Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Last Days

by Brian Evenson, Peter Straub (Goodreads Author) (Introduction)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 313 ratings · 80 reviews

Intense and profoundly unsettling, Brian Evenson’s Last Days is a down-the-rabbit-hole detective novel set in an underground religious cult. The story follows Kline, a brutally dismembered detective forcibly recruited to solve a murder inside the cult. As Kline becomes more deeply involved with the group, he begins to realize the stakes are higher than he previously though...more

Paperback, 201 pages

Published February 1st 2009 by Underland Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Writer and the Critic Podcast Books

4th out of 59 books — 7 voters

Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Best Books to Read for Halloween!

143rd out of 223 books — 233 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 881)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 14, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, ebooks, horror, 2006-2010, bizarro, noir, hardboiled, religion-spirituality, crime, detectives

Item # 1: This is a hardboiled detective novel set in the world of religious fanaticism, with more amputations and mutilations than a Civil War field hospital. Now, if your reaction to this is:

…than you may want to just quietly back away from this review. This is not going to be your cuppa.

On the other amputated hand, if the plot teaser intrigues you, please continue on to Item 2.

Item # 2: Despite incorporating both the cadence and the tropes of hardboiled crime fiction, the surreal, existen...more

like 79 likes · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Trudi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Trudi by: Maciek

Shelves: horror, heart-of-darkness, crime-mystery, noir-is-the-new-black, 2012-reads, what-the-bleep, rusa-reads

Wow! What a darkly disturbing yet strangely delightful romp of a book. Last Days is a marvelous mash-up of hard-boiled detective noir, literary mystery and straight-up horror that never comes across as messy or confused. Evenson's prose is sooooo tight; not a single word is wasted, the narrative action propelled along at a break-neck pace, every other chapter ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger, the dialogue smart, snappy, and at times very funny. I blew through its 200 pages in no time at all,...more Wow! What a darkly disturbing yet strangely delightful romp of a book. Last Days is a marvelous mash-up of hard-boiled detective noir, literary mystery and straight-up horror that never comes across as messy or confused. Evenson's prose is sooooo tight; not a single word is wasted, the narrative action propelled along at a break-neck pace, every other chapter ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger, the dialogue smart, snappy, and at times very funny. I blew through its 200 pages in no time at all, and I bet you will too.

It's easy to draw parallels to the noir greats here, but since I just finished reading several Cain novels I will repeat what I wrote in my review for Double Indemnity because it applies just as well here:

It all starts with a delicious chill up your spine, your eyeballs riveted to the page, your breath held, the "gotta know what happens next" monster rattling the bars of his cage....[Cain's] ear for dialogue is enough to make grown men cry and women purr. It's sharp, with staccato beats and primal rhythms.

In his wonderful introduction [which you read after or you will be entirely spoiled], Peter Straub compares Evenson’s snappy dialogue to not only the Marx Brothers and the “patter of 1930s” vaudeville and burlesque, but to comedic teams like Abbott and Costello and their “Who’s on first” routine. Even with all of the dreadful mutilations and creepy fanaticism running through the story, there are unexpected moments of brilliant levity which made me grin and snicker. As I found myself grinning and snickering, I was reminded of The Pilo Family Circus, another great piece of writing not to be missed that's a genius blend of genres containing the blackest of humor.

But now a short word on the dark heart of Last Days, because in some respects what we have here is a non-supernatural horror novel. At times, the story flirts dangerously close to parody: it's so over the top in places that you can't help but wonder if Evenson is just pulling your leg. No he's not. If you're not careful, he just might cut it right the fuck off. There's something so unbelievably creepy and sinister to me about the lopping off of body parts (either against one's will or voluntarily). Several films that come to mind are: Boxing Helena (dreadful!) and the Asian flick Audition (chilling!). And who could ever forget poor old Lawrence being forced to hack through his own foot in the original Saw movie? (bloody brilliant!):

"He doesn't want us to cut through our chains. He wants us to cut through our feet!"

