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5th out of 20 books
—
28 voters
Dispatch
Jason Handford has a real gift for writing letters that get results-from complaints to love letters to editorials. Then he's offered a job to do it for a living. It consumes his time, his mind, and eventually, his soul. Jason really should have stuck with freelance.
Mass Market Paperback, 386 pages
Published
October 4th 2005
by Signet
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Chris
IP Address: 69.420.666.007
The Internet
Dear Goodreads,
Whasssup Dirty Dawgs! It’s been a while since I’ve been around, and I just wanted to say yo. Not much going on over here, I’ve just been reading and shit, you know the drill. So, since I’ve got nothing else to rap about, I might as well tell you about the last book that I read, seeing as that might pique your interest, you know, since you’re on goodreads and all…
I wish I had something positive to say about Dispatch, the first novel-lengt...more
IP Address: 69.420.666.007
The Internet
Dear Goodreads,
Whasssup Dirty Dawgs! It’s been a while since I’ve been around, and I just wanted to say yo. Not much going on over here, I’ve just been reading and shit, you know the drill. So, since I’ve got nothing else to rap about, I might as well tell you about the last book that I read, seeing as that might pique your interest, you know, since you’re on goodreads and all…
I wish I had something positive to say about Dispatch, the first novel-lengt...more
It was great book. I really enjoyed it all the way though. The ending really disappointed me though, I really wanted it to end differently then it did but that doesn't effect the rating I gave it, I was just upset by the way it ended. (view spoiler)...more
I found Bentley Little's, Dispatch, to be well written and entertaining. However, the first half of the book seemed a bit slow to me. In fact, I put the book down several times - because of the slow tempo and some problems I had with Jason Hanford, the hero of the story - only to come back and try it again later. To Little's credit, the book does pick up in the second half and really gets revved up for the last quarter, redeeming both the storyline and the protagonist.
Let me explain my comments...more
Let me explain my comments...more
A book that would've worked twice as well if it had been half the size, Bentley Little's "Dispatch" gives us a glimpse into the weird world of Jason Hanford, a man who discovers at an early age that he has an affinity and talent for writing letters. He writes them in staggering quantities, and the results they get are equally staggering. It's almost as if they possess a certain indescribable power -- governmental policies change, people die, lives are altered. Perhaps its just a gift ...
It's an...more
It's an...more
Not my usual read, but after trying Bentley Little out reading "The Ignored," I gave this book a shot. I found it to be a bit strange and not typically my kind of horror. I actually do a lot of letter writing so this book appealed to me.
In a nutshell, the book is centered around Jason, who from 5th grade on, loved to write letters. It started out with a penpal in Japan to him writing letters of complaint to local burger joints, movie theatres and theme parks. He would always get a response from...more
In a nutshell, the book is centered around Jason, who from 5th grade on, loved to write letters. It started out with a penpal in Japan to him writing letters of complaint to local burger joints, movie theatres and theme parks. He would always get a response from...more
I love reading a Bentley Little book that I haven't read before. It's just so exciting to open it up and know that you are going on a really fucked up journey into the dark recesses of his mind and have no idea what you're in for. Love.It.
Dispatch started out really good. Then it kind of got a little boring. It picked up again after awhile. Then got really good. And then it was meh. And usually that would be enough for me to give a book a not so nice review but with most Bentley Little books, a...more
Dispatch started out really good. Then it kind of got a little boring. It picked up again after awhile. Then got really good. And then it was meh. And usually that would be enough for me to give a book a not so nice review but with most Bentley Little books, a...more
1 like · like · see review
From an early age Jason is aware his letters get results - free food, movie passes, amusement part admission, etc. As he ages, he expands his abilities into politics, both nationally and internationally, and relationships. I agree with other reviewers that this book starts and builds slow, very slow, but that is the part I liked best. I enjoyed the slow discovery of ability, the moral questions posed as he uses his ability for some pretty bad things, and the parallels drawn between letter writin...more
Bentley Little constantly delivers solid horror. Sure his books often spin out of control into wild carnage, but the journey there is always a ton of fun.
