Savage Night

Jim Thompson

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'Savage Night' by Jim Thompson is a dark and surreal 'noir' classic that follows the story of Carl Bigelow, a contract killer sent to a small town to eliminate a court informer. The book delves into the twisted world of small-town intrigue, amoral characters, and a protagonist who slowly loses grip on reality as he becomes entangled in a love triangle. Thompson's writing style is described as gritty, atmospheric, and filled with unexpected twists, culminating in a violent and bizarre ending that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.

Characters:

The characters are a mix of anti-heroes and eccentric individuals, each adding to the story's dark and gritty atmosphere.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by dark humor and a gritty aesthetic interspersed with surreal and impressionistic passages, especially towards the end.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows a pint-sized contract killer as he navigates a convoluted job, dealing with personal issues and unexpected relationships that complicate his mission.

Setting:

Set in a decaying small town, the environment enhances the story's grim and oppressive mood.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, starting slow with extensive character development, but accelerating to a chaotic and intense conclusion.

I'd caught a slight cold when I changed trains at Chicago; and three days in New York—three days of babes and booze while I waited to see The Man—hadn't helped it any. I felt lousy by the time I arriv...

Notes:

Jim Thompson is considered one of the greatest pulp writers.

He wrote thirty novels in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Notable works include 'The Killer Inside Me', 'Savage Night', and 'The Grifters'.

'The Getaway' was a big hit movie in 1972 starring Steve McQueen.

'Savage Night' features a pint-sized contract killer named Carl Bigelow.

The book's protagonist has physical ailments like false teeth and tuberculosis.

Thompson's characters often have a dark sense of humor.

The story is set in a decayed small town called Peardale.

Bigelow's mission is to assassinate a court informer named Jake Winroy.

The plot is filled with odd characters, including a one-legged woman and a femme fatale named Fay.

Thompson's writing style mixes dark themes with surreal elements.

The ending of 'Savage Night' is known for being surreal and nightmarish.

Readers have noted that every Thompson book has a unique, gripping quality.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Savage Night include violence, mental illness, sexual themes, drug use, and moral depravity, given the protagonist's occupation and psychological state.

From The Publisher:

Jake Winroy had no looks, no education, and little else before he'd worked his way to the top of a million-dollar-a-month horse-betting ring. But when the state's latched onto his game, the feds take a bite and the lawyer fees eat away at the rest, all Jake's got left is the bottle and a beautiful wife whose every word is ugly.

Jake's to be the top witness in a major case against organized crime - if he hasn't already kicked the bucket before the trial has its day in court. But an enigmatic mafioso known only as The Man has a plan to make dead certain Jake never gets the chance to testify.

The Man's hired Charlie "Little" Bigger, a hit man barely five feet tall, to infiltrate the Winroy residence as a tenant and murder Winroy in cold blood. To Little, it seems like the easiest job on Earth. Until he lays eyes on the beautiful and dangerous Fay and the Winroy's young housemaid Ruth, a woman as sensual as she is vulnerable. Savage Night is Jim Thompson at his most unpredictable and deeply suspenseful, in a claustrophobic thriller of one man's fractured mind.

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Savage Night

Jim Thompson

Characters:

Writing/Prose:

Plot/Storyline:

Setting:

Pacing:

Genres:

Tropes/Plot Devices:

Topics:

Notes:

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

From The Publisher:

Ratings (1)

Reader Stats (4):

What can you read after
Savage Night?

Savage Night

Jim Thompson

Characters:

Writing/Prose:

Plot/Storyline:

Setting:

Pacing:

Genres:

Tropes/Plot Devices:

Topics:

Notes:

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

From The Publisher:

Ratings (1)

Reader Stats (4):

What can you read after Savage Night?

What can you read after
Savage Night?