Customer Reviews

The Mailman

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

This is a very good book. I read the biography of Bentley Little and he first few books were about him turning his bad experiences with certain things into horror.

The Mailman will have you on the edge of your seat. Buy it now and get a good fright out of it!

What The Mailman is really about is how easy it is for people to be held hostage by the powers that be. The things the mailman does in this book would be even easier to do these days with everything on computers.

The story begins when the Willis, Arizona's local mailman commits suicide. The town is in mourning and ripe for the picking. The new mailman starts delivering only good mail, no bills or junk mail. This is good except then the power goes out and other strange things happen leading English teacher, Doug Albin to suspect the new mailman. But when he goes to the police they think he is crazy. Then, stranger things start happening, more murders. Now, Doug is convinced that the mailman is involved since everything leads back to him.

The book picks up pace culminating with a farfetched and a kind of stretching it ending. All and all The Mailman pulls no punches and is full of the blood, gore and scares that should be in all horror.

I think it takes a very good writer to capture one's interest enough to suspend a certain amount of belief in what is possible and what can come off as downright foolish. Stephen King is one such writer because his story telling skill and his knowledge of people is that good. Bentley Little is also a writer who has that ability. The premise of his story, which involves the arrival of a new mailman in town who begins by giving the townspeople nothing but happy mail and then slowly but surely terrifies them with frightening mail, is a good one, and Little carries the reader along from one experience to another until all of a sudden there's mayhem and chaos and you've just got to see what happens next. There's another point about Little's writing as well. I've read horror novels that have a good starting premise, but either because the story becomes too over the top or the skill of the writer is lacking, there is an unsatisfactory ending. After all, this is a story and there's no real experience to draw from when writing on these kinds of topics. Little brought his story of the Mailman to a logical close which impressed me because I was beginning to wonder how on earth he was going to resolve all he had going on. I will definitely read other Bentley Little novels because I like the way he writes and because I've got to see what he does with some of his other ideas.

...still, it is original and entertaining.

Bentley Little is one of those authors you either love or hate. NO, this is not "literature", when I pick up a Bentley Little novel or short story, I expect a whacky premise, gore, social satire, and an exaggerated view of life. Obviously, "The Mailman" is no exception. A mail-carrier who is actually some demonic creature begins messing with a small town, this mail carrier actually performs some weird ritual which incorporates the "mailman anthem," (not rain nor sleet...), it is just plain fun horror fiction, and go ahead and look down your nose at me, but I'll take a Little novel over an Ann Rice novel any day.

I highly reccomend, "The Association," and "The Collection" as well.

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.

The Mailman is without a doubt one of the most original horror novels in my opinion. Benley Little can make ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING horrifying- even a mailman!! I read the Mailman in one sitting- extremely suspenseful and scary!! Find this book and buy it!!

This is just one of those super novels that just draws you into the author's mad universe -- ready, willing and able to suspend disbelief! Bentley Little's outrageous skill as a writer keeps you hooked from the first paragraph. Once you begin, there's no turning back. A must-read for the horror fan.

Yes, this book is worth paying up to $30 for.

The plot concerns a small Arizona town when the local mailman commits suicide. Nothing bad like this ever happens in this small, peaceful, quiet town. Then, the mailman named John Smith comes and then it actually seems to be good for awhile. No more junk mail, bills, or any of that stuff. Then, it gets ugly. The ex-mailman's wife is found horrifically mutilated in her kitchen, a woman's husband's toe is found in her mailbox. And then the mailbox becomes the line between life and death. You will never want to look in your mailbox again after reading this!

Loads of fun with lots of inventive scenes, characters you care about, and not overly descriptive (unlike the ramblings of Stephen King - at least his newer work). I would love to see this movie! I highly recommend this book - my personal favorite of Little's work. You'll never look at a mailman the same again!!!