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A review by eleellis
No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker
4.0
There is a song by musician David Baerwald inspired by Edward Bunker called A Prisoner's Dream and in the song, Baerwald depicts that prisoners can also have hopes, wishes, and dreams while being caged from society. From listening to the song, it seems as if this song describes prison inmates in the most idealistic of fashion. It depicts prisoners as often being the product churned out by society and influences beyond their control and how they, too, maintain faith in humanity while trying to live and survive.
For those not familiar with now-deceased Edward Bunker, he was a long-time convict who found liberation through the written word. Forged by his institutional life, his writing was published in well-received novels, which led to films of his work and even acting roles.
The novel No Beast So Fierce portrays Max Dembo, a just released parole and child of the system as he tries to float through society and live like he thought he could, only to realize about the only thing he is good at is living a life of criminality.
Bunker's writing is poignant and raw. While Dembo is violent and mostly irredeemable and a creature of his environment, Bunker does not try to make him sympathetic.
No Beast So Fierce is a very good crime novel with very good writing and descriptions and it does not ask you to like Max Dembo, only to just see him.
No Beast So Fierce was also made into a movie called Straight Time with Dustin Hoffman.
For those not familiar with now-deceased Edward Bunker, he was a long-time convict who found liberation through the written word. Forged by his institutional life, his writing was published in well-received novels, which led to films of his work and even acting roles.
The novel No Beast So Fierce portrays Max Dembo, a just released parole and child of the system as he tries to float through society and live like he thought he could, only to realize about the only thing he is good at is living a life of criminality.
Bunker's writing is poignant and raw. While Dembo is violent and mostly irredeemable and a creature of his environment, Bunker does not try to make him sympathetic.
No Beast So Fierce is a very good crime novel with very good writing and descriptions and it does not ask you to like Max Dembo, only to just see him.
No Beast So Fierce was also made into a movie called Straight Time with Dustin Hoffman.