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The Ignored
YOU DON'T EXIST
Bob Jones is your ordinary guy, with a good job and a pretty girlfriend. Yet Bob has to admit he does have one problem. Nobody notices him, nobody remembers him. In a life where the common man goes unrecognized, Bob Jones is . . . ignored.
But one day Bob Jones is noticed. He is remembered. But he may have wished to remain unseen, for what the stranger who calls himself Philipe has in mind is something horrible. Something dreadful. He has revenge on his mind. Revenge against a world that has long ignored not just Bob but others.
IT'S PAYBACK TIME FOR. . .
THE IGNORED
Bob Jones is your ordinary guy, with a good job and a pretty girlfriend. Yet Bob has to admit he does have one problem. Nobody notices him, nobody remembers him. In a life where the common man goes unrecognized, Bob Jones is . . . ignored.
But one day Bob Jones is noticed. He is remembered. But he may have wished to remain unseen, for what the stranger who calls himself Philipe has in mind is something horrible. Something dreadful. He has revenge on his mind. Revenge against a world that has long ignored not just Bob but others.
IT'S PAYBACK TIME FOR. . .
THE IGNORED
429 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1997
77 people are currently reading
3281 people want to read
About the author
Bentley Little
135 books2,565 followersBentley Little is an American author of horror fiction. Publishing an average of a novel a year since 1990, Little avoids publicity and rarely does promotional work or interviews for his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
August 22, 2017
This book is definitely Little at his best. Reading it made me seriously reconsider my rating of several of his other books because, no matter how good they were overall, they had sections I needed to skim through to get back to the interesting parts. This book had none of those.
At first I thought it was an extremely long introduction to the idea that the main narrator is Ignored. It took about 100 pages or so to realize exactly what this meant. The author spent the next 150 pages exploring the possibilities of this condition and each new scenario proved as interesting, and aggressively more extreme, than the last. There were times I felt unsure about where the plot was going- there didn't seem a denouement on the horizon. Yet everything did get wrapped up in a tidy and satisfying fashion.
The author definitely taps into the archetype of the ignored person. Anyone that has ever felt outside of a main group, or that they weren't being noticed, can relate to this and it is this underlying identification with the theme that makes the story work. Everyone can relate to the narrator at least to some extent.
The author uses mythological concepts to actually underpin the overall conflict, although that is not apparent until the plot begins to reach its end. I found myself cheering for characters that were completely (at least by modern society's standards) psychotic. I was able to forget acts of atrocity and see a vison for the people in the story that they saw for themselves. Once this book got rolling with a full head of steam (which did take some patience for this to begin) it didn't stop until the end. A full five stars.
At first I thought it was an extremely long introduction to the idea that the main narrator is Ignored. It took about 100 pages or so to realize exactly what this meant. The author spent the next 150 pages exploring the possibilities of this condition and each new scenario proved as interesting, and aggressively more extreme, than the last. There were times I felt unsure about where the plot was going- there didn't seem a denouement on the horizon. Yet everything did get wrapped up in a tidy and satisfying fashion.
The author definitely taps into the archetype of the ignored person. Anyone that has ever felt outside of a main group, or that they weren't being noticed, can relate to this and it is this underlying identification with the theme that makes the story work. Everyone can relate to the narrator at least to some extent.
The author uses mythological concepts to actually underpin the overall conflict, although that is not apparent until the plot begins to reach its end. I found myself cheering for characters that were completely (at least by modern society's standards) psychotic. I was able to forget acts of atrocity and see a vison for the people in the story that they saw for themselves. Once this book got rolling with a full head of steam (which did take some patience for this to begin) it didn't stop until the end. A full five stars.
April 11, 2025
I don’t write reviews.
And I just don’t know how to feel about this. I think it’s well-written and meets his standard of production, but it was definitely overlong and a bit tedious, so I don’t think he earned his own five stars. (I rate based on that, not my own feelings). It suffers from SHBASSS, aka, Should Have Been A Short Story Syndrome.
Maybe I hated all the characters. Or at least, I didn’t like them or care. Maybe they were supposed to be awful? I mean they were all murderers…. but also the victims. I know the point was they were the most average people, the most forgettable. However, average people don’t kill each other, even though they often suffer indignity and pain, such as the characters in this story. I guess that made it hard for me to get into it.
Also, the first part of the story was terribly depressing. I actually had to take a break. This is all set-up to introduce how Bob is truly unseen by everyone. Yet I saw him. I saw him treat his girlfriend badly. I saw him reject overtures of friendship. I saw him ignore his own parents until he needed someone, anyone, to recognize him.
But really, the killing of innocent people didn’t sit right with me. I’m not a weirdo who can’t handle fiction. It’s more like the murders just seemed cruel. Without any real sense of horror or suspense, it’s reading a laundry list of bad deeds done by evil, yet dreadfully dull, people.
Book 9 - Just a Little Bit More: Reading Through the Bentley Little Catalog
And I just don’t know how to feel about this. I think it’s well-written and meets his standard of production, but it was definitely overlong and a bit tedious, so I don’t think he earned his own five stars. (I rate based on that, not my own feelings). It suffers from SHBASSS, aka, Should Have Been A Short Story Syndrome.
Maybe I hated all the characters. Or at least, I didn’t like them or care. Maybe they were supposed to be awful? I mean they were all murderers…. but also the victims. I know the point was they were the most average people, the most forgettable. However, average people don’t kill each other, even though they often suffer indignity and pain, such as the characters in this story. I guess that made it hard for me to get into it.
Also, the first part of the story was terribly depressing. I actually had to take a break. This is all set-up to introduce how Bob is truly unseen by everyone. Yet I saw him. I saw him treat his girlfriend badly. I saw him reject overtures of friendship. I saw him ignore his own parents until he needed someone, anyone, to recognize him.
But really, the killing of innocent people didn’t sit right with me. I’m not a weirdo who can’t handle fiction. It’s more like the murders just seemed cruel. Without any real sense of horror or suspense, it’s reading a laundry list of bad deeds done by evil, yet dreadfully dull, people.
