Customer Reviews

Ignored

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the second Bentley Little book I've read and sadly, I'm coming to the conclusion that his books just aren't as good as Jack Ketchum's or Richard Laymon's. Also read The Mailman by Bentley Little and it too didn't measure up. Too tame, too slow and boring.

I love this author, but even I have to concede that this is not one of his best books. It starts off promisingly enough with a highly inventive concept. The premise of the book is that there is a group of people who live among us that are virtually ignored by most. The only ones who seem cognizant of them are others like them. Some of them are mad as hell over this and are not going to take it anymore.

This is the story of Bob Jones, an average guy with an ordinary office job. The only problem is that nobody seems to notice him. Then one day, another one of the long ignored, a man named Philipe, pops into his life. From then on, Bob's life will change, as what Philipe proposes is something out of a Kafkaesque nightmare. Bob will never be the same again. Neither will those who continue to ignore him.

The problem with this story is that it takes a long time to work up a head of steam. When it finally does, it just as quickly fizzles. While it is quite inventive in concept, it simply does not have enough going for it to sustain the story. The characters tend to be one-dimensional, and the story has a number of plot holes that are never backfilled. In the final analysis, better editing might have made the story a little tighter and avoided the feeling that the story was dragging on needlessly. Although the story does pick up some steam towards the end, it is not enough to make it a compelling one.

The author has written some great books, but this is simply not one of them. Still, fans of the author, as well those with a penchant for the horror genre, will get a modicum of enjoyment from this book.

The concept for the story in this book is by far one of the more original ideas I've come across in a long time. Just thinking about all the possible adventures one could partake in when cursed with being ignored kept me wanting to read. The book does not disappoint in the interest department, but it will be a let down for those looking for horror. While there are a few moments that really creep you out or take you to the edge of your seat, for the most part the book spends a lot of time exploring the aspects of living in a consumer-oriented society where everything is designed for the average joe. The book is split into 3 parts, the first moves rather slowly and re-enforces the feelings that character has while he comes to realize his condition and the breakdown of his life. Part two is all about the main characters new found peers with which he has many disturbing but thought provoking adventures. Part three sees the main character come back almost full circle and starting the cycle again... but I won't say too much. I can envision a sequel to this book, something like "The Land Of The Lost".

Bob Jones is an average, run-of-the-mill guy. He has a beautiful girlfriend, has just gotten out of college, and is looking for a job. He is taken in at an office building, where his job isn't clear, his immediate boss hates him, and his colleagues seem not to notice he's there.

That's when Bob begins to suspect something. His favorite songs are all top-5 hits. His favorite movies are box-office smashes. He likes prime-time TV, enjoys fast-food chains and hotel-esque decorating.

Bob Jones is average.

But he's not alone. He is being watched, being prepared, by a man named Philipe, a man who possesses a knowledge that Bob wants to have. Philipe proclaims himself as a Terrorist for the Common Man...and he, and his followers, are also Ignored.

At first, life as an Ignored is interesting. Bob is finally among people like him, people who are Ignored. But then the glamor wears off. Philipe wants to do something, something big, something that will get the world to notice them.

But they are being followed...and there is yet another threat, one Bob must face if he is to survive, one burning question that needs an answer:

Can you be Ignored by the Ignored?

Bentley Little throws aside his blood-n-guts horror to bring you a disturbing novel about a man who is so average, he goes unseen by most people. I have praised Little for moving around the "thinking-man's horror" novel, but after reading this, I must say that he's good at it.

Back to my first question: Am I Ignored?

Little has tapped into our psyche here. So many of these things corresponded to me, I realized that I had never known how deeply a horror novel could move me. I think, after reading this, you will be questioning your lifestyle as well. "The Ignored" is a novel by a singular author, about those of us who...fit in a little too well.

I took a chance on this book when I was at a hotel in Monterey. Boy, am I glad I made that decision! Bentley is hands-down one of my favorite writers. A previous reviewer mentions he liked the first third but disliked the rest of the book. Well I was the exact opposite. If anything, I felt Little took too much time showing how "Ignored" the character was. But when the character joins forces with others like him, that's when the real fun starts. I could really identify with this character, and I think the way the book ended was one of the best endings I have EVER read. It just left me with lots of questions to think about.

I am a very big Bentley Little fan but this was not one of his best works. The story took entirely too long to get to the point and then never seemed to satisfy my anticipation. The ending was very far fetched without any attempt at an explanation.

The Ignored seems like a pretty tough sell, if you're the type to judge a book by it's cover. The art has nothing to do with the story, and the copy on the back cover doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Bently Little's amazing story....

Bob Jones is a perfectly average guy. Maybe TOO average. When he starts his new job, he begins to realize that maybe there's more to the apparent rudeness of his new co-workers than meets the eye. Is he actually fading away, becoming one of The Ignored? Little structures the story into three acts: Bob's discovery of his condition, his recruitment into a cadre of "Terrorists for the common man" (I.E., The IGNORED man), and the eventual discovery of an entire city of the Ignored. The first and last segments resonated deeply with me, the Terrorist segment didn't. Not that the middle section wasn't good, it just didn't grab me the same way as the segments that bookend it. I work in a fairly large health care company, and at times I actually DO feel like I might be invisible to my co-workers, so I felt a real kinship with Bob. The final segment is just stunning; It really took me by surprise, so I won't spoil anything here; I'll just say that Little managed to creep the HELL out of me. In our fast-paced, impersonal world, It's easy to feel alone and ignored; Just be glad you're not Bob Jones....