Evenson takes the essence of this celluloid horror and transforms it into something grittier and more nuanced. There’s a depth to Kline’s descent into a dizzying maze of mysteries. We are as in the dark as he is, as frustrated and frightened. Something sinister is afoot (no pun intended), and madness lurks around every corner.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to Maciek and his spectacular review without which I never would have picked up this book, and that would have been my great loss.
(less)

like 7 likes · see review

Feb 22, 2012 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

5 Stars

If you like your fiction to be dark, gruesome, bizarre, and disturbing, then you should shuffle on down to the store and buy Last Days by Paul (Brian Evenson) immediately. ----Paul

"Angel of destruction...he thought...like a thief in the night...not with an olive branch but with a sword..."

Hot damn, I am a believer now, so please call me Paul. This is one sweet piece of in your face bizarro, cult loving, and mutations galore. A story about a man made into a messiah because he was not a f...more

like 7 likes · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Maciek rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, read-in-2012, thriller-mystery-suspense, reviewed, favorites

I blasted through this book in a two days, starting deep into the night and finishing just minutes ago. I would have finished it during the night but I had to go to sleep. This has turned out totally against what I was expecting - a mediocre mystery thriller - and became something different entirely. I don't know if enjoyment is a right word in this case, but I was barely able to tear myself away from it and couldn't wait to be able to get back to it and read to the very end.

Sure, the thriller e...more

like 15 likes · see review

Feb 23, 2009 Brent Legault rated it 4 of 5 stars

Brian Evenson writes, in his afterword, that Last Days was inspired in part by Hammet's Red Harvest. I don't doubt it, but the echoes I hear when I read it (especially the first couple of chapters) are from Hemingway's The Killers. In particular the opening ten minutes or so of the near-great and eponymous film noir from 1946.

Noir is a word that gets bandied about like a badmitten birdy but it's applicable here. Evenson's scenes are staged in black and white. His apartments, his hospitals, his c...more

like 4 likes · see review

May 31, 2012 Adriana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: weird-and-interesting, bizarro, horror, thriller

Brian Evenson is an evil man. “Las Days” is the first book I’ve read that makes me feel dirty for liking it (and not *sexy* dirty, but like I had eaten something from the trash), and yet I can’t help but feel that this is a remarkable piece of fiction. I hate you Mr. Evenson. Where were you when I had to explain to my mother what this book was about without making her think about all the things she had done wrong regarding my moral education? And how could you blame her? I mean, really, how sick...more Brian Evenson is an evil man. “Las Days” is the first book I’ve read that makes me feel dirty for liking it (and not *sexy* dirty, but like I had eaten something from the trash), and yet I can’t help but feel that this is a remarkable piece of fiction. I hate you Mr. Evenson. Where were you when I had to explain to my mother what this book was about without making her think about all the things she had done wrong regarding my moral education? And how could you blame her? I mean, really, how sick do you have to be to enjoy a story as twisted and disturbing as the one narrated in “Last Days? And how do you tell a loved one that your current source of entertainment involves a smart mockery of religious hierarchy that makes you want to read it and bleach your brain at the same time?

That was a distinct feeling I got while reading “Last Days”: a growing sense of disgust mixed with the knowledge that I couldn’t stop reading, not even if I wanted to. In case you’re still curious, the book begins with the ineffective attempts of a private detective to survive a case of severe depression, generated by a rather unfortunate confrontation with a “gentlemen with the cleaver” that led to the chopping of his right hand. In the middle of this personal crisis he’s approached by two… hum… “Peculiar” men, who seem to believe that the detective’s misfortune makes him uniquely qualified to take care of a mystery their brotherhood is facing. The personal characteristics of these two individuals, added to the nature of the group they belong to and the hesitation of our protagonist to get involved with them, make for a very compelling read that also presents a strong comment on the evils that religious fundamentalism can unleash on the world.