Book 9 - Just a Little Bit More: Reading Through the Bentley Little Catalog
August 2, 2023
The Ignored is one of Little's earliest novels and doesn't fit the pattern of his anti-establishment books or his extreme horror stories. It's more a surrealist magic-realism tale, a philosophic Kafka-esque look at people who are overlooked. Despite the subject, boring people who do boring things, it's really quite interesting. There are a couple of graphic scenes that will disturb some readers, but it's quite mild in comparison with the other novels of his that I've read. It's one of his most thought-provoking books, and I enjoyed reading it.
May 6, 2014
I am thrilled to finally be able to rate a Bentley Little novel with five stars. This was the sixth one I have read, and a few of the previous five were not only good, but also contained glimpses of brilliant storytelling on a level few authors of horror fiction are able to achieve. But, until now, Little's books have, for the most part, left me frustrated and disappointed.
So, when I picked The Ignored up, figuring I would give this author one more chance to wow me, my expectations were circling the drain.
The Ignored is the story of Bob Jones, an average guy carrying out a mundane existence, who lands a job at Automated Interface - puzzling, since he feels horribly unqualified for the position - and slowly begins to realize something is different about him. Not only does he seem to be immediately disliked by his boss and coworkers, but Bob soon finds that everyone basically ignores him there.
As Bob struggles with the new job, he becomes increasingly aware of his utter blandness. Is he so average that other people don't even notice that he exists?
After many attempts to change himself, to become extraordinary, Bob finds he has not only failed to make any impression, but he has also managed to fade even further into obscurity.
So, Bob has a serious problem. The book really gets going from there. Little tells the story in first person from Bob's pov, and that was a wise decision. In this format, he can't introduce a bunch of pointless story lines that meander and fizzle.
I don't think this book fits well in the horror genre, but there is a creeping dread prevalent throughout.
More along the lines of a Twilight Zone episode.
There is quite a bit of social commentary and also plenty of philisophical musings on display here.
A first rate read.
So, when I picked The Ignored up, figuring I would give this author one more chance to wow me, my expectations were circling the drain.
The Ignored is the story of Bob Jones, an average guy carrying out a mundane existence, who lands a job at Automated Interface - puzzling, since he feels horribly unqualified for the position - and slowly begins to realize something is different about him. Not only does he seem to be immediately disliked by his boss and coworkers, but Bob soon finds that everyone basically ignores him there.
As Bob struggles with the new job, he becomes increasingly aware of his utter blandness. Is he so average that other people don't even notice that he exists?
After many attempts to change himself, to become extraordinary, Bob finds he has not only failed to make any impression, but he has also managed to fade even further into obscurity.
So, Bob has a serious problem. The book really gets going from there. Little tells the story in first person from Bob's pov, and that was a wise decision. In this format, he can't introduce a bunch of pointless story lines that meander and fizzle.
I don't think this book fits well in the horror genre, but there is a creeping dread prevalent throughout.
More along the lines of a Twilight Zone episode.
There is quite a bit of social commentary and also plenty of philisophical musings on display here.
A first rate read.
August 24, 2014
I couldn't make up my mind how to rate this book. I was all over the place while I was reading it.
I loved the beginning, and then it started to drag...and drag...and drag.
There were even a couple of times when I decided I couldn't read another page, closed the file and went searching for my next book. But I couldn't get it out of my head. So, back I went, opened the file, found my place and thought...Maybe one more chapter.
And so, I finished it.
The rating went from 1 star to 5 stars, but because the ending was a bit of a let down for me I gave it 4.
January 8, 2020
It's undeniable: The Ignored stands fairly unique among Little's oeuvre, the essence of its premise mostly avoiding his two favorite stomping grounds: organizations and professions (i.e., The University, The Academy, The Association, The Resort, The Mailman, The Handyman, The Store). As with many "brand" authors, Little has a template and familiar themes from his other works are explored here as well, although less directly.
The Ignored's first half had me hopeful I was reading Little's overlooked masterpiece. The premise is delightfully odd, the subject matter surprisingly topical (minor spoiler):
There's incredible potential for this premise to lift off. I anticipated reaching wild and wacky heights of perverse absurdity after a carefully constructed first half, which masterfully crescendos: "On the day of the murder I went to work in a clown suit."
The problem is, it never does. There's no real ignition after that brilliant spark.
I love Little's writing style, but his books and stories are running about 50/50 for me so far. When he's good he's great but the rest feels like a half-hearted imitation of his better works. The Ignored hurt a little more than most because it held such potential.
The Ignored's first half had me hopeful I was reading Little's overlooked masterpiece. The premise is delightfully odd, the subject matter surprisingly topical (minor spoiler):
There's incredible potential for this premise to lift off. I anticipated reaching wild and wacky heights of perverse absurdity after a carefully constructed first half, which masterfully crescendos: "On the day of the murder I went to work in a clown suit."
The problem is, it never does. There's no real ignition after that brilliant spark.
I love Little's writing style, but his books and stories are running about 50/50 for me so far. When he's good he's great but the rest feels like a half-hearted imitation of his better works. The Ignored hurt a little more than most because it held such potential.
August 15, 2010
This book was recommended to me by a writer friend and the premise sounded good, but right from the start this book was slow and lackluster. The first chapters described this fellow's dead end job in way too much detail (fast forward through that pal, I'm trying to escape from my own dead end job, I don't want to read about yours.) As the protagonist Bob Jones begins to discover he is Ignored, I expect the author the set forth some "rules" to this condition, but he never does, and the rules seem to change as time goes on. Eventually Bob starts hallucinating, and is chased by a spectral killer in a clown suit--why? He doesn't know, and neither do we. (My immediate question was how in the world did Bob get hired for his job, if he is Ignored? That little plot hole is never filled.) The story slowly meanders forward, full of not very sharply drawn characters but becomes absolutely ludicrous, especially when they decide to start committing rapes as a part of their campaign of terror. Needless to say the female characters in this book are poor. The one female Ignored is Mary, she cooks for and sleeps with the other members of the group. Apparently she has no aspirations beyond that.
