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Disciple Manning #1
Disciple of the Dog
Imagine being able to remember everything you've ever experienced. This is the lonely world inhabited by Disciple Manning. He is able to recall every conversation, meeting and feeling he has ever had, making him an extremely dangerous private investigator.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
R. Scott Bakker
30 books2,214 followersRichard Scott Bakker, who writes as R. Scott Bakker and as Scott Bakker, is a novelist whose work is dominated by a large series informally known as the The Second Apocalypse which Bakker began developing whilst at college in the 1980s.
The series was originally planned to be a trilogy, with the first two books entitled The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor. However, when Bakker began writing the series in the early 2000s, he found it necessary to split each of the three novels into its own sub-series to incorporate all of the characters, themes and ideas he wished to explore. Bakker originally conceived of seven books: a trilogy and two duologies. This later shifted to two trilogies, with the acknowledgement that the third series may yet also expand to a trilogy.
The Prince of Nothing trilogy was published between 2003 and 2006. It depicts the story of the Holy War launched by the Inrithi kingdoms against the heathen Fanim of the south to recover the holy city of Shimeh for the faithful. During the war, a man named Ansurimbor Kellhus emerges from obscurity to become an exceptionally powerful and influential figure, and it is discovered that the Consult, an alliance of forces united in their worship of the legendary No-God, a nihilistic force of destruction, are manipulating events to pave the way for the No-God's return to the mortal world.
The sequel series, The Aspect-Emperor trilogy, picks up the story twenty years later with Kellhus leading the Inrithi kingdoms in directly seeking out and confronting the Consult. The first novel in this new series is due for publication in 2009.
Whilst working on the Prince of Nothing series, Bakker was given a challenge by his wife to write a thriller. To answer this, he produced a science fiction thriller based around a serial killer who can control and influence the human mind. This book, Neuropath, was eventually published in 2008. Inspired, he wrote a second thriller titled The Disciple of the Dog in 2009.
The series was originally planned to be a trilogy, with the first two books entitled The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor. However, when Bakker began writing the series in the early 2000s, he found it necessary to split each of the three novels into its own sub-series to incorporate all of the characters, themes and ideas he wished to explore. Bakker originally conceived of seven books: a trilogy and two duologies. This later shifted to two trilogies, with the acknowledgement that the third series may yet also expand to a trilogy.
The Prince of Nothing trilogy was published between 2003 and 2006. It depicts the story of the Holy War launched by the Inrithi kingdoms against the heathen Fanim of the south to recover the holy city of Shimeh for the faithful. During the war, a man named Ansurimbor Kellhus emerges from obscurity to become an exceptionally powerful and influential figure, and it is discovered that the Consult, an alliance of forces united in their worship of the legendary No-God, a nihilistic force of destruction, are manipulating events to pave the way for the No-God's return to the mortal world.
The sequel series, The Aspect-Emperor trilogy, picks up the story twenty years later with Kellhus leading the Inrithi kingdoms in directly seeking out and confronting the Consult. The first novel in this new series is due for publication in 2009.
Whilst working on the Prince of Nothing series, Bakker was given a challenge by his wife to write a thriller. To answer this, he produced a science fiction thriller based around a serial killer who can control and influence the human mind. This book, Neuropath, was eventually published in 2008. Inspired, he wrote a second thriller titled The Disciple of the Dog in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 25, 2022
A fast paced crime novel lead by Disciple Manning, an extremely obnoxious and hilarious private investigator, dealing with religious cults, neonazis, damsels in distress, heavy metal and other interesting stuff, in some post industrial town somewhere in Pensylvania.
The most amazing aspect is how versatile is Bakker. How he can write so differently than his masterpiece, the Second Apocalypse books, wittier, more humorous, paced and still inject into the narrative many of the themes he always explores, concerning free will, beliefs, and how people perceive their reality in general.
I would welcome new adventures for Disciple Manning
The most amazing aspect is how versatile is Bakker. How he can write so differently than his masterpiece, the Second Apocalypse books, wittier, more humorous, paced and still inject into the narrative many of the themes he always explores, concerning free will, beliefs, and how people perceive their reality in general.
I would welcome new adventures for Disciple Manning
January 10, 2016
I started to read this book because the description on the book jacket sounded very interesting. However, after about 10 pages, I put it down to discontinue reading. It probably has a fascinating plot but was so full of vulgarity that it was too offensive to ready any further. It's too bad that this author sees that as necessary to make his book interesting.
Read
June 1, 2023RTC
November 17, 2010
Disciple of the Dog is R. Scott Bakker’s second non-fantasy novel (after 2008’s Neuropath). While most fantasy readers are probably still most familiar with the author for his Second Apocalypse series, venturing out of the fantasy genre for this noir-ish detective novel is an excellent idea because it’s an entertaining and unique read that will keep you fascinated to the very end.
The novel’s two main attractions are its protagonist, Disciple (“Diss”) Manning, and its prose. As for the first, Disciple is a foul-mouthed, highly cynical, down-on-his-luck private detective with a unique ability: he is unable to forget anything he’s heard. Regardless (or thanks to) this gift (or curse), he is a grim, misanthropic serial womanizer who’d rather be brutally honest and say “oh well” later than compromise now. While cynical, jaded private eyes aren’t anything new, R. Scott Bakker takes things to an entirely new level here. Let’s just say that if you don’t enjoy books with unlikable main characters, Disciple of the Dog isn’t for you.
However, Disciple’s attitude leads directly to the second big strength of this novel: the prose. Disciple of the Dog sounds as if it’s narrated by the late, great George Carlin at his sharpest and darkest. Disciple’s observations are often incisive, very funny and painfully true. While the novel has a solid missing person/whodunnit plot, the true pleasure of reading it is the fact that there’s a quotable line on every page. Diss’s unique ability also leads to an interesting narrative device: he can “play back” conversations in his mind. As the plot develops, some of those earlier conversations take on new meanings or reveal additional details.
As for the plot: two distraught parents hire Disciple to look for their missing daughter, Jennifer Bonjour. Complicating the case is the fact that “Dead Jennifer” (as Diss affectionately calls her) was a member of a bizarre charismatic cult called the Framers, who believe that what we perceive as reality is actually an illusion, and that we live five billion years in our own future. Diss teams up with a journalist (after he tries to seduce her, of course) to investigate the cult and the circumstances of Jennifer’s disappearance.
In the end, Disciple of the Dog is more interesting as a look into the life and mind of Diss Manning than as an actual murder mystery, but the novel’s plot does have a few surprising twists that’ll keep you guessing until the very end. Thanks to Diss Manning’s dark but often funny tone, this book is simply a blast from start to finish. If you’re in the mood for a noir-ish detective novel with a fascinating, highly cynical main character, grab a copy of Disciple of the Dog.
(This review was also published on 11/17/2010 at www.fantasyliterature.com)
The novel’s two main attractions are its protagonist, Disciple (“Diss”) Manning, and its prose. As for the first, Disciple is a foul-mouthed, highly cynical, down-on-his-luck private detective with a unique ability: he is unable to forget anything he’s heard. Regardless (or thanks to) this gift (or curse), he is a grim, misanthropic serial womanizer who’d rather be brutally honest and say “oh well” later than compromise now. While cynical, jaded private eyes aren’t anything new, R. Scott Bakker takes things to an entirely new level here. Let’s just say that if you don’t enjoy books with unlikable main characters, Disciple of the Dog isn’t for you.