A part of me wants to talk long and deep about the many, many factors that made “Last Days” so disturbing for me, but I don’t want to rob anyone of the chance of discovering them for themselves. There is a lot to feel uncomfortable about in this novel (I’ll never think about the idea of a strip-tease in the same way again) and I think that it has a lot to do with our sense of self-preservation, and our refusal to even consider other lifestyles that would willingly harm it. What made it all worse for me, however, was realizing that groups such as the ones depicted here could actually exist; there are already so many people willing to take their faith to new and crazy heights by means of interpreting religious texts in rigorous ways that, well, the possibility of a real “brotherhood of mutilation” doesn’t require such a stretch of imagination, and that's a pretty scary thought.

In conclusion, I don’t regret reading “Last Days” at all, even if now I’m forced to wash down the unpleasant images it left on my mind with tons of fluffy romances and happy endings. Brain Evenson has won a fan and I plan to read more of his books in the future, with a good dose of pretty unicorns and kitties on the side. (less)

like 4 likes · see review

Apr 22, 2009 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

I find it fascinating that Mormon culture seems to spew out such dark artists. Neal Labute, for example, plumbs the psychological depths (the locker room conversation from Your Friends and Neighbors is harrowing). Evenson has of late become a specialist in stripped down, literary (albeit minimalist, in the vein of Hemingway) takes on genre fiction, in this case, detective fiction.

In this book, a pair of intertwined novellas, a badass former undercover cop gets sucked down a Mormon-tinged (bits o...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 01, 2009 Scott Cupp rated it 4 of 5 stars

What’s the weirdest book you ever read? Something like UBIK by Philip K. Dick. How about Daniel Pinkwater’s LIZARD MUSIC or THE SNARKOUT BOYS AND THE AVACADO OF DEATH or YOUNG ADULT NOVEL? Maybe it was Charles Portis’ MASTERS OF ATLANTIS? Neal Barrett, Jr.’s THE HEREAFTER GANG? Well, whatever it was, tell it to move on over. Here comes LAST DAYS.
Wacked out does not begin to describe this book. Kline (no first name) has lost his job as a policeman when “the man with the hatchet” cut off his hand....more What’s the weirdest book you ever read? Something like UBIK by Philip K. Dick. How about Daniel Pinkwater’s LIZARD MUSIC or THE SNARKOUT BOYS AND THE AVACADO OF DEATH or YOUNG ADULT NOVEL? Maybe it was Charles Portis’ MASTERS OF ATLANTIS? Neal Barrett, Jr.’s THE HEREAFTER GANG? Well, whatever it was, tell it to move on over. Here comes LAST DAYS.
Wacked out does not begin to describe this book. Kline (no first name) has lost his job as a policeman when “the man with the hatchet” cut off his hand. To save himself, Kline cauterizes the wound and kills the man. No longer readily functional in his chosen profession, he becomes a private investigator, subsidized by two bags of money he liberated from the man with the hatchet and forgot to turn in, justifying it as compensation for appendages rendered. The notoriety of his case brings him two men who wish to hire him for a case. Both men are amputees and Kline refuses the work, feeling that something is wrong. He is eventually coerced or kidnapped into taking the case and finds himself in a Salvador Dali Cloud Coocooland, among a cult of people who worship amputation and who rate their piety by the number of body parts taken. Take a finger, it is One. Take a hand, it is also One. Take three fingers at separate times, that’s a Three. Thee are people in the group in double digits. Kline, obviously, is a One but with some cachet due to his self-cauterization. Fancy stuff tom these guys.
Kline has been brought in to investigate the murder of the co-founder of the sect. He faces some problems, as the co-founder was a high number and only consorted with other high numbers. These elite members will not meet or talk with a One, even a notorious One. Nor can he view the body. However, he cannot walk away. The sect is insistent on the investigation. So, he records questions on a tape recorder and these are presented to the elite who respond. Their responses, also recorded, seem to have little bearing on the questions asked.
Then things get weird. To discuss more of the plot is to disclose items best revealed slowly through Evenson’s prose. The story may not be for everyone. I found it riveting. I read this book in about three hours on a flight from San Antonio to Chicago. More fascinating that a winter storm multicar pileup on the interstate with 18 wheelers pointing rubber to heaven. It reminded me of artist Alan Clarke’s THE PAIN DOCTORS OF SUTURE SELF GENERAL.
This is Underland Press’ first publication. Their next title is, I believe, THE PILO FAMILY CIRCUS, another weird novel with Clowns. I’ll be looking for it. They are also pioneering some weekly on line serials with reader voting on the direction the action flows. These are called Wovels. Fun stuff here, too. I predict an interesting future for this press and readers of discriminating taste.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 05, 2010 Tim Niland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