This books was too long and unfocused in my opinion. I have read short stories by Little and I thought they were absolutely brilliant I suspect this weighty tome got published on the strength of other books because this one was laughably lame. Skip it!
This books was too long and unfocused in my opinion. I have read short stories by Little and I thought they were absolutely brilliant I suspect this weighty tome got published on the strength of other books because this one was laughably lame. Skip it!
February 16, 2024
I’m not even sure where to start when it comes to rating and reviewing this book. I’m not really even sure how I feel about this one. It was definitely different from anything I’ve ever read, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some parts I’d give a 5, some I’d give a 2...overall I’m going with 3.5 but I think your rating would depend on what type of writing you like.
Bob Jones feels like the most average person in the world. He’s not short, not tall. Not handsome, but not ugly. He likes breakfast from McDonald’s and lunch at Burger King. His favorite restaurants are chains, his favorite movies were all blockbusters, his favorite music the top ten - even his name is average!
After college, Bob gets a boring, average job at a boring, average company. Soon, he starts to get the feeling that nobody remembers him, nobody pays attention to him, and nobody seems to like him. He realizes...he is Ignored. He’s so average that he’s completely forgettable. Even in public, people seem to look right through him, as if he doesn’t even exist.
There was one person watching him though, a man named Philipe who ultimately confronts Bob with some cold facts and information about people like them. Bob was definitely Ignored, but he was also not alone...
The beginning of the book was great, and the writing throughout was spectacular. This is only my second Bentley Little book, and I already love his writing style. There is a subtle smirk and sense of humor that runs throughout, even when things get gruesome. The middle of the book starts to get a bit weird (still good though) and then the ending turns into pure fantasy. I’m not a huge fantasy fan, so that may be why I rated the book as I did.
I’ve got two more Bentley Little books on the way - waiting for the five-star story!
Bob Jones feels like the most average person in the world. He’s not short, not tall. Not handsome, but not ugly. He likes breakfast from McDonald’s and lunch at Burger King. His favorite restaurants are chains, his favorite movies were all blockbusters, his favorite music the top ten - even his name is average!
After college, Bob gets a boring, average job at a boring, average company. Soon, he starts to get the feeling that nobody remembers him, nobody pays attention to him, and nobody seems to like him. He realizes...he is Ignored. He’s so average that he’s completely forgettable. Even in public, people seem to look right through him, as if he doesn’t even exist.
There was one person watching him though, a man named Philipe who ultimately confronts Bob with some cold facts and information about people like them. Bob was definitely Ignored, but he was also not alone...
The beginning of the book was great, and the writing throughout was spectacular. This is only my second Bentley Little book, and I already love his writing style. There is a subtle smirk and sense of humor that runs throughout, even when things get gruesome. The middle of the book starts to get a bit weird (still good though) and then the ending turns into pure fantasy. I’m not a huge fantasy fan, so that may be why I rated the book as I did.
I’ve got two more Bentley Little books on the way - waiting for the five-star story!
February 11, 2021
Gave this one another chance (I last read it when it was first published back in the '90s) and I liked it a little more the second time around. Not sure why it's still one of my least favorite Little books, though. I know I'm very much in the minority on this one.
October 12, 2019
Damn. A lot of people really liked this one and I was pretty much bored out of my mind. It wasn't completely horrible. I am a Bentley Little fan, but this one didn't gel for me for whatever reason.
May 21, 2010
This is the first Bentley Little book I've read, the woman who works in a small bookstore recommended it to me saying her husband can't put his books down. I've come to know the feeling, just starting this book 3 days ago and just finishing it this morning.
I don't even know what to say. I'm an avid V.C. Andrews reader and after finishing every book she's written I wasn't quite sure what to look for or who to read. Bentley Little did not disappoint me. This book was strange, twisted, even a little disturbing, but it kept me reading.
I feel like all of us are a little Ignored. But this book went beyond people just not paying attention to you, but the main character becoming downright invisible. I felt the book was a bit like "Fight Club." I kept waiting after reading the first 100 pages for Bob to meet his "other self", the crazy side of him. And he did, only it wasn't a manifestation of him, it actually was another Ignored, in the form of a man named Philipe. Then the books goes a little crazy, forming a group of Ignored, as they plan to make themselves known to the common people, even if it means acting like terrorists.
I have to admit, I love horror, but I do not like to read about rape. Although it was brief in this book, I could've done without it. I'm not big on any kind of non-consensual sexual behavior and even thought he author added it in the book, it didn't take over the story, thankfully. It did however, make me resent Philipe and his Ignored followers as nothing more than dirty animals. I was thankful the author let Bob, the main character feel exactly as I did regarding the issue. Enough said.
I do agree with another reader on this site that said they could've done without the last 100 pages of the book. It did go a little out there, and I was wondering if maybe the author just didn't know where to go to come to a conclusion, but I feel he did wrap it up in the end to where the reader can have some closure and finality with the main characters of the book. Although I must admit, I never really liked the character of Philipe and I've drawn my own conclusions as to what happened to him in the end.
I'm not sure I'll read another Bentley Little book, because I don't like any kind of rape/torture in my reading, (and from reading some of the reviews on this site for some of his other books, I think that's what I would be in for) but I may just surprise myself and maybe pick up another one just to see if I could handle the content.
I would recommend this book 100% to anyone who wants to read a book that is a page turner, you wouldn't be disappointed. I sure wasn't. My only question is, what will I read next?????
I don't even know what to say. I'm an avid V.C. Andrews reader and after finishing every book she's written I wasn't quite sure what to look for or who to read. Bentley Little did not disappoint me. This book was strange, twisted, even a little disturbing, but it kept me reading.
I feel like all of us are a little Ignored. But this book went beyond people just not paying attention to you, but the main character becoming downright invisible. I felt the book was a bit like "Fight Club." I kept waiting after reading the first 100 pages for Bob to meet his "other self", the crazy side of him. And he did, only it wasn't a manifestation of him, it actually was another Ignored, in the form of a man named Philipe. Then the books goes a little crazy, forming a group of Ignored, as they plan to make themselves known to the common people, even if it means acting like terrorists.