However, Disciple’s attitude leads directly to the second big strength of this novel: the prose. Disciple of the Dog sounds as if it’s narrated by the late, great George Carlin at his sharpest and darkest. Disciple’s observations are often incisive, very funny and painfully true. While the novel has a solid missing person/whodunnit plot, the true pleasure of reading it is the fact that there’s a quotable line on every page. Diss’s unique ability also leads to an interesting narrative device: he can “play back” conversations in his mind. As the plot develops, some of those earlier conversations take on new meanings or reveal additional details.
As for the plot: two distraught parents hire Disciple to look for their missing daughter, Jennifer Bonjour. Complicating the case is the fact that “Dead Jennifer” (as Diss affectionately calls her) was a member of a bizarre charismatic cult called the Framers, who believe that what we perceive as reality is actually an illusion, and that we live five billion years in our own future. Diss teams up with a journalist (after he tries to seduce her, of course) to investigate the cult and the circumstances of Jennifer’s disappearance.
In the end, Disciple of the Dog is more interesting as a look into the life and mind of Diss Manning than as an actual murder mystery, but the novel’s plot does have a few surprising twists that’ll keep you guessing until the very end. Thanks to Diss Manning’s dark but often funny tone, this book is simply a blast from start to finish. If you’re in the mood for a noir-ish detective novel with a fascinating, highly cynical main character, grab a copy of Disciple of the Dog.
(This review was also published on 11/17/2010 at www.fantasyliterature.com)
May 11, 2023
I loved this sweaty, grungy story. There's some kind of murder mystery, yeah, but mostly this guy is just stumbling around having weird experiences and then...REMEMBERING them! Woo~oo! I wish Bakker was still writing.
May 31, 2024
## Philosophy
The author, Bakker, has worked on the basic premise of the story, which is Heidegger's philosophy. The idea is the "Frame" vs "The Occluded Frame". Bakker has written this a few times on his blog, specifically the following two:
This one describes what is "frame", and why it keeps getting "occluded".
https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/specul...
The "frame" is a metaphor for the reader's understanding of the narrative at any given moment.
"Occlusion" of the frame is the inherent limitations of this understanding. Readers only possess the information explicitly given to them and are prone to perceiving this limited information as a complete picture, not noticing the frame, despite the existence of unknown elements. This tendency aligns with Kahneman's concept of WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is).
https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2012/0...
Philosophers since Heidegger have been playing the game of pointing at the occluded frames in various places. Their favorite target is the frame of modern science. In short, Heideggar's idea goes like this:
When we talk about how the world is, we talk as if there's "Subject-Object", as in
"I --see--> apple"
Like a third person view. But people don't see see the world in third person, they see it in first person, as in
"[ Apple ]"
where the brackets represent the perspective of the subject.
> the logic of these two perspectives is incredibly different, as different, you might say, as between programming a strategy game and a first-person shooter. Given this analogy you could say that Heidegger took programming philosophy’s first true first-person shooter as his positive project in *Being and Time*.
But he wanted to go further, to even erase that frame, because, he pointed out, when I see the world, I see it. I don't see the frame. So, to say exactly what I saw, I must somehow remove the occluded frame from the language. To truly talk about reality as it is seen. Now the problem with calling an apple an "apple" is that even the world "apple" assumes too much. I don't truly see an apple, but redness, smoothness, roundness, etc. "Apple" is an abstraction, a framing. How to erase that framing, to leave the subject (in this case, you reading this right now) as an "occluded frame"?
Heidegger realized that this is pretty impossible. As soon as we pause and reflect on experiences, we take what was implicit, which is to say, the occluded frame, and make it explicit, which is to say, to draw the damn frames in, no longer occluded. As it is, human languages are built around the subject-verb-object structure, and he was literally trying to fight against language, which is presumably why he stopped making sense to everyone, even his loyal followers.
## Baar's religion
Baar, an ex-philosophy professor, specialized in cults and metaphysics. Accordingly, he designed a cult with an extremely unusual metaphysics that is nevertheless cultishly attractive. The core of its attraction is that it simultaneously feeds the hunger for transcendence, and explains it away scientifically, requiring nothing supernatural, nothing more astonishing than what modern science already tells us, anyway.
Transcendence is a hunger after what's beyond the miserable small daily life, grinding you down everyday bit by bit until you are dust. In Baar's religion, this miserable life is an educational role-playing by quantum computers in the distant future, and we are supposed to learn from it until we wake up. This feeds the hunger for transcendence. As for *why* we yearn for transcendence, that's because deep down we know that there *is* more to reality than this unreal daily world, that this world is unreal like a ... dream.
Thus, the religion simultaneously supplies transcendence and explains it away scientifically. Very cool.
Also, I was annoyed about that church of the third resurrection because it seemed a pretty pointless thing to write so many pages about, but at least when they finally explained what's the third resurrection, I loled.
## Characters
Jennifer does not appear in the story directly, but people describe her sometimes. It is not useful to think too hard about her. She is an effective tool for advancing the plot like.
The detective is quite cynical, however, he does have lots of feelings. I was surprised a few times when he consistently exhibited normal fear response. Indeed. He is cynical and jaded, but not psychopathic or schizoid. He seeks stimulus because he has become bored by too much repetition with his great memory, but does not seek risk (unlike psychopaths). This is useful to keep in mind while you read, as it will increase your probability of predicting his behavior more accurately.
He also loves having sex, though this is not relevant to the philosophy or the plot. Now that would be fine if it's just a hundred words, but it's over 5% of the total word count on his love of sex. This is quite strange, because all of it can be removed without affecting the plot. My guess was that it's a long example for evolutionary psychology, but it turns out, no. I guess the editor forced it in to increase sales.
## Funny quotes
Listen to yourself long enough, however, and you eventually become a comedian, whether you want to or not. It’s the only way to stay interested.
The fact is, the longer I know someone, the more difficult I find it to talk to them. Part of it has to do with distraction: it’s bloody hard to juggle a conversation with a thousand pellets of memory. I much prefer the company of strangers. Or the dead, like Jennifer.
here she was: ambition meets the mortician.
A religion using an end-of-the-world cult as proof the world was about to end? The World Court really needed to start prosecuting crimes against irony.
And there’s this fly walking across the window’s reflection in the counter, you know, like it’s pacing out a treasure map in fast motion, fifteen paces this way, stop, twenty paces that way, stop.
what I do: collect and interpret all the little atrocities we suffer and commit. Then shelve them in the mad library that is my mind.
a cynic is just someone who believes nothing to better judge everything.
## Philosophical quotes
we only have our pinhole perspectives to work with— pinholes we continually confuse with the sky.
you are a machine. A kind of quantum computer, dreaming of its mammalian past. This is the real world, only systematically skewed to simulate the way things were roughly five billion years ago. Think of the way schizophrenics incorporate elements of the real world into their psychotic delusions. Sometimes, Disciple, our true selves leak through, shine as inexplicable gifts—gifts like your memory—given our ignorance otherwise. We see only slivers of the Frame, so like psychotics we continually misinterpret, claim to see ghosts or to remember past lives or to talk to God or to attain enlightenment.
What we suffer is secondary to the fact that we suffer, the meaning we take away from having endured. And because of this, he says we’re supposed to affirm, to affirm our lives in their entirety.
unlike me, you reconstitute the events you “remember.” Your whole life is quite literally a dramatization. You may be based on a true story, but you are not, by any sensible measure, true. You may earn an Oscar or two, but you will never snag a Pulitzer.
When the whole point is to keep consciousness caged, how can we condemn you for defending your prison cells?
Not a simulation. More like theatre, where the world is a prop, and the actors forget their identities to better inhabit their roles. We all have roles to play, Mr. Manning. Even you.