Kline is a detective, who is badly injured while in pursuit of a criminal. He loses a hand in the process and becomes known to a fringe religious sect who insist that he investigate a supposed murder that has taken place in their compound. What he finds is a whole religious encampment who literally cut off the limb that offends them, gaining status within the sect on the basis of the number of amputations one has had. Kline barely escapes (with a few less parts than when he entered) only to fall...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 10, 2010 David Agranoff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: super-funny, surreal-horror, modern-horror, horror-masterpiece, bizarro

Last Days by Brian Everson
196 pages
Underland press (Portland press!)

I saw Brian Everson read from this novel at Powells city of books here in Portland. I was impressed not only with his readings but also the basket of books he had collected to buy that was sitting by the podium. I swear this guy had four Thomas Ligotti books. I admit I came to the reading to see local Jemiah Jefferson read from her web-novel (Wovel) and had not heard of Everson before.

Boy have I been missing out.

Last Days is a...more Last Days by Brian Everson
196 pages
Underland press (Portland press!)

I saw Brian Everson read from this novel at Powells city of books here in Portland. I was impressed not only with his readings but also the basket of books he had collected to buy that was sitting by the podium. I swear this guy had four Thomas Ligotti books. I admit I came to the reading to see local Jemiah Jefferson read from her web-novel (Wovel) and had not heard of Everson before.

Boy have I been missing out.

Last Days is a short brutal novel that brings noir to horror much the same way Phil Dick was known for doing with Sci-fi. Last days is made up of two novellas, the first of which is called “The Brotherhood of Mutilation” and was published in a very limited edition by Earthling publications. The newest edition comes with an introduction by Peter Straub (Ghost story, Koko and co-author of The Talisman) which in itself is a really good sign. This time the one hundred page novella has a sequel that is about the same length and continues the story.
The story is that of a former undercover cop who in his last mission had his hand cut off by “man with a cleaver.” He lives on, but he is lonely and depressed. All that changes when he gets a phone call asking him to go undercover again. The job investigate the murder of cult leader, the cult is made of Christian who take Matthew so literally that they cut off their hands tto get closer to god.

Once inside the cult we learn that they have taken to multiple amputations and have set a hierarchy based on who has the most body parts sacraficed. The world in the brotherhood of mutilation is both disgusting and darkly comedic. By the second half when we meet their rival break away group it gets even more amusing. That is not to say that the book is slapstick, it's a brutal horror bizarro detective story.

Evenson's dialogue in this book is perfect choppy noir with lots of short snappy comical exchanges. The suspense is handled with a minimalist flair and the moments of gruesome reveal are plentiful. This is strange and wonderful piece of horror literature that should not be missed.

It's also interesting to note that Evenson was once heavily involved in religion as a Mormon. He even taught literature at the Mormon university Brigham Young University. He was fired after he refused to give up writing in the aftermath of his first short story collection. This experience I'm sure had an effect on this novel.