I have to admit, I love horror, but I do not like to read about rape. Although it was brief in this book, I could've done without it. I'm not big on any kind of non-consensual sexual behavior and even thought he author added it in the book, it didn't take over the story, thankfully. It did however, make me resent Philipe and his Ignored followers as nothing more than dirty animals. I was thankful the author let Bob, the main character feel exactly as I did regarding the issue. Enough said.
I do agree with another reader on this site that said they could've done without the last 100 pages of the book. It did go a little out there, and I was wondering if maybe the author just didn't know where to go to come to a conclusion, but I feel he did wrap it up in the end to where the reader can have some closure and finality with the main characters of the book. Although I must admit, I never really liked the character of Philipe and I've drawn my own conclusions as to what happened to him in the end.
I'm not sure I'll read another Bentley Little book, because I don't like any kind of rape/torture in my reading, (and from reading some of the reviews on this site for some of his other books, I think that's what I would be in for) but I may just surprise myself and maybe pick up another one just to see if I could handle the content.
I would recommend this book 100% to anyone who wants to read a book that is a page turner, you wouldn't be disappointed. I sure wasn't. My only question is, what will I read next?????
August 4, 2025
trash
April 13, 2023
This is my 12th book I've read of Bentley Little. I've been enoying a lot and he is one of my favorite horror writers. I've got all of this novels, I am buying the last two published by Cemetary Dance, unfortunately they are so expensive.
So as you can see, basically his novels are usually "The" and then something. And it's weird situations of normal stuff. What's so strange about the mailman? What's so strange about a housing association? Or a resort in the middle of nowhere? Or even the "store". Well.. it doesn't seem nothing is wrong until you read it.
He gives life and makes stuff weird of the normal stuff. My favorite of him, counting with this are the Association , The Collection, The mailman, the Store, Dispatch and now this one is 4 stars as well.
Basically Bentley little wrote this novel back in 1997 and he tackles a lot of stuff, including what men are going through nowadays of isolating themselves (I don't know the term) but in the beginning sure look something like that. People who are ignored and unloved they turn invisible then do awful things. Then Little being the writer he is gave it a couple of twists and it was something else.
Bentley really nails how people who feel ignored by the main groups and sometimes do stuff they don't want to fit it. That's one topic. The other topic is the endless drones we are working in offices, working to gain money but never really fitting in. Never really understanding what they do in the companies. I Work in a bank, now for 5 years, and this is so true that I know what I do in the systems but have no knowledge of the impacts or what does it mean in great scheme of things.
I see some people complaining about it dragged and it did. At times I Think the book could have been 100 pages less. BUT after arriving at the 150/200 page I read the remaining 200 pages in one go. Did I enjoy?
Some spoilers
I Didn't enjoy the ending, the mythos, the magic and so on... I would have preferred to have a a sociological pathology almost of people being so alien of the community that start disappearing. I would have enjoy more if that was the case. The value we as individual give ourselves to live in society. But then Great God Pan stuff was a bit contrived... (don't know if that's the word I Wanted to say).
End of spoilers
So, is it a good story? Yes.
Is it a horror stuff? No. It's not pure horror. It's more thriller, it's more creeping, psychological stuff but not Horror as he other novels like mailman or the Summoning. It's more like The Store & The Association. Yes I would and will flag as horror but don't expect scary stuff or so..
IT's a nice tale, not my favorite of him and not my first recommendation. For now that will be The Association. (I am re-reading the Resort)
So as you can see, basically his novels are usually "The" and then something. And it's weird situations of normal stuff. What's so strange about the mailman? What's so strange about a housing association? Or a resort in the middle of nowhere? Or even the "store". Well.. it doesn't seem nothing is wrong until you read it.
He gives life and makes stuff weird of the normal stuff. My favorite of him, counting with this are the Association , The Collection, The mailman, the Store, Dispatch and now this one is 4 stars as well.
Basically Bentley little wrote this novel back in 1997 and he tackles a lot of stuff, including what men are going through nowadays of isolating themselves (I don't know the term) but in the beginning sure look something like that. People who are ignored and unloved they turn invisible then do awful things. Then Little being the writer he is gave it a couple of twists and it was something else.
Bentley really nails how people who feel ignored by the main groups and sometimes do stuff they don't want to fit it. That's one topic. The other topic is the endless drones we are working in offices, working to gain money but never really fitting in. Never really understanding what they do in the companies. I Work in a bank, now for 5 years, and this is so true that I know what I do in the systems but have no knowledge of the impacts or what does it mean in great scheme of things.
I see some people complaining about it dragged and it did. At times I Think the book could have been 100 pages less. BUT after arriving at the 150/200 page I read the remaining 200 pages in one go. Did I enjoy?
Some spoilers
I Didn't enjoy the ending, the mythos, the magic and so on... I would have preferred to have a a sociological pathology almost of people being so alien of the community that start disappearing. I would have enjoy more if that was the case. The value we as individual give ourselves to live in society. But then Great God Pan stuff was a bit contrived... (don't know if that's the word I Wanted to say).
End of spoilers
So, is it a good story? Yes.
Is it a horror stuff? No. It's not pure horror. It's more thriller, it's more creeping, psychological stuff but not Horror as he other novels like mailman or the Summoning. It's more like The Store & The Association. Yes I would and will flag as horror but don't expect scary stuff or so..
IT's a nice tale, not my favorite of him and not my first recommendation. For now that will be The Association. (I am re-reading the Resort)
September 27, 2021
The Ignored is Bentley Little's most unusual book that I've read so far. It's a bit like Fight Club, but written to include everyone in the social horror of it all.
All of his books are a commentary on modern life and our disturbing lack of a cohesive communities. In his other books, it's only when the family and community put modern life aside can it defeat the horror. This book turns that concept sideway. The cohesive community, based on modern life, is the horror show. It's the dark side of finding others, just like you, that live in the modern world as an average American to the degree that you become unseen and unheard except as a point on a graph or a percentage point.
