thompson pulp crime novel I've read so far, but I had to abandon this one with about 50 pages to go. I can't quite articulate why I found it so lacking. The first person protagonists in Thompson's books are usually dark and interesting and satisfying. The delicate and sickly hitman in Savage Night I just found to be annoying and completely uninteresting.
idontkaren's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible, read almost the whole thing in one sitting.
chalicotherex's review against another edition
5.0
A hitter for the mob goes undercover as a student in a small college town, I guess because he's short. But he quickly finds out that there ain't no killing your way out of trouble in a Jim Thompson novel.
Also I just realized I'm an idiot and that his mental breakdown begins a lot earlier than I realized. The baby leg should have been a clue, because there's no way that could happen. I now need to reread this novel.
Also I just realized I'm an idiot and that his