Read Last Days, you'll thank me. (less)

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 19, 2009 Shaun Duke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Creepy. Dark. Twisted. Insane. Those are some words I would use to describe Brian Evenson’s macabre detective novel. There are other words I would use, but unfortunately such terms are not appropriate for a review. Don’t misunderstand me, though; I mean these terms in the most complimentary of ways. Evenson was sure as hell striving for a creepy, dark, twisted, insane, and macabre detective novel. And he succeeded, practically from page one.

Last Days is about a fellow named Kline, a brutally dis...more Creepy. Dark. Twisted. Insane. Those are some words I would use to describe Brian Evenson’s macabre detective novel. There are other words I would use, but unfortunately such terms are not appropriate for a review. Don’t misunderstand me, though; I mean these terms in the most complimentary of ways. Evenson was sure as hell striving for a creepy, dark, twisted, insane, and macabre detective novel. And he succeeded, practically from page one.

Last Days is about a fellow named Kline, a brutally dismembered detective who is unwittingly drafted into a bizarre cult of amputees to solve a murder. The more involved he becomes in the investigation, and the crazed cult of amputation-revering individuals, the more lies, deceptions, and threats are thrown his way. Soon he realizes that the only way he can escape this bizarre world and get his life back on track is to do something that will rely on sheer will…something drastic and possibly just as insane as the cult that has forced him into their service…

Does that description paint a good picture of how creepy and twisted this novel is? I hope so. Last Days is one of the most twisted books I have ever read, and yet it is strangely addictive, almost infectious—much like a cult, actually. Each chapter progresses the plot at a rapid pace. This novel is not one that takes the time to slow down and let you settle it. It wants you to be on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next, who will come popping out of the wood works to screw things up for Kline. The fast-paced feel of the novel is precisely what makes it so infectious; each chapter made me want to know what would happen next, and how Kline would manage to get himself out of whatever new pickle had come his way.

The only problem I have with Last Days is that it could have been somewhat longer to give Kline a bit more space to develop as a character. While I certainly rooted for Kline, I wanted to know more about who he was and where he had come from. Thankfully this flaw does not ruin the overall entertainment of the novel.

If you’re into the macabre or need a twisted detective novel, then this is certainly for you. Or, if you just want something weird and twisted to read, then start with Last Days. It’s short, sweet, and does a fine job of making sure you’re uncomfortable, like going to a horror movie and knowing that the bad guy with the butcher knife is right around the corner and the main character doesn’t realize it…(less)

like · see review

Apr 22, 2012 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: four horrified, repulsed, goosepimply stars of five

The Book Report: Kline is a PI who doesn't need clients to hire him so he can live. This is because he stole money from a man who was trying to murder him. To make sure the man couldn't murder him, Kline bought time by lopping off his own hand before killing the murder-minded malefactor.

All of this takes place before we meet Kline, and is the very least awful, least repulsive, and most understandable stuff that happens in the entire 201p...more

like 21 likes · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

There were times while reading this novella that I entertained notions of severing my hand so that I couldn't pick up the book again, but like a spectator frozen in a crowd at a French execution, my eyes remained riveted to the stilled guillotine, waiting for it to slice flesh and bone. Ahhh, can you imagine if people felt inspiration at a sight such as this and then made lopping off body parts a fetish, and then for it to morph into a religious experience with a fellowship turned cultish and sc...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: grungy, i-have-no-idea-where-i-bought-this, action-packed, amazing-writing, badass-dude, brain-junkfood, horror-stories, mind-fucked, my-precious, psyco-people, relegious-crap

How to even begin describing this disturbing and yet immensely entertaining piece of literature? I think it would be wise to give you a fair warning, this book isn't for the faint of heart. Throughout it's two hundred pages there will be a remarkable number of amputations, surgical or self inflicted, bloody confrontations and at the end a bonus killing spree!