The book is set in the 1990s, so it's a bit easier to glide into the set-up and pay-off with a nascent personal computer industry and online world. If written today, it would be far more complex.
Little's writing is good. Really good. He writes provocatively and smashes you over the head. I love him because he does it so competently. Most writers can't do that without treating the readers like idiots. Bentley works it into the story naturally. It's on full display here. The line "On the day of the murder I went to work in a clown suit." is perfect. Exiting one part of the book and entering another while examining all that came before in one small sentence.
So yeah, loved this book to pieces. I couldn't put it down.
To prevent this book, put the stapler in some jello.
All of his books are a commentary on modern life and our disturbing lack of a cohesive communities. In his other books, it's only when the family and community put modern life aside can it defeat the horror. This book turns that concept sideway. The cohesive community, based on modern life, is the horror show. It's the dark side of finding others, just like you, that live in the modern world as an average American to the degree that you become unseen and unheard except as a point on a graph or a percentage point.
The book is set in the 1990s, so it's a bit easier to glide into the set-up and pay-off with a nascent personal computer industry and online world. If written today, it would be far more complex.
Little's writing is good. Really good. He writes provocatively and smashes you over the head. I love him because he does it so competently. Most writers can't do that without treating the readers like idiots. Bentley works it into the story naturally. It's on full display here. The line "On the day of the murder I went to work in a clown suit." is perfect. Exiting one part of the book and entering another while examining all that came before in one small sentence.
So yeah, loved this book to pieces. I couldn't put it down.
To prevent this book, put the stapler in some jello.
September 24, 2008
This isn't your garden variety vampire/zombie/werewolf horror novel. It's a sort of quiet desperation horror that you realize has real meaning in our own world.
Ever feel like a faceless corporate drone working the rat race along with millions of other faceless coworkers? Like you really don't stand out and could be easily replaced?
Bentley Little takes that concept to the max in this cool little chiller where the real monster lies within each and every one of us.
Ever feel like a faceless corporate drone working the rat race along with millions of other faceless coworkers? Like you really don't stand out and could be easily replaced?
Bentley Little takes that concept to the max in this cool little chiller where the real monster lies within each and every one of us.
May 17, 2025
★★★½
The Ignored
The premise of this one intrigued me, probably because most of us have, at some stage or in some situation, felt a little invisible. That made the idea behind this novel immediately relatable, and it’s what held my interest through what I thought was a very strong opening. Following Bob as he slowly realises people are no longer noticing him was unsettling and well done. His growing frustration felt convincing and I was genuinely interested to see where it would lead.
The story takes quite a turn when Bob crosses paths with others in the same situation and finds himself part of a group calling themselves the Terrorists. This was a clever idea and it started off well, but I felt this part of the novel stretched itself a little too thin. The pace slowed noticeably and the narrative seemed to circle around the same ideas without much forward movement. It did not help that the characters Bob meets during this time were not given enough weight. For all the time we spend in their company, we learn very little about them. Characters like Phillipe and Jane never really come to life.
I found myself properly reengaged when Thomson appeared and the town of the Ignored was introduced. It was an intriguing idea that deserved more attention than it got. Considering how much space had been given over to the earlier part of the novel, I would have liked to see this explored in more detail, both in terms of the town itself and its people.
The closing stretch of the book was strange and unpredictable, with the novel’s various ideas and messages surfacing more openly. It worked in places, though at times it felt like too much at once. The ending was decent, bringing things to a close in a way that made sense for the story.
In the end, I enjoyed this. It felt too long for what it was trying to do, and there were moments where my attention dipped, but there was also a lot to like. This was my second Bentley Little novel and while I am still getting a sense of his style, I am interested enough to try a third.
The Ignored
The premise of this one intrigued me, probably because most of us have, at some stage or in some situation, felt a little invisible. That made the idea behind this novel immediately relatable, and it’s what held my interest through what I thought was a very strong opening. Following Bob as he slowly realises people are no longer noticing him was unsettling and well done. His growing frustration felt convincing and I was genuinely interested to see where it would lead.
The story takes quite a turn when Bob crosses paths with others in the same situation and finds himself part of a group calling themselves the Terrorists. This was a clever idea and it started off well, but I felt this part of the novel stretched itself a little too thin. The pace slowed noticeably and the narrative seemed to circle around the same ideas without much forward movement. It did not help that the characters Bob meets during this time were not given enough weight. For all the time we spend in their company, we learn very little about them. Characters like Phillipe and Jane never really come to life.
I found myself properly reengaged when Thomson appeared and the town of the Ignored was introduced. It was an intriguing idea that deserved more attention than it got. Considering how much space had been given over to the earlier part of the novel, I would have liked to see this explored in more detail, both in terms of the town itself and its people.
The closing stretch of the book was strange and unpredictable, with the novel’s various ideas and messages surfacing more openly. It worked in places, though at times it felt like too much at once. The ending was decent, bringing things to a close in a way that made sense for the story.
In the end, I enjoyed this. It felt too long for what it was trying to do, and there were moments where my attention dipped, but there was also a lot to like. This was my second Bentley Little novel and while I am still getting a sense of his style, I am interested enough to try a third.
June 27, 2021
We're all average in our uniqueness. We're all can be invisible and ignored. But people who love us, hold us from fading away from the world. Is this so bad to be average or unique? What is the purpose of every human being's existence? What's truly important in our life? Is this process of fading away echoes with dying? How it is to have everything you want, but to be literally along, not noticed by even your parents?
"This is an amazing book!" I write all the time about basically every book I read.
But this book IS amazing.
"I don't know if I believe in God or the devil or heaven or hell, but I can't help thinking that there is a reason why we are the way we are. I do believe that we were put on this earth for a purpose. I don't think that purpose is merely to exist. I don't think that purpose is to be noticed like everyone else. I don't think that purpose is test-marketing products for the mass consumption of middle America.
But I don't know what the purpose might be.
Maybe I will find out someday."