I was amazed by this book. It starts of slow and may require some stamina. As the story progresses, the reader gets rewarded.
Especially the descriptions of the locations are great. The locations are getting more absurd as the story progresses, and so is the story it self. It really lacks realism, though the characters seem real enough. As the plot twists in really awkward ways, tension is build up. I raced through the story in the last quarter of the book.
It's really good, just try to survive th...more
Especially the descriptions of the locations are great. The locations are getting more absurd as the story progresses, and so is the story it self. It really lacks realism, though the characters seem real enough. As the plot twists in really awkward ways, tension is build up. I raced through the story in the last quarter of the book.
It's really good, just try to survive th...more
In the style of Bentley Little's earlier work, THE IGNORED, this refreshingly original novel is not really a work of horror as much as a creepy and ingeniously crafted supernatural tale. If you buy into the premise, you'll have a great time. Bentley's main character is fantastically real -- flaws and all. The story is clever, bizarre, and mysterious. This is definitely a contender for this year's Bram Stoker award. DISPATCH has all the ingredients of a great novel. If you want something a little...more
This is the first Bentley little I read. I have to admit that I wasn't all that impressed. But it did lead me to some of his better novels. I learned not to give on an author on the first book. ( ex. King and koontz have dropped some bombs) I gave him a second chance with the store, the town, etc. some are hit and miss, but like I said, literature is like that sometimes. All together a decent read. Get it used off amazon or something. Or if you got some rare crap I can't find like Edward lee le...more
I found this to be a very slow paced book. Although I must say now that it develops into an excellent finale. After 200 pages of a 386 page novel, I was still waiting for something to grip me. Maybe I have stuffed myself on gore too much recently in books but this was different to all the other horror books I've read. Seriously, at one point, approx 150 pages in, I was going to drop the book altogether. I'm glad I didnt because there was an excellent message in the book which I encourage you to...more
I read this as a result of Stephen King's recommendation in Entertainment Weekly. I can see why King liked it. The protagonist is a writer and, without giving too much of the plot away, finds that his writing has power... specifically, his writing of letters has power. King had a similar plot all the way through his "Dark Tower" series.
Two major problems I had with this book:
First, the ultimate bad guy turns out to be something too close to Stephen King's "IT" (another reason why King liked th...more
Two major problems I had with this book:
First, the ultimate bad guy turns out to be something too close to Stephen King's "IT" (another reason why King liked th...more
This is the kind of Bentley Little novel i like. Dispatch starts out with a kid in elementary school who joins a pen pal organization for extra credit. He begins writing to a Japanese girl and lies to her to make himself seem cool to her. Things get slightly out of control when he convinces her to send him a picture of herself naked. As things progress in the novel, and as the character gets older, he realizes he has a talent for writing complaint letters and getting back free things when others...more
Sep 01, 2011
Debra
marked it as to-read
Stephen King recommended author and book. He says: "BEST OUTRIGHT HORROR NOVELIST. Bentley Little, in a walk. Don't know Bentley Little? You're not alone. He's probably the genre's best-kept secret, but at least 10 of his novels are available in paperback; you can pick up three for the price of that flashy new hardcover you've got your eye on. The best thing about Little is that he can go from zero to surreal in 6.0 seconds. My favorites are The Store (think Wal-Mart run by SAYYY-tan) and Dispat...more
This is the first Bentley Little book I have read and I was not disappointed. He is a great writer......his words flow easily and he gets you caught up in the story very easily. This book was very intriguing and it had you guessing all the way through as to who was good/bad/real/false/etc. The "monster" in the book was a little cheesy....but all in all the story was a great read and I will definitely be reading more of his books.
I really enjoyed this book, from beginning, middle, then the miserable end. By miserable I mean it could have been much better, so disappointing. I do not know how what I could have done to make the end better. This ability the protagonist had, and the evil ends he took throughout his life were refreshing. He was not some goody goody, he wanted what he wanted and went to any lengths to obtain it. Which is unusual for that type of character.