PLOT SUMMARY:

(view spoiler)...more

like 1 like · see review

May 14, 2009 Monica rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a book about crime...about a cult following of amputees who classify themselves as a one, a six, an eight…depending on how many amputations they have. More notoriety given to large amputations such as legs and arms. I bought the book based on a reader review. And I thought that I should branch out and try something a bit different. Well, I got it. I would have given up reading this book but a) I bought it, b) its a slim book, and c) the author has won some awards.

It's very different fro...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 12, 2009 Dave rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of Brian Evenson's that I've read, and the first one that was a novel. I like his short fiction better, where his breathtaking ability to create an atmosphere of bleak insanity isn't hampered by having to put a plot along with it. Not that the plot of this book is bad, it's just that there isn't enough there to really satisfy what I want from a novel. I'll probably appreciate it more as I think about it over the next few days. I loved the idea of two separate cults devote...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very disturbing and unsettling. At times I really wanted to stop reading, but felt that I couldn't. Evenson is skilled at making it palatable and at times even humorous; the fact that his tone is to a certain extent distant helps you get through the gory parts, and the dialogue especially is engaging and hilarious, in a sort of over-the-top noirish way. Not my favorite by him, however, though something I'd recommend if you like that sort of thing. Myself, I think as I get older, or read more of...more

like · see review

May 02, 2009 Bob Fingerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book came recommended to me by an editor who liked my work. Flattering myself that if he liked my work, surely his taste must be good, I took his suggestion seriously and read Last Days.

I'm glad I did. In the intervening weeks I've seen several rave reviews for Last Days and I agree wholeheartedly. This is a bold, original book comprised of two novellas, "The Brotherhood of Mutilation" and its direct followup, the titular "Last Days".

I really don't want to give anything away, but for such...more

like · see review

Aug 03, 2010 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, horror-weird-tales

I was totally captivated by this book, and read it in just a couple of sittings. I suspect it will stick with me and give me some things to think about. However, I ended up feeling a little dissatisfied. The story begins extremely well, but ends up becoming diffused by the addition of subplots that feel irrelevant. Further, the main character never develops much, so towards the end as the story becomes more strange and convoluted, it also becomes less engaging.

It actually feels like it would be...more

like · see review

Apr 27, 2013 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

For a story so brutally, bloodily violent it's impressive that Evenson avoids making it gratuitous — the matter of factness is almost a kind of restraint, and the novel's most powerful effect for me was how inevitable the brutality seemed as the story progressed. It felt classical that way and reminded me of Gabriel Josipovici's chapter on Greek drama in What Ever Happened To Modernism?, with its contrast between the performance of action and of character. in some ways Last Days may be "just" th...more

like · see review

Sep 28, 2010 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: black-comedy, heart-of-darkness, horror-disguised-as-literature, noir

Very once in awhile there is an author who is connected to and praised by writers I hold close to my heart and whose own work looks interesting, but I still ignore them. Then I discover them and end up kicking myself and putting aside other reading projects so I can mainline their work. Brian Evenson is a prime example of such an author. His relentless Last Days is a stark existential noir from hell inspire by Hammett’s equally relentless Red Harvest and the art of Joel-peter Witkin and Odd Nerd...more

like 4 likes · see review

May 06, 2009 Nathan Hirstein rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

When I idly pick books up, often I'll read the first sentence and the introduction to see if it's something I'm going to be interested in. Luckily a friend does the same, and gave me fair warning: Peter Straub's introduction to this book should NOT be read before reading the text. He comments on several major plot points, with the effect of spoiling what were obviously intended to be some of the book's shocks. The publisher's decision to situate his comments as an introduction rather than an aft...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 13, 2009 Gabriel added it