"This is an amazing book!" I write all the time about basically every book I read.
But this book IS amazing.
"I don't know if I believe in God or the devil or heaven or hell, but I can't help thinking that there is a reason why we are the way we are. I do believe that we were put on this earth for a purpose. I don't think that purpose is merely to exist. I don't think that purpose is to be noticed like everyone else. I don't think that purpose is test-marketing products for the mass consumption of middle America.
But I don't know what the purpose might be.
Maybe I will find out someday."
September 23, 2020
As always, this one was great.
I happened to have some Bentley Little audiobooks (read by David Stifel) so I started listening to them and instantly fell in love with Stifel’s voice narrating Little books. I think together they match perfectly.
As for the stories.. man, I love what this lil’ ole guy from Arizona writes, whether it’s Association or The Store or The Mailman or The Ignored.
This one is very original. Kind of has the "Fight Club" feel to it. Sometimes the book made me think I could definitely relate to this story.
I happened to have some Bentley Little audiobooks (read by David Stifel) so I started listening to them and instantly fell in love with Stifel’s voice narrating Little books. I think together they match perfectly.
As for the stories.. man, I love what this lil’ ole guy from Arizona writes, whether it’s Association or The Store or The Mailman or The Ignored.
This one is very original. Kind of has the "Fight Club" feel to it. Sometimes the book made me think I could definitely relate to this story.
December 22, 2014
I really do enjoy Bentley Little, and I've always thought that he has a lot to offer in the horror genre in literature. This book was no exception to this idea, because it was certainly different than anything that I have read before. It wasn't your run of the mill haunted house book, it had nothing to do with vampires (glittery or otherwise), and it didn't have your cliche horror story plots or twists at all. It was completely different, and for that, I loved it. I loved the way the book started out, and it pulled me in right away. I found myself wanting to read this book whenever the opportunity presented itself. I really didn't want to put it down.
The Ignored is about a man who finds that he is just that - ignored. It begins gradually, and over time, it worsens. I won't add any spoilers for the book, but this definitely takes some strange turns and makes you wonder what the hell is going on. There were even quite a few places where I had no idea what the point was, but then again, I do that in a lot of Bentley Little books, so it wasn't anything I wasn't already expecting.
Some sections of the book were downright...odd. They didn't add much to the story, and some ends didn't really tie up as well as I hoped they would.
The characters were enjoyable and well rounded for the most part. Although at one point in the book there are a great many characters, I never really had an issue telling one from the other, as I believe Bentley Little does a good job when introducing his characters, as well as keeping them involved in the story.
All in all, this is definitely a book that I would add to me "Read Again" shelf, as are most books by this author.
The Ignored is about a man who finds that he is just that - ignored. It begins gradually, and over time, it worsens. I won't add any spoilers for the book, but this definitely takes some strange turns and makes you wonder what the hell is going on. There were even quite a few places where I had no idea what the point was, but then again, I do that in a lot of Bentley Little books, so it wasn't anything I wasn't already expecting.
Some sections of the book were downright...odd. They didn't add much to the story, and some ends didn't really tie up as well as I hoped they would.
The characters were enjoyable and well rounded for the most part. Although at one point in the book there are a great many characters, I never really had an issue telling one from the other, as I believe Bentley Little does a good job when introducing his characters, as well as keeping them involved in the story.
All in all, this is definitely a book that I would add to me "Read Again" shelf, as are most books by this author.
August 18, 2011
I am a fan of Bentley Little but this is the most boring Little book I have tried to read. I forced myself to read 70 pages, the put it down.
October 8, 2018
While it’s a nice concept, the book got ignored and i had to push through a lot of mediocre parts. Still I’m satisfied that i did finish
March 20, 2020
The Ignored follows a guy who is pretty average in everything he does in his life, and who, at some point, realizes that, gradually, people are starting to act as if he doesn't even exist. The book is divided into three parts, with the first part being pretty interesting, as we see the protagonist's downward spiral into virtual non-existence. However, it all went downhill at the second part, where the book descended into being boring, irritating, and blatantly sexist.
Now I am not among those people that would flat out condemn sexism, or racism, or other awful human traits in art. Those things go with the era that a certain piece of art was created or represents. If one writes a book now, but its setting is in the 1920s, racism and sexism are part of it, cause that's how things were at the time. It's also understandable for a book that takes place in the 21st century but was written in the late 1800s, for it to feature such mentality, as the majority of people, artists included, didn't know better at the time. But when you write a book in the late 90s, with a story that takes place at that time, and include a female character who is part of a group of 13 men, and have that character sexually pleasuring those men in rotation, as well as cooking for them while they sit around watching tv and making plans, and her actually accepting that as her role in the group (she even asks the others, when the group meets and takes in a new male character, "Should I have sex with him now?"), is downright appalling. And that was just the stand-out example, as there were plenty of other, smaller, more discrete cases of underlying sexism sprinkled everywhere where female characters appeared.
Adding to that, the male part of the group was basically a group of obnoxious, and in most cases criminal, shitheads who decided to deal with their plight in the usual way that all obnoxious shitheads do, i.e. by taking their frustrations out on innocent people, whom they have somehow deemed "guilty" in their minds. That's more or less the whole second part (not some small 30-40 pages part, mind you) which made it infuriating and boring. If it wasn't for the fact that I was reading the book as part of an "assignment" in a game me and a couple of friends are playing, I don't think I'd have finished it.
In the third part the story moves on, but that didn't make things much better, just made it more tolerable than the second. It eventually did pick up about halfway through, becoming a bit interesting again at the end, without, however, reaching some kind of peak that could redeem all the aforementioned.