When I was in my teens I had an idea for a story similar...more
When I was in my teens I had an idea for a story similar...more
This book shares qualities with Stephen King's work, Neil Gaiman's American Gods, and Tim Power's Last Call, in the sense that it starts out firmly in the real world, and ends up in some shadowy realm that shares our existence. This is the first of Bentley Little's books that I've read, and for the most part, I liked it. As long as you don't mind too many elements of fantasy in horror, then you'll probably like it too.
I appreciate this Bentley Little book every bit as much as Stephen King. This is my first taste of his work and I will read more from him.
I enjoyed the main character's development. Starting out in youth, laying the foundation of madness, to the last reaches of adult insanity, he reminds me of our tenuous hold on our own justifications, our excuses for our behavior.
I enjoyed the main character's development. Starting out in youth, laying the foundation of madness, to the last reaches of adult insanity, he reminds me of our tenuous hold on our own justifications, our excuses for our behavior.
My first book I read from Bentley Little. I figured since he had been recommended by another famous horror fiction writer, he was good. And this one is a great first one to start out with. Interesting plot about a guy who writes letters and they come true. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's got one of the most fresh and original plots I've read in years.
Throughout this entire book my opinion of it has been that it's definitely different. Sometimes upsetting, sometimes confusing, but always different than anything else I've ever read. Being the type of person the main character is, I found it challenging to identify with him, and eventually just gave up. Other than that, and some places where I felt the story could have gone in a different, smoother direction, I thought this to be a pretty good read with some interesting concepts.
While we probably could have done with a 100 page summary of the first 200 pages, the second half picks up steam and it is hard to put the book down. I think that more physical descriptions of the characters would have been nice, especially the main character. Overall, decent book that reads quick.
I was really impressed by the development of the main character in this novel. I found myself feeling sorry for him yet really disliking him as well. The conclusion of the book was intresting and left me wondering what truely had happened. Reminded me of the Twilight Zone television series of my childhood. Well worth a read!
I didnt enjoy this one as much. Its an incredibly imaginative idea, but when I read Bentleys books I do it for a good scare and they were much fewer and far between here than his other books. I kept wondering when the title would come into play or make sense to me.
Surprisingly good. It reads like a well written memoir of a Letter Writer until it gets...odd. At turns funny and scary with a protagonist that you can both identify with and are horrified by. This makes me want to search out more by the same author.
A little novel I picked up at a library sale, thought, hey, recommended in the mystery/horror genre. Just wasn't my cup of tea. Found it, comparatively to others in its genre, a bit weak. Quick read, made me think, but I never liked the narrator.
Never read a Bentley Little book I didn't like, and this was no exception. If you like weird, and I mean weird, cosmic, mind-blowing, reality-bending stories, then Bentley Little is your ticket.
I found this book interesting, reading a man was able to manipulate people by his writings. I pretty much enjoyed reading all through out, no boring and dull chapters and it kept me wanting to know what's going to happen next.
i liked the idea that letter writing could be so manulaptive, but didn't like the ending. too out there, too weird. still a good read. his other books are better, i think.
I absolutely loved this book until the last chapter, when it completely fell apart. Still I gave the book 4 stars for a very innovative, thought-provoking and timely story line.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Back in action here ... Reading Little's DISPATCH | 1 | 6 | May 18, 2012 08:21pm |
Bentley Little is an American author of numerous horror novels. He was discovered by Dean Koontz.
Little was born one month after his mother attended the world premiere of Psycho. He published his first novel, The Revelation, with St. Martin's Press in 1990. After reading it, Stephen King became a vocal fan of Little's work, and Little won the Bram Stoker Award for "Best First Novel" in 1990. He mo...more
More about Bentley Little...
Little was born one month after his mother attended the world premiere of Psycho. He published his first novel, The Revelation, with St. Martin's Press in 1990. After reading it, Stephen King became a vocal fan of Little's work, and Little won the Bram Stoker Award for "Best First Novel" in 1990. He mo...more
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Feb 01, 2009 10:27am