The Transgressors [Paperback]

Jim Thompson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With many of his 29 titles still in print and film versions of The Grifters, After Dark, My Sweet, and the recent remake of The Getaway, Thompson is still a hot property more than 15 years after his death. Not only is Thompson popular with the public, he is also revered by other writers, such as James Ellroy and Stephen King, who provide introductions to two of these novels, which first appeared in 1946, 1942, and 1961, respectively.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

On the day he accidentally killed Aaron McBride, Tom Lord went from being a sheriff's deputy to a man awaiting execution. Because if the law didn't punish him, his victim's widow--or his shadowy business associates--surely would.

The Transgressors is a novel of hair-trigger tension and mind-boggling reversals, a one-way trip into the desolate territory that Jim Thompson mapped and staked out as his own and populated with tarnished cops, conniving hustlers, and ingeniously sadistic thugs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679740163
• ISBN-13: 978-0679740162
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sub-par Thompson, May 22, 2004

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Transgressors (Paperback)

Jim Thompson has written some exciting novels, but his canon also comprises quite a few second-tier books, including "The Transgressors." Tom Lord is bright man from a good family, who through a series of misfortunes is unable to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Instead, he ends up a sheriff's deputy in the small West Texas oil boom town of Big Sands. Lord hates his job and feels cheated by life. He grasps at one final straw - a land lease that might contain oil. When he gets swindled by a small oil company, Lord vows to get revenge. The plot develops from here and Lord becomes entangled with various low-lifes and swindlers as well as a potential love interest.

As with many Thompson novels, the plot is full of glaring holes and coincidences. However, his protagonists are usually fairly well etched, and Lord joins the pantheon of intriguing Thompson characters. A number of themes representative of Thompson's work are also included here, such as the main character being a law man as well as the son of a deceased doctor. However, these themes are not used to much avail here and the plot and characters simply don't gel cohesively. Ironically, "The Transgressors" was published between two of Thompson's finest novels - "The Getaway" and "The Grifters." If you're new to Thompson, then you should read one of these books first.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dont be dissuaded from checking this out, September 26, 2002

By 

Michael Lang (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Transgressors (Paperback)

Yes, it's a little atypical Thompson. But just because it's not the bleak nihilism of The Getaway or The Grifters doesn't mean it's not a good read. There are some interesting characters here, with the main character a sort of well-adjusted version of Killer Inside Me's Lou Ford (Lou Ford, Tom Lord, hmm). The plot is intricate and engaging, call it three and a half stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Thompson at his best, September 17, 2001

By 

Michael Toland (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Transgressors (Paperback)

Thompson is going through the motions here, with what is for him a very typical, even ordinary plot and an inconsistently characterized protagonist. The two female leads are unusually annoying, and the stakes never seem very high, despite the increasing body count. It's got its moments, but overall this is a major disappointment. Still, it's better than Texas By the Tail.

If you want a taste of Thompson, just about any one of his other books is a better starting place.