The ‘Occluded Frame’ is simply the name we give our more fundamental world.
Life was wall to wall, top to bottom, a kind of ride at Disney World, only one where we had our memories wiped so that we wouldn’t know it was a ride. Like dreaming, the world generators in our heads had been hijacked to make it appear as though we were living in the early twenty-first century, when in fact we were living in some absurdly distant future.
Normal experience, not as some kind of baseline, but as a diminution of a much broader spectrum of possibility. It was exploring this insight through hypnosis that led to his discovery of the Frame, the true present, where humanity had become indistinguishable from its technology. It all came down to shrinkage. "The world we see is but a sliver! But because it’s all we know, we confuse it for the whole!"
I needed it the way composers need silence. I know it terrifies you, but then you’re pretty much normal. This is me we’re talking about. How could someone like me not look at it as a sanctuary, a promise? Death ... The one thing that does not repeat.
The end was nigh, the eons-old machines preserving earth from its bloated sun were giving out, and Baars simply wanted to give everyone a chance to make peace with their existence. From his standpoint, he had done nothing more than take a surprise messianic turn in a video game ... A first-person shooter.
## Style
The style is plain most of the times. However, I still get confused about what's left unsaid sometimes, so I ask Gemini 1.5 for help. It is very competent. I just had to remove some profanities to get past the censorship.
The author, Bakker, has worked on the basic premise of the story, which is Heidegger's philosophy. The idea is the "Frame" vs "The Occluded Frame". Bakker has written this a few times on his blog, specifically the following two:
This one describes what is "frame", and why it keeps getting "occluded".
https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/specul...
The "frame" is a metaphor for the reader's understanding of the narrative at any given moment.
"Occlusion" of the frame is the inherent limitations of this understanding. Readers only possess the information explicitly given to them and are prone to perceiving this limited information as a complete picture, not noticing the frame, despite the existence of unknown elements. This tendency aligns with Kahneman's concept of WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is).
https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2012/0...
Philosophers since Heidegger have been playing the game of pointing at the occluded frames in various places. Their favorite target is the frame of modern science. In short, Heideggar's idea goes like this:
When we talk about how the world is, we talk as if there's "Subject-Object", as in
"I --see--> apple"
Like a third person view. But people don't see see the world in third person, they see it in first person, as in
"[ Apple ]"
where the brackets represent the perspective of the subject.
> the logic of these two perspectives is incredibly different, as different, you might say, as between programming a strategy game and a first-person shooter. Given this analogy you could say that Heidegger took programming philosophy’s first true first-person shooter as his positive project in *Being and Time*.
But he wanted to go further, to even erase that frame, because, he pointed out, when I see the world, I see it. I don't see the frame. So, to say exactly what I saw, I must somehow remove the occluded frame from the language. To truly talk about reality as it is seen. Now the problem with calling an apple an "apple" is that even the world "apple" assumes too much. I don't truly see an apple, but redness, smoothness, roundness, etc. "Apple" is an abstraction, a framing. How to erase that framing, to leave the subject (in this case, you reading this right now) as an "occluded frame"?
Heidegger realized that this is pretty impossible. As soon as we pause and reflect on experiences, we take what was implicit, which is to say, the occluded frame, and make it explicit, which is to say, to draw the damn frames in, no longer occluded. As it is, human languages are built around the subject-verb-object structure, and he was literally trying to fight against language, which is presumably why he stopped making sense to everyone, even his loyal followers.
## Baar's religion
Baar, an ex-philosophy professor, specialized in cults and metaphysics. Accordingly, he designed a cult with an extremely unusual metaphysics that is nevertheless cultishly attractive. The core of its attraction is that it simultaneously feeds the hunger for transcendence, and explains it away scientifically, requiring nothing supernatural, nothing more astonishing than what modern science already tells us, anyway.
Transcendence is a hunger after what's beyond the miserable small daily life, grinding you down everyday bit by bit until you are dust. In Baar's religion, this miserable life is an educational role-playing by quantum computers in the distant future, and we are supposed to learn from it until we wake up. This feeds the hunger for transcendence. As for *why* we yearn for transcendence, that's because deep down we know that there *is* more to reality than this unreal daily world, that this world is unreal like a ... dream.
Thus, the religion simultaneously supplies transcendence and explains it away scientifically. Very cool.
Also, I was annoyed about that church of the third resurrection because it seemed a pretty pointless thing to write so many pages about, but at least when they finally explained what's the third resurrection, I loled.
## Characters
Jennifer does not appear in the story directly, but people describe her sometimes. It is not useful to think too hard about her. She is an effective tool for advancing the plot like.
The detective is quite cynical, however, he does have lots of feelings. I was surprised a few times when he consistently exhibited normal fear response. Indeed. He is cynical and jaded, but not psychopathic or schizoid. He seeks stimulus because he has become bored by too much repetition with his great memory, but does not seek risk (unlike psychopaths). This is useful to keep in mind while you read, as it will increase your probability of predicting his behavior more accurately.
He also loves having sex, though this is not relevant to the philosophy or the plot. Now that would be fine if it's just a hundred words, but it's over 5% of the total word count on his love of sex. This is quite strange, because all of it can be removed without affecting the plot. My guess was that it's a long example for evolutionary psychology, but it turns out, no. I guess the editor forced it in to increase sales.
## Funny quotes
Listen to yourself long enough, however, and you eventually become a comedian, whether you want to or not. It’s the only way to stay interested.
The fact is, the longer I know someone, the more difficult I find it to talk to them. Part of it has to do with distraction: it’s bloody hard to juggle a conversation with a thousand pellets of memory. I much prefer the company of strangers. Or the dead, like Jennifer.
here she was: ambition meets the mortician.
A religion using an end-of-the-world cult as proof the world was about to end? The World Court really needed to start prosecuting crimes against irony.
And there’s this fly walking across the window’s reflection in the counter, you know, like it’s pacing out a treasure map in fast motion, fifteen paces this way, stop, twenty paces that way, stop.
what I do: collect and interpret all the little atrocities we suffer and commit. Then shelve them in the mad library that is my mind.
a cynic is just someone who believes nothing to better judge everything.
## Philosophical quotes
we only have our pinhole perspectives to work with— pinholes we continually confuse with the sky.
you are a machine. A kind of quantum computer, dreaming of its mammalian past. This is the real world, only systematically skewed to simulate the way things were roughly five billion years ago. Think of the way schizophrenics incorporate elements of the real world into their psychotic delusions. Sometimes, Disciple, our true selves leak through, shine as inexplicable gifts—gifts like your memory—given our ignorance otherwise. We see only slivers of the Frame, so like psychotics we continually misinterpret, claim to see ghosts or to remember past lives or to talk to God or to attain enlightenment.
What we suffer is secondary to the fact that we suffer, the meaning we take away from having endured. And because of this, he says we’re supposed to affirm, to affirm our lives in their entirety.
unlike me, you reconstitute the events you “remember.” Your whole life is quite literally a dramatization. You may be based on a true story, but you are not, by any sensible measure, true. You may earn an Oscar or two, but you will never snag a Pulitzer.
When the whole point is to keep consciousness caged, how can we condemn you for defending your prison cells?
Not a simulation. More like theatre, where the world is a prop, and the actors forget their identities to better inhabit their roles. We all have roles to play, Mr. Manning. Even you.
The ‘Occluded Frame’ is simply the name we give our more fundamental world.
