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Title: The Mailman by Bentley Little ISBN: 0-451-40237-5 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 01 January, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.82 (28 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: No More Mail!
Comment: I'm making an effort to read most of Bentley Little's books as fast as I possibly can. To me, Little is an absolute master of a strange mix of horror, humor, and general wackiness. This book, "The Mailman," is one of Little's earliest efforts (written in 1991), and it looks like it is the first of several Little novels, such as "The Store" and "The Association," that employ brilliant black comedy in order to poke fun at the staples of American culture. In these novels, Little takes mundane scenarios such as shopping or the post office, and turns them into hilariously horrific tales of murder and mayhem. His goal is to show how little power we have over our modern lives, and how close we are to allowing our institutions to become bulwarks of fascism. This isn't to say that Little doesn't write straight horror; I know now that he does, but his books can be broken down into two distinct categories: horror (such as "The Walking"), and social satire ("The Mailman," "The Store," etc.). Of Little's social satire books that I've read, "The Mailman" is the darkest and most effective of the lot.
"The Mailman" is set in Willis, Arizona. The main characters are Doug, a schoolteacher starting his summer break, his wife Tritia, and his son Billy. Life is looking promising until the local postman, Bob Ronda, commits suicide. His replacement, a strange looking man named John Smith, never really seems to fit in. His attitude is suspicious, and he delivers the mail much earlier than his predecessor did. Soon, the mail begins to change. Instead of finding the usual junk mail and bills, customers find letters from long lost friends, or unexpected refunds. It also becomes apparent that Smith is constantly changing his delivery times. Mail starts appearing in the box in the middle of the night. Those that make trips to the post office to complain to Howard, the local postmaster, discover that Smith is running the front counter. Howard, they are told, is sick and won't be in today. Things go from a nuisance to downright sinister when hateful and perverted mail starts showing up. I won't go any farther with this description because I don't want to spoil the fun for you. But by the time the town is chanting, "no more mail!" you'll be cheering right along with them.
The main and secondary characters are drawn well. The only character I had trouble with was Tritia, Doug's wife. She became so annoying to me that I actually wished her harm at the hands of the mailman. Her health food kick, which Little plays up throughout the story, at times seemed to be the real horror story of the book. Maybe it's because I grew up in a household where health food was crammed down my throat, but I found Tritia to be the type of woman that rhymes with the word "witch." Fortunately, Doug and Billy are more sympathetic characters.
My favorite part of the book is the local post office. As the town slowly disintegrates, the post office becomes more and more hideous. By the time the final showdown takes place, Little has taken the post office so far over the top that I laughed for hours recalling the detailed descriptions of the place.
If you have never read Bentley Little, this book is a good place to start. "The Mailman" introduces you to Little the satirist, while still delivering some good gore and a few effective shocks. One thing is definite: once the Bentley Little bug bites, it bites deep. You'll want to rush out and read all of his stuff. Don't be afraid of this condition; it is quite harmless and can be easily treated.
Rating: 5
Summary: There's a new mailman in town...
Comment: And he's not friendly! Well, on the surface he appears to be. He waves, he smiles, he doesn't deliver junk mail or bills. But as Doug Albin comments when he first sees the mailman at a funeral, "there is a certain smugness and arrogance to that smile that I find disturbing". It doesn't take long for Doug and his family to realize that something is seriously off with the new mailman. Why would he show up at a funeral wearing his blue postal outfit among all the black-clad grievers? When the widow suddenly bursts in tears, why is he grinning as though he's enjoying the site? Why is he delivering the mail at 3 in the morning?
This is a book that starts slow, builds up tension and when you least expect it goes straight for the throat and kicks out all the stops. Before reading this novel, it never occured to me just how much we depend on the mail and the chaos that would ensue if someone were to screw around with the mail system. There's no doubt that this is in the top tier of Bentley Little books. It holds a place in the holy trinity of Bentley Little social satires, along with "The Store" and "The Ignored". Read and enjoy.
Rating: 3
Summary: Come On Bentley!
Comment: I'll preface this by saying that I really like Bentley Little as an author. I've read many of his books, and I have to say, that after reading so many, I'm left feeling pretty ripped off. I started with his book 'The Ignored' and was hooked. Next, was 'The Store' - also excellent, as was 'The Association'. 'The University' was a bit of a stretch, but good too. But, even in the world of Thriller and Horror novels, this one is just a little far-fetched. I know that sounds ridiculous - to say a work of fiction is 'far-fetched' but I think maybe Little needs to take a step back and re-visit his genre. What makes really good horror is the possibility that this 'could happen' - no matter how improbable. Just a shred of possibility. This book just doesn't introduce that possibility.
The plot centers around a family in Arizona, settling into summer vacation. Almost immediately, tragedy strikes, and the mailman is found dead - apparently a suicide. Enter "THE Mailman" who appears at the funeral, and things unfold from there. The novel drags on, you know from the beginning who will emerge 'victorious' - just a matter of when, and how, and who will die in the process. The ending was very disappointing and predictable. Don't discount Little though - read a few of his other books I've mentioned above, and judge for yourself. I'll continue reading his books, and hopefully will hit on one that isn't so completely unbelievable.
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Title: The Ignored by Bentley Little ISBN: 0451192583 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 01 June, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Dominion by Bentley Little ISBN: 0451187482 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 01 March, 1996 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: University by Bentley Little ISBN: 0451183908 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Store by Bentley Little ISBN: 0451192192 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 01 July, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Policy by Bentley Little ISBN: 0451209540 Publisher: Signet Book Pub. Date: 02 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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