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Savage Night
by THOMPSON, JIM
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- First Edition; paperback original; minor soiling, rubbing and creasing; very good.
- Seller
-
Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
First class criminal Carl Bigelow has a difficult job ahead of him. How can he kill one-time hoodlum Jake Winroy without making it look like a hit? The man is about to turn evidence in to the authorities, threatening to bring the law down on the powerful crime syndicate that runs the city. Allowing Jake Winroy to live could be very bad for the career of Carl's Boss, not to mention several prominent but corrupt Long Island politicians. Luckily for Carl, Winroy's beautiful wife is bored with his drunken behavior and anxious to become a widow. It seems that she could easily be implicated in the plot by her eagerness to take up with Carl, the handsome young hoodlum.
Reviews
I recently enjoyed Jim Thompson's Savage Night.It’s centered around Carl Bigelow, who’s either a hitman sent to kill somebody set to rat out on the mob or a young man going to teacher’s college. Most of the book hinges around on identity: if Bigelow is really somebody else, who else is pretending – and who are they after? Appearance-altering contact lenses and fake teeth play a large role in this novel.This paranoia spills all over the place. Routine events become the setting for a double-cross. A bakery-worker neighbour isn’t just another killer hired for the same purpose, but maybe one planning to kill him, too. The wife wants the husband out, but is she working with the cops? And just why are the cops so friendly, anyway?Savage Night is a short book packed with violence, lying and tons of paranoia. And in between bouts of killing, it’s punctuated with disturbing imagery from biblical verses spelled out of ripped-apart magazines to deformed bodies. The book gradually moves from crime novel to a disturbing horror story, but given Bigelow’s state of mind, it’s fitting. Every corner is a trap, every person out to get him. Whenever he kills someone, it’s not because they needed to, but because of what they could do.It’s vintage Thompson. It’s a somewhat typical story turned on it’s side, then flipped around and back and forth. It builds up to an insane, schizophrenic finish. And it’s a hell of a ride, too. Sure, it occasionally trips over itself as it zigs and zags and it’s occasionally hard to follow, but overall, it’s a fun, disturbing ride. I’m not sure it completely works, but when it does, it really does. Recommended .
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 21131P
- Title
- Savage Night
- Author
- THOMPSON, JIM
- Book Condition
- Used - First Edition; paperback original; minor soiling, rubbing and creasing; very good.
- Binding
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Lion Books
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1953
Terms of Sale
Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
About the Seller
Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
About Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
Specializing in 19th and 20th century literature, signed and inscribed books, and manuscripts we maintain a high quality inventory. Our shop is located in the heart of Newton Centre where we are open by chance or appointment
In the long-standing tradition of the rare book trade we continue to mail regular catalogues to our customers. We are easily accessible via the MBTA Green Line's D Branch. We travel widely and attend both international and local book fairs.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.