Life was wall to wall, top to bottom, a kind of ride at Disney World, only one where we had our memories wiped so that we wouldn’t know it was a ride. Like dreaming, the world generators in our heads had been hijacked to make it appear as though we were living in the early twenty-first century, when in fact we were living in some absurdly distant future.
Normal experience, not as some kind of baseline, but as a diminution of a much broader spectrum of possibility. It was exploring this insight through hypnosis that led to his discovery of the Frame, the true present, where humanity had become indistinguishable from its technology. It all came down to shrinkage. "The world we see is but a sliver! But because it’s all we know, we confuse it for the whole!"
I needed it the way composers need silence. I know it terrifies you, but then you’re pretty much normal. This is me we’re talking about. How could someone like me not look at it as a sanctuary, a promise? Death ... The one thing that does not repeat.
The end was nigh, the eons-old machines preserving earth from its bloated sun were giving out, and Baars simply wanted to give everyone a chance to make peace with their existence. From his standpoint, he had done nothing more than take a surprise messianic turn in a video game ... A first-person shooter.
## Style
The style is plain most of the times. However, I still get confused about what's left unsaid sometimes, so I ask Gemini 1.5 for help. It is very competent. I just had to remove some profanities to get past the censorship.
April 14, 2022
First murder mystery I've read. Quirky writing, nasty main character, the right amount of suspense and mystery.
April 6, 2017
Cults, neo-Nazis, gorgeous young women, and a detective who can never forget
If Philip Marlowe were to roam the back streets of today's cities, he might bear at least a slight resemblance to Disciple Manning, the protagonist of R. Scott Bakker's mystery novel, Disciple of the Dog. They're both tough-talking tough guys with a special affinity for the dark recesses of society. Manning is a troubled ex-soldier -- he fought in Iraq in the first Gulf War -- with a ceaseless hunger for pot and sex. He is, of course, fiendishly handsome, but he still manages to alienate women with his crude and usually unwelcome honesty.
However, Manning's most notable distinguishing feature is his memory, which sets him apart from Philip Marlowe and, apparently, the rest of the human race as well. It's been the subject of university lab tests for many years: he cannot forget ANYTHING. Now, this is not your run-of-the-mill eidetic memory, which is fundamentally visual. In fact, his memory of the written word doesn't seem to be the equal of his memory of the conversations and confrontations he's had in the course of three decades of a topsy-turvy life. He remembers everything ever said to him by anybody. Everything. Everybody. And not just the words, but the expressions, the body language, the intonation, and the context, including everyone else in the picture.
Disciple Manning is not a happy man. In fact, from time to time he despairs of humanity, having what he believes to be a far more accurate picture of human behavior than just about anyone else, and as a result has slit his wrists on several occasions. Somehow, though, he manages to pull through.
In Disciple of the Dog, Manning is hired by the wealthy parents of a 21-year-old woman who has disappeared from the cult headquarters where she's been living for two years. The scene is a small town in rural Pennsylvania, a former industrial center now shrunk to a fraction of its previous size. In the course of investigating the cult, a small operation led by a former UC Berkeley professor of . . . guess what? cults . . . Manning encounters another unusual organization that has set down roots in the same town. It's a neo-Nazi "church" led by a clique of ex-cons from the Aryan Brotherhood, and it appears to own the town. Manning rockets between believing that first one, then the other of these evil-seeming organizations is responsible for the young woman's disappearance and, he firmly believes, her death.
Bakker's writing style is lively, to say the least. The tale is told in Manning's interior voice, which is rich with imagery, profane, and endlessly engaging. The story is intricately plotted, though that's difficult for the reader to see until Manning reveals key points in retrospect as he sorts through his memories. The book is full of surprises. It's a lot of fun.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
If Philip Marlowe were to roam the back streets of today's cities, he might bear at least a slight resemblance to Disciple Manning, the protagonist of R. Scott Bakker's mystery novel, Disciple of the Dog. They're both tough-talking tough guys with a special affinity for the dark recesses of society. Manning is a troubled ex-soldier -- he fought in Iraq in the first Gulf War -- with a ceaseless hunger for pot and sex. He is, of course, fiendishly handsome, but he still manages to alienate women with his crude and usually unwelcome honesty.
However, Manning's most notable distinguishing feature is his memory, which sets him apart from Philip Marlowe and, apparently, the rest of the human race as well. It's been the subject of university lab tests for many years: he cannot forget ANYTHING. Now, this is not your run-of-the-mill eidetic memory, which is fundamentally visual. In fact, his memory of the written word doesn't seem to be the equal of his memory of the conversations and confrontations he's had in the course of three decades of a topsy-turvy life. He remembers everything ever said to him by anybody. Everything. Everybody. And not just the words, but the expressions, the body language, the intonation, and the context, including everyone else in the picture.
Disciple Manning is not a happy man. In fact, from time to time he despairs of humanity, having what he believes to be a far more accurate picture of human behavior than just about anyone else, and as a result has slit his wrists on several occasions. Somehow, though, he manages to pull through.
In Disciple of the Dog, Manning is hired by the wealthy parents of a 21-year-old woman who has disappeared from the cult headquarters where she's been living for two years. The scene is a small town in rural Pennsylvania, a former industrial center now shrunk to a fraction of its previous size. In the course of investigating the cult, a small operation led by a former UC Berkeley professor of . . . guess what? cults . . . Manning encounters another unusual organization that has set down roots in the same town. It's a neo-Nazi "church" led by a clique of ex-cons from the Aryan Brotherhood, and it appears to own the town. Manning rockets between believing that first one, then the other of these evil-seeming organizations is responsible for the young woman's disappearance and, he firmly believes, her death.
Bakker's writing style is lively, to say the least. The tale is told in Manning's interior voice, which is rich with imagery, profane, and endlessly engaging. The story is intricately plotted, though that's difficult for the reader to see until Manning reveals key points in retrospect as he sorts through his memories. The book is full of surprises. It's a lot of fun.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
January 4, 2012
An amusing mystery piece, through and through. A good mix of thrills, humor, and personality. Not my favorite entry into the genre - certain aspects of the main character's personality got more than a touch grating at times (they were supposed to, by the by) - but it was a well-written, engaging read, with enough twists in the case to keep you going into the night. Plus, in true Bakker form, it trickled in here and there little touches of his philosophical notations. Much less so than in his Prince of Nothing series, of course, and in different form, but it makes for an interesting - if dark - addition to the piece.
All around? Short, engaging, and entertaining.
All around? Short, engaging, and entertaining.
April 29, 2011
My least favorite Bakker book. Still a good read just not as good as his other stuff
February 6, 2014
What's the difference between a skeptic and a cynic? =) Loved it.
January 8, 2024
Disciple of the Dog is a novel in the style of the hard-boiled detective/noir genre.
The main character, the PI, is your typical asshole -- rude and disagreeable, albeit lovable or charming in moments, fascinating always, and absolutely the kind of grating, womanizing, self-righteous person you don't want to know in real life.
His unique aspect is that he has perfect recall, meaning he can remember everything he's seen, even what he's heard, exactly as he experienced it.
In some entertainment, that might feel like a way to turn the PI into a perfect superhero, or to explain away how he solves the crime with that gimmick. But here it's quite different, instead it's an aspect that is a central theme of the book. I'd go so far as to say it comes across like a thought experiment: "what would it be like to be a person with a perfect memory?" As such, the concept is fully enmeshed into the story and character, and most chapters spend at least some time considering the pros and cons of such a quirk through varieties of examples that draw out and explore the concept.