The Ignored seems like a pretty tough sell, if you're the type to judge a book by it's cover. The art has nothing to do with the story, and the copy on the back cover doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Bently Little's amazing story....

Bob Jones is a perfectly average guy. Maybe TOO average. When he starts his new job, he begins to realize that maybe there's more to the apparent rudeness of his new co-workers than meets the eye. Is he actually fading away, becoming one of The Ignored? Little structures the story into three acts: Bob's discovery of his condition, his recruitment into a cadre of "Terrorists for the common man" (I.E., The IGNORED man), and the eventual discovery of an entire city of the Ignored. The first and last segments resonated deeply with me, the Terrorist segment didn't. Not that the middle section wasn't good, it just didn't grab me the same way as the segments that bookend it. I work in a fairly large health care company, and at times I actually DO feel like I might be invisible to my co-workers, so I felt a real kinship with Bob. The final segment is just stunning; It really took me by surprise, so I won't spoil anything here; I'll just say that Little managed to creep the HELL out of me. In our fast-paced, impersonal world, It's easy to feel alone and ignored; Just be glad you're not Bob Jones....

A Bentley Little novel, whether you love or hate his style, always builds on an interesting idea. ï¿The Ignoredï¿ is no different. Little usually assumes one of two positions in his novels: he either writes a story full of hilarious observations about organizations (retail stores, homeownerï¿s associations, the postal service), or he creates a work of pure horror (vampires, walking zombies, haunted houses). This 1997 novel blends both of these narrative devices into an affecting tale about what happens when an everyday, average man falls through the cracks of our hectic, materialistic society.

The narrator of the story is one Bob Jones. Bob hates his life, or at least starts to after he graduates from UC Brea with a degree in American Studies. His part-time job at Sears provides barely enough income for food and shelter, although his live-in girlfriend Jane works part-time too while she finishes her degree. After answering an advertisement for a position at the generic sounding Automated Interface, Inc., Bob lands a real job and assumes his place in the working world. Right from the start things go badly for young Bob. His bosses hate him, his co-workers outright avoid him or subtly despise him, and even his office mate cannot stand his presence. Slowly, Bob notices he no longer registers at all with his fellow employees, with an emphasis on ï¿at all.ï¿ They literally do not see him even if he is standing right in front of their faces, or if they do see him, they forget about him immediately after they look away. This invisibility deeply troubles Bob and causes him to slowly drive away Jane, the one person who acknowledges his presence and actually cares for him. As time progresses and the drudgery of work and life weigh heavily on Bob, he realizes that he is one of ï¿The Ignored,ï¿ a man whose existence goes without notice in society.

But someone does notice Bob, and after Bob commits a terrible crime this man, named Philipe, initiates him into a group referred to by its members as ï¿Terrorists for the Common Man.ï¿ The organization consists of other ignoreds angry at a world that barely acknowledges their existence. The group pulls off petty crimes at first, such as swiping free meals at restaurants and heckling public officials. Soon, Philipe tires of banal activities and starts to plan and execute bigger crimes that pose serious dangers to society. As the very real possibility of killing innocent people looms large, Bob must decide whether to stay with Philipe or strike out for a town of ignoreds somewhere in Arizona. Bob leaves Philipe and journeys to this strange town where an even greater threat to his survival appears. The conclusion of the book takes a horrific turn for the worse while reuniting Bob with old acquaintances.

There are elements of the usual Little humor in ï¿The Ignored.ï¿ When Bob begins to suspect he is bland and average, he peruses his CD collection and realizes everything he likes is strictly Top Ten, run of the mill music. He watches MASH and laughs at all the jokes embellished with a laugh track. In short, Bob embraces everything average, everything the common man should find amusing or pleasing. Moreover, the town of the ignoreds turns out to be one big joke firmly aimed at the solar plexus of consumerism and mass culture. Little seems to say that all of us will end up ignored in a society that preaches bland conformity through the homogenization of mass marketing.

The horror, if you do not think being a cog in the wheels of capitalism is horrific enough, makes a strong showing towards the end of the book. Little references Arthur Machenï¿s ï¿The Great God Panï¿ when he shows Bob slipping into an even more horrifying condition than his status as an ignored. This section of the book is quite imaginative yet a bit strange for even Bentley Little. It works, though, and is great fun to read. Ultimately, this horror/social satire hybrid works better than other Little novels, when he usually chooses one of the two themes and runs with it.

I am waiting with baited breath for Littleï¿s new novel that will arrive in bookstores later this year. Until then, ï¿The Ignoredï¿ gave me a good dose of Bentley Little to tide me over. As great as Littleï¿s message is in ï¿The Ignoredï¿ concerning the subject of consumption, be sure and check out his novel ï¿The Store,ï¿ which does a better job of delivering a jeremiad against the rampant materialism currently overrunning every street corner in America.

Totally wild and new imagination by the author and one of the bes tbooks I ever read. Reads like we read our own experience. Dont know how this man gotthe idea but simplyu great. Read and then RE-Read! Buy it fro sure. Slightly far fatched but I think its ok, hey after all this is fiction book, but with a diffrence that this is extension of reality.