The Ignored [Mass Market Paperback]

Bentley Little (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

With a good job and a pretty girlfriend, Bob Jones's one complaint in life is that he is ignored--until he is inducted into a secret society of the nondescript and dejected planning a horrifying revenge. Original."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Many horror stories are about loners or misfits, but The Ignored is about a man who is so average, who fits into society so well, he disappears from view. In a harrowing progression reminiscent of an episode from Twilight Zone, Bob Jones drifts into a state where his co-workers can't see him, his friends don't recognize him, his parents die and he's not even invited to the funeral. Then he joins up with others of "the Ignored," a tiny minority in their own pocket of reality who validate each other in their mediocrity. The strength of this tale is in Bentley Little's willingness to explore all the possible fates open to Bob Jones, as if trying out alternative endings for the novel. This is horror of ideas--a chilling commentary on the blandness of a society that has a McDonald's on every corner and entertainment that is safe, boring, and middle-of-the-road.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Signet (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451192583
• ISBN-13: 978-0451192585
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #560,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrorist For the Common Man, March 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ignored (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read every Bentley Little novel with the exception of The Summoning. I've enjoyed every one of them to at least some degree, but The Ignored is by far my favorite. It was the first Little novel I had the pleasure of climbing into (and regretting climbing back out), so that may be part of its appeal to me, but I think it's mostly the stunningly original concept behind this book that makes it tower over his other work. If you've ever felt like an average person, someone without looks or personality traits that stand out from most others, then you need to read this book. I must be pretty "normal" because this story hit pretty close to home. I could really see myself in the narrator's shoes (this is a first-person story), so I found myself rooting for the guy even (especially) when things started to get violent. The types of people that the narrator hates, I hate. The types of feelings the narrator expresses, I've felt. I'll bet a lot of potential readers can relate to the material.

I agree with others' opinions about the similarities to Fight Club, though that novel (and movie) didn't have quite the impact on me that The Ignored did. Still, it's a very appropriate comparison, and if you enjoyed one, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you enjoyed the other.

What's odd is that even though there is quite a bit of violence in The Ignored, it's probably toned down compared to a lot of his work, especially University. Despite that, The Ignored disturbed me more than anything else he's written. Little almost always has some graphic scenes in his books that are not only hatefully violent but disturbingly bizarre, like something you'd dream but soon forget within ten minutes of waking up. What I mean to say is that Little is amazing when it comes to thinking up violent disturbing imagery, yet The Ignored's lack of it doesn't make it any less frightening. Don't get me wrong, there are still examples of that type of thing in The Ignored. What comes immediately to mind is when the narrator dresses up in a clown suit, goes to work armed with a knife, and...nevermind, I don't want to ruin it for someone who hasn't read it yet.

I can't think of a book in any genre or category that I'd give a higher recommendation to. The Ignored is listed in Stephen King's On Writing as one of the "best books of the last few years" or something like that, and I couldn't agree more. Not only is the story totally engrossing, but Little's style of writing is just perfect. I'm amazed when people confuse clear, concise, and effective (but simple) writing with *bad* writing. If you want to get bogged down with ineffective, purple prose that doesn't flow off the page, there are enough horror novels out there to last a lifetime. I'm thinking Anne Rice, Kathe Koja, and Peter Straub to start with. But if you're a "common man" looking for an absorbing page-turner, then Little ranks up there with the best of them.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever felt invisible, this is the book for you!, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ignored (Mass Market Paperback)

Have you ever stood at the counter of a department store and felt the eyes of the salesperson pass over you on their way to the next customer? Or had people step in front of you in line as if you weren't even there? Then you might be one of 'The Ignored'. Bentley Little's novel is for those who seem to go through life un-noticed. The protaganist, Bob Jones, is so average that he exists only as a statistical anomaly and stops making any physical impression on those around him.

Bob falls in with a small group of individuals who are likewise ignored by society. This group begins to think that they are no longer confined by the morality of a society from which they have been excluded. I at first agreed with others who thought that the whole novel falls apart in the later stages when the action tends towards the fantastic but have changed my mind upon further consideration. I think that Little took the premise towards its logical conclusion. This novel is not for gore hounds looking for a cheap thrill. It's for readers who think while they read and are willing to consider the ramifications of a society that forces members to yell and scream for even the tiniest recognition.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Am I Ignored, too?, July 7, 2003

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Ignored (Mass Market Paperback)

Bob Jones is an average, run-of-the-mill guy. He has a beautiful girlfriend, has just gotten out of college, and is looking for a job. He is taken in at an office building, where his job isn't clear, his immediate boss hates him, and his colleagues seem not to notice he's there.

That's when Bob begins to suspect something. His favorite songs are all top-5 hits. His favorite movies are box-office smashes. He likes prime-time TV, enjoys fast-food chains and hotel-esque decorating.

Bob Jones is average.

But he's not alone. He is being watched, being prepared, by a man named Philipe, a man who possesses a knowledge that Bob wants to have. Philipe proclaims himself as a Terrorist for the Common Man...and he, and his followers, are also Ignored.

At first, life as an Ignored is interesting. Bob is finally among people like him, people who are Ignored. But then the glamor wears off. Philipe wants to do something, something big, something that will get the world to notice them.

But they are being followed...and there is yet another threat, one Bob must face if he is to survive, one burning question that needs an answer:

Can you be Ignored by the Ignored?

Bentley Little throws aside his blood-n-guts horror to bring you a disturbing novel about a man who is so average, he goes unseen by most people. I have praised Little for moving around the "thinking-man's horror" novel, but after reading this, I must say that he's good at it.

Back to my first question: Am I Ignored?

Little has tapped into our psyche here. So many of these things corresponded to me, I realized that I had never known how deeply a horror novel could move me. I think, after reading this, you will be questioning your lifestyle as well. "The Ignored" is a novel by a singular author, about those of us who...fit in a little too well.