The story this PI goes through is an interesting, but typical, one. He's contracted to track down a missing girl, one who has fallen in with a cult. She's pretty, the kind of girl who'd normally get a lot of news, but as a pretty white girl, in a sea of pretty white girls, she's not "on trend" in today's climate, nor does she stand out. Good efforts are being made by individuals, including the local police chief, but so far to no avail. Cue the main character!
The path the story follows is not too different from others in the genre, generally speaking, but there are some marked differences. I don't want to spoil, but I'll say that the PI isn't exactly the celebrated hero at the end, nor is that his goal; he's a bit more of a "Lebowski" slacker in that regard. I'd also say that, unlike other stories in the genre, we don't get a typical list of suspects early on, nor are there the typical plot misdirects, nor villainous figures to root against. It felt like I was half way through before the PI even begins to consider who the suspects might be, and just when you start to feel like you know where things are going, the book zigs instead of zags -- obstinate like the PI himself. But it still works because so much of the book is about the character building, the relationships he builds, and that build up is absolutely rewarded by the end.
Like Bakker's other works, the writing is strong, engaging, thoughtful, and often philosophical. I copied many bits of his writing throughout the book for a variety of reasons. Much of the themes are about skepticism vs cynicism, the idea of how we, as people, tend to take the past of least resistance in life, not holding our boundaries firm in order to instead focus on getting through the day. Also central is the lack of free will, with that one being a recurring theme for him as a writer in general, not specific to just this book.
Like Bakker's other works, he doesn't focus on making his characters likeable, but instead seems to focus on making them believable, more fully-realized, as he does here with the PI. Yes, the PI remains a bit of a "perfect" protagonist in ways that can be a little eye-rolling, but overall I enjoyed following his story.
Most interesting, as I noted early, are the interactions, the conversations he gets into with the cult leader/members, the local church, the police, the media, his clients, his receptionist, his friends, and so on.
And these dialogues are often where the perfect recall comes into play, as new information prompts him to recall past interactions and consider them against that new info. It's like a flashback, but feels quite organic and interesting within the writing. Often, I found myself having mixed feelings about how he initially interprets something, not being in agreement, and I liked that he usually does go back to those moments and reconsider them, sometimes coming to the place where I thought he'd start, though sometimes considering new info and arriving at a place I hadn't considered.
And on a related note, that was one thing I liked about the PI, that despite his ability to easily navigate the story's plot, he's often wrong when it comes to the nuances, and it was a nice change-of-pace to read a story where the main character doesn't get everything right.
I'm a fan of R Scott Bakker, and I believe this was the last of his books that I hadn't yet read. I'm happy to have read it, but bummed that I don't have anything else. Hopefully he writes something new. I guess I still have some short stories of his to look into.
The main character, the PI, is your typical asshole -- rude and disagreeable, albeit lovable or charming in moments, fascinating always, and absolutely the kind of grating, womanizing, self-righteous person you don't want to know in real life.
His unique aspect is that he has perfect recall, meaning he can remember everything he's seen, even what he's heard, exactly as he experienced it.
In some entertainment, that might feel like a way to turn the PI into a perfect superhero, or to explain away how he solves the crime with that gimmick. But here it's quite different, instead it's an aspect that is a central theme of the book. I'd go so far as to say it comes across like a thought experiment: "what would it be like to be a person with a perfect memory?" As such, the concept is fully enmeshed into the story and character, and most chapters spend at least some time considering the pros and cons of such a quirk through varieties of examples that draw out and explore the concept.
The story this PI goes through is an interesting, but typical, one. He's contracted to track down a missing girl, one who has fallen in with a cult. She's pretty, the kind of girl who'd normally get a lot of news, but as a pretty white girl, in a sea of pretty white girls, she's not "on trend" in today's climate, nor does she stand out. Good efforts are being made by individuals, including the local police chief, but so far to no avail. Cue the main character!
The path the story follows is not too different from others in the genre, generally speaking, but there are some marked differences. I don't want to spoil, but I'll say that the PI isn't exactly the celebrated hero at the end, nor is that his goal; he's a bit more of a "Lebowski" slacker in that regard. I'd also say that, unlike other stories in the genre, we don't get a typical list of suspects early on, nor are there the typical plot misdirects, nor villainous figures to root against. It felt like I was half way through before the PI even begins to consider who the suspects might be, and just when you start to feel like you know where things are going, the book zigs instead of zags -- obstinate like the PI himself. But it still works because so much of the book is about the character building, the relationships he builds, and that build up is absolutely rewarded by the end.
Like Bakker's other works, the writing is strong, engaging, thoughtful, and often philosophical. I copied many bits of his writing throughout the book for a variety of reasons. Much of the themes are about skepticism vs cynicism, the idea of how we, as people, tend to take the past of least resistance in life, not holding our boundaries firm in order to instead focus on getting through the day. Also central is the lack of free will, with that one being a recurring theme for him as a writer in general, not specific to just this book.
Like Bakker's other works, he doesn't focus on making his characters likeable, but instead seems to focus on making them believable, more fully-realized, as he does here with the PI. Yes, the PI remains a bit of a "perfect" protagonist in ways that can be a little eye-rolling, but overall I enjoyed following his story.
Most interesting, as I noted early, are the interactions, the conversations he gets into with the cult leader/members, the local church, the police, the media, his clients, his receptionist, his friends, and so on.
And these dialogues are often where the perfect recall comes into play, as new information prompts him to recall past interactions and consider them against that new info. It's like a flashback, but feels quite organic and interesting within the writing. Often, I found myself having mixed feelings about how he initially interprets something, not being in agreement, and I liked that he usually does go back to those moments and reconsider them, sometimes coming to the place where I thought he'd start, though sometimes considering new info and arriving at a place I hadn't considered.
And on a related note, that was one thing I liked about the PI, that despite his ability to easily navigate the story's plot, he's often wrong when it comes to the nuances, and it was a nice change-of-pace to read a story where the main character doesn't get everything right.
I'm a fan of R Scott Bakker, and I believe this was the last of his books that I hadn't yet read. I'm happy to have read it, but bummed that I don't have anything else. Hopefully he writes something new. I guess I still have some short stories of his to look into.
November 2, 2022
Excellent writing. I enjoyed Diss Manning's character, especially his humor. It does have religious and philosophical themes similar to the Second Apocalypse. Disciple's memory is somewhat like the darkness that comes before. I hope Bakker will continue his story.
August 10, 2018
Worst book I've ever read!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
September 30, 2022
couldn't even finish this book, I found it too teenagerish
September 14, 2024
Abandoned at 20%. The Second Apocalypse was amazing, but it's no mystery why Disciple Manning #2 doesn't exist.
December 27, 2024
Was expecting a lot more from my favourite author. Writing is decent, characters are fairly interesting, but the plot felt very meandering to me, even though the book is only 250 pages.
Disappointed.
Disappointed.
August 10, 2013
Disciple of the Dog is a mystery by R. Scott Bakker, perhaps better known for his Prince of Nothing fantasy series. It features a New Jersey-based PI named Disciple Manning who has a genuine eidetic memory — he literally cannot forget anything he sees or hears (although this apparently doesn't apply to reading for some reason).
While you'd think that having total recall would be a great benefit, especially for a PI, for Disciple, it's a curse. Being able to forget things is what makes life tolerable for normal people. For Disciple, life is just a continuous, all-but-unbearable slog through patterns repeating themselves over and over as people make the same decisions again and again because they have forgotten what happened before. He has the scars on his wrists to prove it.
So, Disciple is without question one of the most gleefully cynical characters I've ever encountered in fiction. He uses sex, drugs and gambling to just try to make it through the day.
