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abuginthewild's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
humanwave's review against another edition
3.0
I nearly didn't read this book after a dear colleague went to great lengths to spoil the plot for me, but I was still ultimately intrigued after he finished his ruining rant by solemnly shaking his head and admitting that it really 'wasn't a very nice book at all'.
Initially I empathised with poor old Lou, being a relentlessly underestimated, malevolent manipulator of men myself, but ultimately there just wasn't enough insight into his reasoning for committing such heinous acts to keep me interested.
Initially I empathised with poor old Lou, being a relentlessly underestimated, malevolent manipulator of men myself, but ultimately there just wasn't enough insight into his reasoning for committing such heinous acts to keep me interested.
elinormarie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
mr_dobalina's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book is really something else. If you have the stomach for the genre this is the one you want.
rdan's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
katreadingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The book is about Sheriff Deputy Ford who lives in a small Texas town. He is plagued with a sickness that has been dorminate since childhood. Then one day it comes back and murders start to happen in this small time.
The book is told from Ford's point of view. I liked this book because it wasn't your everyday crime book. You already knew who committed the crime the only question was why and as the book progress you get to follow his thought on made the "sickness" come back.
This was my first time reading a book by Jim Thompson. I was hooked within the first chapter. I only wish I had more time in the day because I found myself just hoping for the chance to pick up the book and find out what Ford was going to next. I will definietly be looing into more of his books after I finish my book challenges and TBR shelf at home is empty.
Now back to my challenge books....
dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
Ever meet someone at a party and think they're pretty cool until they let something slip and you realize they may in fact be bat-shit psycho? That's how Lou Ford, the protagonist of The Killer Inside Me is. I also suspect that Jim Thompson may have been that way as well.
The Killer Inside Me is the story of Lou Ford, a small town sheriff who's a little slow and a little boring. Or he would have you believe. Lou Ford spends most of his time keeping the sickness inside him in check. Lou's a sociopath and has killed multiple times in the past. Lou tries to get even with a man he suspects killed his brother and gets himself ensnared in a criminal investigation. Can he murder his way out of it?
The story itself is pretty simple. Ford tries to set something up to sully the good name of the Conway family and chaos ensues. What makes it work is Jim Thompson's writing. Just like in Population 1280, Jim Thompson uses an unreliable narrator and plays it to the hilt. The writing is bleak, powerful, and unsettling. Like I said earlier, Thompson writes sociopaths a little too well for comfort. Sometimes you wish you could warn the characters that Lou Ford is a runaway train and they're standing on the track.
From beginning to end, this was one of the more disturbing books I've ever read. If you like noir, it doesn't get much noir-er then this.
"You've got forever; and it's a mile wide and an inch deep and full of alligators."
The Killer Inside Me is the story of Lou Ford, a small town sheriff who's a little slow and a little boring. Or he would have you believe. Lou Ford spends most of his time keeping the sickness inside him in check. Lou's a sociopath and has killed multiple times in the past. Lou tries to get even with a man he suspects killed his brother and gets himself ensnared in a criminal investigation. Can he murder his way out of it?
The story itself is pretty simple. Ford tries to set something up to sully the good name of the Conway family and chaos ensues. What makes it work is Jim Thompson's writing. Just like in Population 1280, Jim Thompson uses an unreliable narrator and plays it to the hilt. The writing is bleak, powerful, and unsettling. Like I said earlier, Thompson writes sociopaths a little too well for comfort. Sometimes you wish you could warn the characters that Lou Ford is a runaway train and they're standing on the track.
From beginning to end, this was one of the more disturbing books I've ever read. If you like noir, it doesn't get much noir-er then this.
"You've got forever; and it's a mile wide and an inch deep and full of alligators."
jayceecee0716's review against another edition
3.0
Very twisted, definitely not a loveable 'Dexter' type that you could relate to.
jrobles76's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book and as a fan of Crime & Detective Fiction, I have no idea why it's taken me so long to read it. Since this book was written many people have tried their hand at first person narratives from the killer's point of view. Let's just say few are as successful. Lou Ford is a straight up sociopath/psychopath, though he tries to use the term schizophrenic - it is the 1950s after all and forensic psychology was a little ways off.
Ford is well liked, and he seems nice enough, but like any sociopath it's just an act. He secretly dislikes and looks down on everyone he interacts with. The veil starts to wear thin, though, and it triggers a killing spree.
Ford blames the killing spree on the feelings stirred up by Lakeland, a woman of ill-repute (whore) he strikes up an affair with after attempting to tell her to leave town. The violence he'd not experienced in years comes out. But what really brings out the psychopath in him, is when he feels that the union guy is on to him about his first victim when he was young. The character, being a psychopath, rationalizes every action as if it is the perfect answer to whatever problem has just arisen. The author doesn't just show us an evil man with a hunger for murder. No, he shows us a mind that thinks it's operating rationally. Ford believes that every action he's taken makes sense, and that life will just get back to normal once everyone arrives at the same logical conclusion. We now know that psychopaths and sociopaths have an inability to empathize with others, and Jim Thompson wrote a character that embodies that. Regular people have feelings, and Ford is faking them. Regular people notice that and that's what outs Ford in the end.
What sets this book apart from others of the genre is it's realistic portrayal of a psychopathic mind. Not just creating a bogeyman with no basis in reality, but creating an accurate portrait of a killer. I look forward to reading more of his books.
Ford is well liked, and he seems nice enough, but like any sociopath it's just an act. He secretly dislikes and looks down on everyone he interacts with. The veil starts to wear thin, though, and it triggers a killing spree.
Ford blames the killing spree on the feelings stirred up by Lakeland, a woman of ill-repute (whore) he strikes up an affair with after attempting to tell her to leave town. The violence he'd not experienced in years comes out. But what really brings out the psychopath in him, is when he feels that the union guy is on to him about his first victim when he was young. The character, being a psychopath, rationalizes every action as if it is the perfect answer to whatever problem has just arisen. The author doesn't just show us an evil man with a hunger for murder. No, he shows us a mind that thinks it's operating rationally. Ford believes that every action he's taken makes sense, and that life will just get back to normal once everyone arrives at the same logical conclusion. We now know that psychopaths and sociopaths have an inability to empathize with others, and Jim Thompson wrote a character that embodies that. Regular people have feelings, and Ford is faking them. Regular people notice that and that's what outs Ford in the end.
What sets this book apart from others of the genre is it's realistic portrayal of a psychopathic mind. Not just creating a bogeyman with no basis in reality, but creating an accurate portrait of a killer. I look forward to reading more of his books.