Now I am not among those people that would flat out condemn sexism, or racism, or other awful human traits in art. Those things go with the era that a certain piece of art was created or represents. If one writes a book now, but its setting is in the 1920s, racism and sexism are part of it, cause that's how things were at the time. It's also understandable for a book that takes place in the 21st century but was written in the late 1800s, for it to feature such mentality, as the majority of people, artists included, didn't know better at the time. But when you write a book in the late 90s, with a story that takes place at that time, and include a female character who is part of a group of 13 men, and have that character sexually pleasuring those men in rotation, as well as cooking for them while they sit around watching tv and making plans, and her actually accepting that as her role in the group (she even asks the others, when the group meets and takes in a new male character, "Should I have sex with him now?"), is downright appalling. And that was just the stand-out example, as there were plenty of other, smaller, more discrete cases of underlying sexism sprinkled everywhere where female characters appeared.
Adding to that, the male part of the group was basically a group of obnoxious, and in most cases criminal, shitheads who decided to deal with their plight in the usual way that all obnoxious shitheads do, i.e. by taking their frustrations out on innocent people, whom they have somehow deemed "guilty" in their minds. That's more or less the whole second part (not some small 30-40 pages part, mind you) which made it infuriating and boring. If it wasn't for the fact that I was reading the book as part of an "assignment" in a game me and a couple of friends are playing, I don't think I'd have finished it.
In the third part the story moves on, but that didn't make things much better, just made it more tolerable than the second. It eventually did pick up about halfway through, becoming a bit interesting again at the end, without, however, reaching some kind of peak that could redeem all the aforementioned.
July 3, 2022
Bentley Little talent in writting original stories is once more proved in this excellent novel. The Ignored is divided in three parts. The first part is one of the best thing i have read in a long time. It is different from what i have read so far in Bentley Little bibliography. Less "Horror/creepy" type, but it was still really amazing.
4.8 stars! Amazing book!
4.8 stars! Amazing book!
July 31, 2020
Bob Jones averaged man with an average life, finds out he is not alone. Surrounding himself with other ignored and even joining a terrorist group just to fit in. But his condition gets worse as he realizing he is fading even further into nothing. I enjoyed this book not really scary or my definition of horror. This book falls more in the line of science fiction.
July 29, 2016
I work in a large corporation. I'm sort of a faceless drone, the kind of employee who's given one task after another as they become a priority for the higher-ups. We have a few hundred people who work in my building, and I'm the kind of person who nods and smiles and says "Hello" when passing people in the hallways. I'd say one in about ten people actually respond to my greetings; there are even some who will make eye contact for a split second, then immediately avert their gaze to something on the other side of the hall. I even get that sort of treatment from people I've worked with on previous projects. I don't get it. I've never understood what people have to lose by being polite, by acknowledging that someone standing near them exists.
The Ignored is about being someone like me, taken to the extreme. Here, the main character isn't just ignored; he's invisible to other people. It's a gradual sort of disappearance that begins with coworkers not noticing him, and then slowly becoming someone who doesn't even exist to anyone else around him. At first it's unnerving, but later it becomes troublesome. Later, he realizes that he can get away with anything, including murder, and what starts off as something frustrating becomes something liberating.
The main character, Bob, is not very likable; in fact, he's pretty pathetic. Little shows his helplessness and frustration well, but he also gives Bob the character trait of not wanting to do anything about it. He fights with his girlfriend, telling us that he knows she's not to blame, but does it anyway; he goes on for a few paragraphs about how they don't tell each other "I love you", and even feels like he should, but he doesn't; he has opportunities to confront his asshole supervisor over his behavior, but he never does. It's a kind of self-fulfilling self-destruction, and it's frustrating to read it. Once he goes through his liberating transformation, he goes on a sort of junior-high binge, doing all the things he's always dreamed of doing, and it's hard to be sympathetic to him when he seems so immature.
Then there was the moment in the story where another character defends rape, and even convinces Bob of it. I never got the feeling that Little himself was defending it, but it was certainly a questionable manifesto to include in the story.
The story jumps all over the place, and it made me feel like Little started the book out with a premise, and just started writing from there. The first quarter of the book was tight, and followed the same growing tension that was such a critical part of The Mailman, but then it started taking a lot of jaunts outside of the main story. Later works by Stephen King feel a lot like that, and I can't help but feel like Little was writing this story without a clear idea of where it was going. The middle of the book felt like it meandered too much.
On the plus side, Little has a knack for capturing his characters' emotions well. This particular passage stood out to me:
"It was a bad end to a bad day, and I can't say that I was surprised. It seemed somehow appropriate. So many things had gone so wrong for so long that what would have once sent me into paroxysms of panic now did not even phase me. I just felt tired."
It's not just that he captured that moment so well; it's also a moment we've all experienced, allowing us to relate to the character. Here are a couple more examples:
"All of a sudden I felt strange wandering from shop to shop alone, anonymously, not noticed or known by anybody. I felt uncomfortable, and I wanted to be with Jane. She might be busy studying, she might not have time to do anything with me right now, but at least she knew who I was...."
"Even if no one else was aware of me, I was acutely aware of them."
I find his writing style, in general, to be on point and thought-provoking outside of the story itself.
I wouldn't consider this the best of Little's works, and given that I've only read three of his books so far, that's saying something. Had I started here with his books, I might not have felt enough interest to go any further; it's a compelling story, but it suffers from a lack of focus and an unsympathetic main character. Luckily, having seen what he can do with The Mailman, I'm willing to consider this one a fluke and keep on reading his books.
The Ignored is about being someone like me, taken to the extreme. Here, the main character isn't just ignored; he's invisible to other people. It's a gradual sort of disappearance that begins with coworkers not noticing him, and then slowly becoming someone who doesn't even exist to anyone else around him. At first it's unnerving, but later it becomes troublesome. Later, he realizes that he can get away with anything, including murder, and what starts off as something frustrating becomes something liberating.
The main character, Bob, is not very likable; in fact, he's pretty pathetic. Little shows his helplessness and frustration well, but he also gives Bob the character trait of not wanting to do anything about it. He fights with his girlfriend, telling us that he knows she's not to blame, but does it anyway; he goes on for a few paragraphs about how they don't tell each other "I love you", and even feels like he should, but he doesn't; he has opportunities to confront his asshole supervisor over his behavior, but he never does. It's a kind of self-fulfilling self-destruction, and it's frustrating to read it. Once he goes through his liberating transformation, he goes on a sort of junior-high binge, doing all the things he's always dreamed of doing, and it's hard to be sympathetic to him when he seems so immature.