Disciple of the Dog starts off when Disciple is hired by a couple, the Bonjours, to find their daughter, Jennifer, who has gone missing. Their relationship with Jennifer, they admit, has been troubled. Recently, she joined a cult called the Framers who believe that the world is 5 billion years older than we all believe it to be, meaning that its on the verge of being swallowed up by the sun.
Disciple heads to the small town in Pennsylvania, Ruddick, where the Framers have their central compound. He meets the leader of the group, Xenophon Baars, formerly a philosophy professor at Berkley who taught a course on cults. He also meets the local chief of police, a nice enough fellow who recognizes that he's in over his head with Jennifer's case and welcomes the presence of an experienced professional like Disciple.
Making matters even more interesting is when Disciple meets Molly, a stringer for a Pittsburgh newspaper who hopes her coverage of Jennifer's case will jump start her career.
Of all the people Disciple deals with, he's the only one who is pretty certain that they won't find Jennifer alive, so much so that, in his head, he only refers to her as "Dead Jennifer."
The case is a pretty standard mystery novel plot. What makes this book compelling is Disciple, who is writing down the story as part of his therapy. Because of his memory, you see, Disciple is going insane.
Disciples insights into the human animal are stark and fascinating.
"Your bean is a cherry-picking machine. You remember only what confirms your assumptions."
"Principles are as likely to get you a Hitler as a Gandhi."
The character's voice is sharp and clear throughout, whether he is going on about people keep repeating themselves endlessly or drawling his favorite expletive, "Fawk!"
The major flaw in the book comes toward the end. After setting up a pretty delightful situation, Bakker seems to zig in a different direction, ultimately resolving the case is a disappointingly mundane manner.
Even so, Disciple of the Dog is well worth reading if only for the main character.
While you'd think that having total recall would be a great benefit, especially for a PI, for Disciple, it's a curse. Being able to forget things is what makes life tolerable for normal people. For Disciple, life is just a continuous, all-but-unbearable slog through patterns repeating themselves over and over as people make the same decisions again and again because they have forgotten what happened before. He has the scars on his wrists to prove it.
So, Disciple is without question one of the most gleefully cynical characters I've ever encountered in fiction. He uses sex, drugs and gambling to just try to make it through the day.
Disciple of the Dog starts off when Disciple is hired by a couple, the Bonjours, to find their daughter, Jennifer, who has gone missing. Their relationship with Jennifer, they admit, has been troubled. Recently, she joined a cult called the Framers who believe that the world is 5 billion years older than we all believe it to be, meaning that its on the verge of being swallowed up by the sun.
Disciple heads to the small town in Pennsylvania, Ruddick, where the Framers have their central compound. He meets the leader of the group, Xenophon Baars, formerly a philosophy professor at Berkley who taught a course on cults. He also meets the local chief of police, a nice enough fellow who recognizes that he's in over his head with Jennifer's case and welcomes the presence of an experienced professional like Disciple.
Making matters even more interesting is when Disciple meets Molly, a stringer for a Pittsburgh newspaper who hopes her coverage of Jennifer's case will jump start her career.
Of all the people Disciple deals with, he's the only one who is pretty certain that they won't find Jennifer alive, so much so that, in his head, he only refers to her as "Dead Jennifer."
The case is a pretty standard mystery novel plot. What makes this book compelling is Disciple, who is writing down the story as part of his therapy. Because of his memory, you see, Disciple is going insane.
Disciples insights into the human animal are stark and fascinating.
"Your bean is a cherry-picking machine. You remember only what confirms your assumptions."
"Principles are as likely to get you a Hitler as a Gandhi."
The character's voice is sharp and clear throughout, whether he is going on about people keep repeating themselves endlessly or drawling his favorite expletive, "Fawk!"
The major flaw in the book comes toward the end. After setting up a pretty delightful situation, Bakker seems to zig in a different direction, ultimately resolving the case is a disappointingly mundane manner.
Even so, Disciple of the Dog is well worth reading if only for the main character.
September 23, 2010
"And you wonder why I'm cynical. I've literally 'seen it all before.' The truth is we all have, every single one of us past the age of, say, twenty-five. The only difference is that I remember."
Disciple Manning has a gift--or is it a curse? He is incapable of forgetting anything he has ever seen, heard or felt. He remembers it all with instant-replay-clarity, pulling conversations from the recesses of his mind at whim, dissecting them, uncovering nuances he may have missed when he experienced them live. As a private investigator, this might seem like a useful tool, and indeed it helps him traverse the twisted landscape that is his latest case. But the dark side of this particular neurological condition is that Manning has become more than cynical, he's become an unfeeling prick, mere degrees short of a bona fide sociopath. And while this seems to be a popular characteristic of some protagonists nowadays, few are as sarcastically funny or interesting as Disciple Manning.
A beautiful, twenty-something daughter of well-to-do parents has gone missing in a rural town. Once home to twenty thousand industrious citizens, Ruddick is now a shadow of its former self, inhabited by various religious crazies--scary crazy ... read and find out--not the least of which is a bizarre cult that believes the world is about to end. Manning runs the gambit of possible suspects, through twists and turns at times hilarious or harrowing, but which never seem heavy-handed.
Despite Disciple Manning's despicable character traits, he is very definitely endearing in an I-wish-I-could-be-that-crass-and-get-away-with-it way and has several shining hero moments sprinkled throughout the novel. His internal monologue--in the tradition of the hardboiled crime fiction of Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Jim Thompson, Disciple of the Dog is written in first person--is full of insightful, witty commentary on everything from the human condition to sex to fart jokes. You know, real life.
Anyone who's ever read other Bakker novels will certainly recognize his writing style. Bakker has a way of turning a phrase in a very literary sense while remaining faithful to the genre in which he is writing. (Something this reader finds incredibly refreshing.) Disciple of the Dog is probably his most accessible novel, at least to the average reader. It's not nearly as steeped in philosophy as his fantasy series--The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor--or in psychology and science like his first thriller, Neuropath, but it's still provocative and reflective, worthy of a spot on the bookshelf of anyone who enjoys original fiction. (And just to be clear, The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor series are excellent. Pure. Genius.)
Disciple Manning has a gift--or is it a curse? He is incapable of forgetting anything he has ever seen, heard or felt. He remembers it all with instant-replay-clarity, pulling conversations from the recesses of his mind at whim, dissecting them, uncovering nuances he may have missed when he experienced them live. As a private investigator, this might seem like a useful tool, and indeed it helps him traverse the twisted landscape that is his latest case. But the dark side of this particular neurological condition is that Manning has become more than cynical, he's become an unfeeling prick, mere degrees short of a bona fide sociopath. And while this seems to be a popular characteristic of some protagonists nowadays, few are as sarcastically funny or interesting as Disciple Manning.
A beautiful, twenty-something daughter of well-to-do parents has gone missing in a rural town. Once home to twenty thousand industrious citizens, Ruddick is now a shadow of its former self, inhabited by various religious crazies--scary crazy ... read and find out--not the least of which is a bizarre cult that believes the world is about to end. Manning runs the gambit of possible suspects, through twists and turns at times hilarious or harrowing, but which never seem heavy-handed.
Despite Disciple Manning's despicable character traits, he is very definitely endearing in an I-wish-I-could-be-that-crass-and-get-away-with-it way and has several shining hero moments sprinkled throughout the novel. His internal monologue--in the tradition of the hardboiled crime fiction of Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Jim Thompson, Disciple of the Dog is written in first person--is full of insightful, witty commentary on everything from the human condition to sex to fart jokes. You know, real life.
