Customer Reviews

The Bastard

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Caldwell's first novel is certainly a poor effort. He seems always to be unsure of exactly what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. But through this jumbled mess there is a power to his writing that keeps one reading to the end. Recommended only for the true Caldwell fan.

I was very happy when i received the book - it was very old because it was one of the first copies. The date of delivery was ok. thanks!

This novel is extremely difficult to read, women are treated as nothing more than sexual chattel, black people are nothing and the main character commits infanticide on his deformed son. After committing this deed he visits a prostitute and then abandons his wife.
Gene Morgan was born in a carnival wagon to a prostitute that would have killed him if she had not been stopped. With nowhere else to go, an old black woman raised Gene and he never developed a sense of caring for others. He kills when it is convenient and works only when necessary. There is no more disgusting series of events than when Gene gets extremely drunk and ends up in jail. When he wakes up a young girl is in the cell next to him and the guard tells him that he had convinced the girl to have sex with him by promising to let her go in the morning. It is now in the middle of the day and she is still in the cell. The guard then allows Gene to enter her cell and he twists her arm as painfully as he can until she submits to his rape.
Gene Morgan is one of the must disgusting anti-heroes to ever appear in literature. He has no redeeming qualities other than his own survival in a world that he makes more bitter by his actions.