Really, the strength of this book is the exceptional clarity of Evenson's language. Even though the events here should, by almost any measure, be completely unintelligible, and horrific by their unintelligibility, the reader is never left wondering what happened. Instead, s/he is led around the back, knowing clearly what happened but never, really, why. And, after all, isn't that the charm and the allure of the detective novel? I eventually got the feeling that I had somehow been tricked, a la R...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Catherine rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sorely disappointed after thoroughly enjoying The Open Curtain. Kline's character was flat. Well, all of them were, but as the main character, his flatness is unforgivable. There was no backstory, no explanation of the man with the butcher's knife. It was gory for the sake of being gory and became somehow became uninteresting. It could have been a very interesting book, but there was no purpose behind it. It was also totally un-convincing. How many times do we have to hear Kline say to himself "...more

like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Bradley rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a cool book that harks back to the days of film-noir and 'interesting' detective stories. With dabs of SIN CITY mixed in with CORMAC MCCARTHY'S NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE DA VINCI CODE and a little EYES WIDE SHUT, Brian Evenson creates a stunning, shocking, bloody read that's packed with twists and turns a plenty not to mention a little ambiguousness to keep you on your toes. The plot follows the lead character, Kline, an undercover cop who lost his hand to a crazed maniac, as he slowly ge...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2011 Marvin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

First a warning: Do not read the introduction by Peter Straub. It will give everything away. This is not a book that you want to know much about before you read it. The brief Goodreads description is even more than you might want to know. So I'll try not to indulge in giving away any more but relate to you my feel on this unsettling novel

Actually the novel is really two novellas. The Brotherhood of Mutilation (Geez! Even the title is a big hint!) was written as a stand alone in 2003 and Last Day...more

like 9 likes · see review

Feb 04, 2010 Colin Miller rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories-novellas, omnibus-collection

Double Kill… Triple Kill… Ultra Kill… Rampage!

Brian Evenson’s Last Days started off as a single novella, The Brotherhood of Mutilation, written in 2003, then was combined with a second novella, titled Last Days, as Underland Press’ debut book in 2009.

The story centers in on Kline, an amputee detective who has gained a level of underground notoriety that propels him into solving a murder inside a religious cult. Initially I thought that the novellas would be completely different stories, tied onl...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 21, 2009 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is probably the most readable thing I've read by Brian Evenson, which is good and bad. Good because I may be able to recommend it to friends without a warning (such as "I read 'Two Brothers' and almost puked"), bad because so far it doesn't have the intensity of Evenson's best short stories. Much better so far than The Open Curtain, though.

Side note: I did read a pretty graphic part while eating lunch, and I did have to put down my sandwich for a couple of minutes to avoid vomiting. It's m...more

like · see review

Jan 11, 2010 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another short work of fiction by Evenson. This time featuring the recent amputee, Kline, who is hired by a cult of individuals whose worship is based upon voluntary amputation. The book starts and ends well, but I got mucked up in the middle. The author does well in describing the mind behind a person inflicted by religious fanaticism without sounding too preachy or judging. Strains of King, Straub and Palahniuk can be found in this bouquet.

like · see review

Dec 17, 2009 George Hawkey rated it 3 of 5 stars

One inebriated, ill-considered night Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King and Raymond Chandler had a ménage a trois.

And from that unspeakable passion a child was born, and he was named Brian.

And then those parents decided to raise the child as a fundamentalist Mormon in the empty, apocalyptic deserts of Nevada.

And when the child was of age he was sent to an MFA program to decant the multitude of gifts provided him by his fathers.

And then Brian, well trained, but (for obvious reasons) just a bit "off...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 29 30 next »

Mystery

14 users

Thriller

5 users

Mystery > Noir

5 users

Horror > Bizarro Fiction

4 users

Novels

4 users

Mystery > Crime

4 users

Weird Fiction > New Weird

3 users

Mystery > Detective

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Brian Evenson

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Last Days

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Last Days
avg rating	preview: Last Days Goodreads rating: 3.96 (313 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4309446-last-days?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328763913l/4309446.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4309446-last-days?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Last Days by Brian Evenson[/url]

Last Days

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (7)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Brian Evenson

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Last Days

Last Days

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (7)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Brian Evenson

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Last Days

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (7)