Anyone who's ever read other Bakker novels will certainly recognize his writing style. Bakker has a way of turning a phrase in a very literary sense while remaining faithful to the genre in which he is writing. (Something this reader finds incredibly refreshing.) Disciple of the Dog is probably his most accessible novel, at least to the average reader. It's not nearly as steeped in philosophy as his fantasy series--The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor--or in psychology and science like his first thriller, Neuropath, but it's still provocative and reflective, worthy of a spot on the bookshelf of anyone who enjoys original fiction. (And just to be clear, The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor series are excellent. Pure. Genius.)
August 22, 2012
Before starting this book I read a user review here on goodreads. I don't remember who wrote it or the exact wording, but the gist of it was that the main character, Disciple Manning (Diss for short), is a real douchebag. That you hate him right off, but by the end of the book you think he's great.
Point being that I started the book with an open mind. Yes, Diss is a douchebag. If I hadn't read that review I would have written him off as nothing but an emotionally retarded, post-adolescent, self-aggrandizing, sleaze bag. But I held my disgust in check and I kept waiting for it to get better.
It never got better. Dis IS an emotionally retarded, post-adolescent, self-aggrandizing, douche bag. As I read through the book I didn't come to like him anymore, I didn't think he was great, but my disgust gradually turned to humour. I found myself indulgently shaking my head and laughing at parts that otherwise would have made me throw up my arms and rant incessantly on the stupidity of men whose first thought regarding any situation revolves around sex (and how good they THINK they are at it) and who feel unreasonably proud of their farts. Because I realized something: Dis is a man and, as my husband often reminds me, men really do think of nothing but sex, sex, sex and farting really is the funniest thing.
Point being that I started the book with an open mind. Yes, Diss is a douchebag. If I hadn't read that review I would have written him off as nothing but an emotionally retarded, post-adolescent, self-aggrandizing, sleaze bag. But I held my disgust in check and I kept waiting for it to get better.
It never got better. Dis IS an emotionally retarded, post-adolescent, self-aggrandizing, douche bag. As I read through the book I didn't come to like him anymore, I didn't think he was great, but my disgust gradually turned to humour. I found myself indulgently shaking my head and laughing at parts that otherwise would have made me throw up my arms and rant incessantly on the stupidity of men whose first thought regarding any situation revolves around sex (and how good they THINK they are at it) and who feel unreasonably proud of their farts. Because I realized something: Dis is a man and, as my husband often reminds me, men really do think of nothing but sex, sex, sex and farting really is the funniest thing.
July 12, 2011
Memorable quote: ‘Makes me feel like a cannibal, sometimes, the eater of momentary souls’
Disciple Manning is a PI with a unique ability – he remembers EVERYTHING, which, in his profession seems like a gift, but for Disciple it makes the world boring and uneventful, that is, until commissioned to locate missing attractive 21yro cult member Jennifer. I couldn’t help but draw comparison to Spillane’s mucho P.I Mike Hammer in Disciple’s mannerisms and chauvinistic attitude coupled with the tendency for violence and general self love. Disciple was a hard character to like and I often found myself wanting to read more of the suspects than the protagonist – Xen (cult leader) especially. There was a distinct Carter Brown Al Wheeler pulp mystery feel to this (refer to ‘The Lover’), and the premise was interesting but it felt like Bakker was trying too hard to hide literature in a dumb downed hardboiled wonderland of profanity and meaningless action. ‘Disciple of The Dog’ looks great from the synopsis but didn’t quite delivery in actuality. I’m interested to see where Bakker takes Disciple, as I think there is something good here, albeit with a slight tweak here and there. 3 stars.
Disciple Manning is a PI with a unique ability – he remembers EVERYTHING, which, in his profession seems like a gift, but for Disciple it makes the world boring and uneventful, that is, until commissioned to locate missing attractive 21yro cult member Jennifer. I couldn’t help but draw comparison to Spillane’s mucho P.I Mike Hammer in Disciple’s mannerisms and chauvinistic attitude coupled with the tendency for violence and general self love. Disciple was a hard character to like and I often found myself wanting to read more of the suspects than the protagonist – Xen (cult leader) especially. There was a distinct Carter Brown Al Wheeler pulp mystery feel to this (refer to ‘The Lover’), and the premise was interesting but it felt like Bakker was trying too hard to hide literature in a dumb downed hardboiled wonderland of profanity and meaningless action. ‘Disciple of The Dog’ looks great from the synopsis but didn’t quite delivery in actuality. I’m interested to see where Bakker takes Disciple, as I think there is something good here, albeit with a slight tweak here and there. 3 stars.
July 9, 2012
Disciple of the Dog is the story of Disciple Manning, a private eye who remembers everything. The book is told through his point of view as if he is talking to the reader. Disciple's point of view is strong, in your face, and no-holds barred.
He tells the story of how he was hired to find his client's daughter in a small town. Although the mystery he uncovers isn't the most intricate plot, Disciple's "Voice" is unmistakeably strong and carries the book.
His Big personality-- crass, rude, overwhelming, and even charming (in his honesty)-- is the book's greatest feature. For the most part, however, his "views" are humorous, poignant, and gives him the character-flair that makes him so memorable. The only downside is that the book has a little too much pontification about society, people, etc. However, his "views" seemed a little much by the end and even a little repetitive (wink).
Regardless, I loved the book because of Disciple, his attitude, and his views, which made him an engaging character from page one. If your looking for a gritty private detective story with a strong PI, check out Disciple of the Dog.
He tells the story of how he was hired to find his client's daughter in a small town. Although the mystery he uncovers isn't the most intricate plot, Disciple's "Voice" is unmistakeably strong and carries the book.
His Big personality-- crass, rude, overwhelming, and even charming (in his honesty)-- is the book's greatest feature. For the most part, however, his "views" are humorous, poignant, and gives him the character-flair that makes him so memorable. The only downside is that the book has a little too much pontification about society, people, etc. However, his "views" seemed a little much by the end and even a little repetitive (wink).
Regardless, I loved the book because of Disciple, his attitude, and his views, which made him an engaging character from page one. If your looking for a gritty private detective story with a strong PI, check out Disciple of the Dog.
February 25, 2013
So, I don't usually read mystery books. I don't even usually read "regular" fiction. I found this book while working my way through the Sale section of the American Book Center in Amsterdam and the name Scott Bakker kept popping up, so I grabbed this book and gave it a try.
Disciple of the Dog is written from the perspective of Disciple ("Diss") Manning, a man who does not forget anything. He's a cynic, and he will remind you over and over and over. He's a bit of an ass. He's not very likable. But at some point I warmed up to him. He's a bit like that one rude friend you put up with because they're actually pretty amusing.
As for the rest of the story.. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but some revelations really made me go 'Wait.. what?! How the.. huh?' It was weird. It was amusing. It was interesting. The book is well-written, especially considering how difficult it must be to write from the perspective of someone who never forgets.
Disciple of the Dog may not make it in to my favourites, but I will definitely be looking in to Scott Bakker's other writings.
Disciple of the Dog is written from the perspective of Disciple ("Diss") Manning, a man who does not forget anything. He's a cynic, and he will remind you over and over and over. He's a bit of an ass. He's not very likable. But at some point I warmed up to him. He's a bit like that one rude friend you put up with because they're actually pretty amusing.
As for the rest of the story.. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but some revelations really made me go 'Wait.. what?! How the.. huh?' It was weird. It was amusing. It was interesting. The book is well-written, especially considering how difficult it must be to write from the perspective of someone who never forgets.
Disciple of the Dog may not make it in to my favourites, but I will definitely be looking in to Scott Bakker's other writings.