Then there was the moment in the story where another character defends rape, and even convinces Bob of it. I never got the feeling that Little himself was defending it, but it was certainly a questionable manifesto to include in the story.
The story jumps all over the place, and it made me feel like Little started the book out with a premise, and just started writing from there. The first quarter of the book was tight, and followed the same growing tension that was such a critical part of The Mailman, but then it started taking a lot of jaunts outside of the main story. Later works by Stephen King feel a lot like that, and I can't help but feel like Little was writing this story without a clear idea of where it was going. The middle of the book felt like it meandered too much.
On the plus side, Little has a knack for capturing his characters' emotions well. This particular passage stood out to me:
"It was a bad end to a bad day, and I can't say that I was surprised. It seemed somehow appropriate. So many things had gone so wrong for so long that what would have once sent me into paroxysms of panic now did not even phase me. I just felt tired."
It's not just that he captured that moment so well; it's also a moment we've all experienced, allowing us to relate to the character. Here are a couple more examples:
"All of a sudden I felt strange wandering from shop to shop alone, anonymously, not noticed or known by anybody. I felt uncomfortable, and I wanted to be with Jane. She might be busy studying, she might not have time to do anything with me right now, but at least she knew who I was...."
"Even if no one else was aware of me, I was acutely aware of them."
I find his writing style, in general, to be on point and thought-provoking outside of the story itself.
I wouldn't consider this the best of Little's works, and given that I've only read three of his books so far, that's saying something. Had I started here with his books, I might not have felt enough interest to go any further; it's a compelling story, but it suffers from a lack of focus and an unsympathetic main character. Luckily, having seen what he can do with The Mailman, I'm willing to consider this one a fluke and keep on reading his books.
September 28, 2018
This story follows Bob Jones as he moves from his college life into the professional life and then quickly discovers that he is special because he is ignored. It's sort of a step above being invisible. He is there and can be seen by people but he is basically so ordinary and bland that he is forgotten soon after the event. Bob starts out using this to his advantage at work by being absent and no one notices, but then he escalates the process with robbery and destruction and eventually murder.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it but there are a few things about this novel that I want to mention. The first fifty pages or so are pretty slow moving and I was kind of wondering why but then as Bob starts to make his discovery of being ignored, I realized that it was necessary to first see how bland his life. The story then progressed fine but there was a missed opportunity in my mind. When the group of Ignored were at Familyland, there was another group of people hunting them. I was real interested in this other group and thought the story would follow the Ignored and their adversaries, but instead they were written off with a quick explanation near the end of the book. And speaking of the end of the book, the ending was just OK. It became a little weird with the whole other world that was introduced and I wish that it hadn't been part of it but it didn't ruin the story or anything. The big thing that I really liked though was how the story plays on the desire to leave a mark on the world, how no one wants to be forgotten or ignored after they are gone, let alone while they are still there. And how there are people out there that just blend into the background that you never really notice them. The whole story focuses on that and does so quite nicely.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it but there are a few things about this novel that I want to mention. The first fifty pages or so are pretty slow moving and I was kind of wondering why but then as Bob starts to make his discovery of being ignored, I realized that it was necessary to first see how bland his life. The story then progressed fine but there was a missed opportunity in my mind. When the group of Ignored were at Familyland, there was another group of people hunting them. I was real interested in this other group and thought the story would follow the Ignored and their adversaries, but instead they were written off with a quick explanation near the end of the book. And speaking of the end of the book, the ending was just OK. It became a little weird with the whole other world that was introduced and I wish that it hadn't been part of it but it didn't ruin the story or anything. The big thing that I really liked though was how the story plays on the desire to leave a mark on the world, how no one wants to be forgotten or ignored after they are gone, let alone while they are still there. And how there are people out there that just blend into the background that you never really notice them. The whole story focuses on that and does so quite nicely.
December 22, 2010
An enjoyable read that has a better premise than the ultimate pay-off of the book provides. I love the concept of people so ordinary or generic in taste and outlook that they start to become invisible to the rest of the population, but the final sci-fi elements prevent a larger philosophical/social commentary that would have been more interesting and would have made the book more innovative and original. Still, as books of the paperback variety go, this one is pretty well-written and the story moves at a pace that keeps you interested with a main character/narrator who is compelling enough (ironically) to make following his misadventures enjoyable, even when they stray into the realm of revolting. Sort of an interesting counter to Bret Easton Ellis' GLAMORAMA, in the sense that both stories revolve around terrorist groups composed of people in plain sight (though in BEE's work, the people are so famous they have become invisible), but Little's book doesn't have the same bite or the same depth and thus it doesn't linger with one long and amuses when it should haunt.
September 8, 2013
For me, Bentley Little is a hit or miss author. I enjoy a good portion of his work but frankly, for me, this book was a complete and total miss. The idea of being ignored is great and what he does with the character is believable. However, once you get to toward the end and you learn of this other "universe" it leaves the reader confused. It felt to me that Little was trying to rush an ending and felt that a demonic presence would be necessary. I didn't think so at all. I liked the idea of them fading away, but why show this other universe when there wasn't a single inkling prior to it? It just seemed like an off base concept and had no part in the book whatsoever. I'm giving it only two stars because during several parts of the book I found myself literally bored with the story. I even commented how I was interested in reading it, but was only finishing it now JUST to finish it NOT because I enjoyed the book.
May 29, 2008
I absolutely loved the idea behind this book. People who are so average, so normal, they become invisible.
This was my first Little novel. I've been meaning to try another, but I loved this one so much I'm afraid the others won't match up.
This was my first Little novel. I've been meaning to try another, but I loved this one so much I'm afraid the others won't match up.
January 3, 2022
This was my second or third Bentley Little book & I really enjoyed it a lot. The storyline was really interesting & the character development was really good I enjoyed them a lot. The farther the book gets the better. Definitely a talented author with a very creative style.
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