April 25, 2013
2.5 stars.
What I like most about Bakker so far in my exploration of his oeuvre is that he's very smart--possibly smart enough that his personal life may be painful in some ways (in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man often gets kicked and spat on), and definitely smart enough that I want to keep reading to feel challenged or amused by his insights.
In this case, I wanted to keep reading despite feeling he missed more than he hit with this cynical, obnoxious PI narrator. He's willing to insult everyone and everything through the mouth of the narrator, but he's not willing to say the "F" word? His choice of substitution, "Fawk," is irritating and comes every three pages until it grates on your (whatever you call the "ear" that hears subvocalizations when you're reading). Grates badly. And yet he gives quite a bit of detail regarding the narrator's interaction with whores--we see the narrator's penis more than once, but the "F" word is verboten? Bizarre.
The book feels badly balanced, too, with too much philosophizing of the narrator and not enough mystery plot.
Still, I want to try several others of his books, as the first I tried, Neuropath, was better than okay.
What I like most about Bakker so far in my exploration of his oeuvre is that he's very smart--possibly smart enough that his personal life may be painful in some ways (in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man often gets kicked and spat on), and definitely smart enough that I want to keep reading to feel challenged or amused by his insights.
In this case, I wanted to keep reading despite feeling he missed more than he hit with this cynical, obnoxious PI narrator. He's willing to insult everyone and everything through the mouth of the narrator, but he's not willing to say the "F" word? His choice of substitution, "Fawk," is irritating and comes every three pages until it grates on your (whatever you call the "ear" that hears subvocalizations when you're reading). Grates badly. And yet he gives quite a bit of detail regarding the narrator's interaction with whores--we see the narrator's penis more than once, but the "F" word is verboten? Bizarre.
The book feels badly balanced, too, with too much philosophizing of the narrator and not enough mystery plot.
Still, I want to try several others of his books, as the first I tried, Neuropath, was better than okay.
May 20, 2012
Overall, this was a very nice book, it was a first time read of Scott Bakker for me, and i can say that I will definitely be picking up his other novel from reading this. The only criticism I would have for it would be that there wasn't enough back story into the main protagonist (it hints on things such as attempted suicide, being in jail etc) but never really adds anything to it, so for me, I was left wondering why? Also the whole 'crime aspect' was quite weak based on other crime novels that I have read, there was no great depth, but that maybe due to the book only being 248 pages (or somewhere around that mark) so I felt like I didn't get THAT much of a mystery. But the characters were believable and the main protagonist certainly had a cynic view on life and had me smiling with some of his humor, and overall the book was excellently written and did have a couple of twist and turns along the way, so overall a very enjoyable read, but not exactly a page turner for me, not exactly high in the 'blood, gore and action' which I tend to enjoy.
May 18, 2013
My first detective story in more than a decade! It is a quick, easy and fun read although not quite your typical crime story either. Bakker is a philosophy almost-PhD and this somewhat show across the novel.
The story is strongly character driven with the main character, private detective Disciple Manning, possessing a perfect memory which is both his main tool in solving crimes but also a curse allowing him to see all human failings, hypocrisy and shallow motives. He does not spare himself from his accurate introspective vision either. Not being granted merciful oblivion, Manning became extremely cynical and gritty. I can understand that his relentless cynism might be overbearing for some people, but it didn't get on my nerves and I was thoroughly entertained (amusement is all I can offer for the ultimate cynic, meaning it in all friendly earnestness I can (self-deceptively) muster. It is easy when it is not quite personal, too. The cynic is right if one takes offense or not).
This is generally a recommended, light read!
The story is strongly character driven with the main character, private detective Disciple Manning, possessing a perfect memory which is both his main tool in solving crimes but also a curse allowing him to see all human failings, hypocrisy and shallow motives. He does not spare himself from his accurate introspective vision either. Not being granted merciful oblivion, Manning became extremely cynical and gritty. I can understand that his relentless cynism might be overbearing for some people, but it didn't get on my nerves and I was thoroughly entertained (amusement is all I can offer for the ultimate cynic, meaning it in all friendly earnestness I can (self-deceptively) muster. It is easy when it is not quite personal, too. The cynic is right if one takes offense or not).
This is generally a recommended, light read!
October 2, 2011
PI Disciple Manning doesn’t forget, anything, ever; his “gift” allows him to see through many deceptions (self and external) and understand the essentially deeply repetitive nature of the human animal.
He is deeply cynical, coldly manipulative and a novelty junky (but not, he assures us, a sociopath).
The plot is an abduction/murder case involving some hockey religious cult – as a straight forward detective story it would be functional but not anything special.
In reality the book is really about using Disciple as a darkly amusing vehicle for shedding some light into the murkier corners of human personality and consciousness (mostly stuff supported by modern psychology and neuroscience research).
This is pretty much what I have come to expect from Baker – I find it bleakly fascinating.
Minor problems: Some of his musings are, ironically, a bit repetitive.
I’d buy another Disciple Manning book if there ever is one.
He is deeply cynical, coldly manipulative and a novelty junky (but not, he assures us, a sociopath).
The plot is an abduction/murder case involving some hockey religious cult – as a straight forward detective story it would be functional but not anything special.
In reality the book is really about using Disciple as a darkly amusing vehicle for shedding some light into the murkier corners of human personality and consciousness (mostly stuff supported by modern psychology and neuroscience research).
This is pretty much what I have come to expect from Baker – I find it bleakly fascinating.
Minor problems: Some of his musings are, ironically, a bit repetitive.
I’d buy another Disciple Manning book if there ever is one.
February 20, 2013
I couldn't finish this. Life's too short to waste on books that suck.
1) The repetition of "Fawk" for the F-word got real old, real quick.
B) A newspaper in Southwestern PA is NOT going to send a reporter to cover a missing person in Southeastern PA. At least the author could have picked a newspaper on that end of the state.
3) The repetition of the dialogue was irritating as hell. I get that the protagonist had a photographic type memory, meaning he never forgot anything he heard, but having the dialogue, then repeating it word for word a few pages later just to put his little "this is what I got from that" details was just ridiculous.
D) The protagonist was a real jag-off and not sympathetic at all. Gotta have some redeeming qualities, people.
Couldn't recommend this book at all. Period. End of review.
1) The repetition of "Fawk" for the F-word got real old, real quick.
B) A newspaper in Southwestern PA is NOT going to send a reporter to cover a missing person in Southeastern PA. At least the author could have picked a newspaper on that end of the state.
3) The repetition of the dialogue was irritating as hell. I get that the protagonist had a photographic type memory, meaning he never forgot anything he heard, but having the dialogue, then repeating it word for word a few pages later just to put his little "this is what I got from that" details was just ridiculous.
D) The protagonist was a real jag-off and not sympathetic at all. Gotta have some redeeming qualities, people.
Couldn't recommend this book at all. Period. End of review.
February 9, 2012
I do like an unlikeable hero. Even when they go out of their way to shout SEE HOW UNLIKEABLE I AM on every page. While Bakker steers perilously close to overkill at times, his lovely dry grasp of his central character's credibility never fails, and I found myself quite warming to the (necessarily distant) bugger. I'd quite like to see another story or two featuring Disciple Manning - he might well prove to be a one-trick pony. But there's just something about him that suggests, just maybe, it could be otherwise. Also quite impressed by the vividness and claustrophobia of the small-town weirdity; Bakker captures it perfectly, and the slightly way-outness of the secondary cast doesn't sit oddly at all. Shall be chasing this fella's other work up, no question.
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