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Bite: A vivid and shocking vampire novel
What do you do when a vampire comes knocking?Bite is a thrilling adventure of horror, vampires and old flames, from the master of the macabre Richard Laymon. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Joe Hill.When Sam's ex-girlfriend Cat arrives at his door, he can't believe his eyes. It's been a long time, but he's never forgotten her. But before the night is over, Cat will be lying face down on the bed, acting as bait, and Sam will be hiding in the wardrobe with a hammer in one hard and a wooden stake in the other. They won't have long to wait. The vampire is coming.What readers are saying about Bite :'I can honestly say that this book is brilliant , nay, a masterpiece ... You can really hear, smell and feel everything that is happening. Laymon writes characters that are among the most believable, three-dimensional and exciting ever written'' Very addictive and suspenseful with a generous portion of Laymon's usual sense of humour '' Bite is pure Laymon - great characters, a terrific storyline and a surprising ending '
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
124 people are currently reading
1616 people want to read
About the author
Richard Laymon
216 books2,280 followersRichard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and a report writer for a law firm, and was the author of more than thirty acclaimed novels.
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
August 10, 2015
I really liked this. The plot is weird with twists and turns that lead everywhere and nowhere. As always, Laymon finds a ridiculous number of sexually deviant psychopaths everywhere, but isn't that part of what makes him fun to read. While this isn't one of his best, I thought it was one of his better books.
It was a fun summer read and since I didn't go into it too seriously, I was able to enjoy it. Laymon has been my favorite author since I discovered him a decade or so ago.
It was a fun summer read and since I didn't go into it too seriously, I was able to enjoy it. Laymon has been my favorite author since I discovered him a decade or so ago.
July 30, 2015
Bite is Laymon in top, if not peak, form. Fun, witty, danger around every bend. I won't declare it essential Laymon (unless you, like me, want to read every word he wrote) but it is a great example of.the .author's talents.
August 27, 2025
This Laymon started strong with Sam helping his ex-flame Cat killing her vampire friend Elliott. But is Elliott a real vampire? How do they get rid of his body? Things get complicated when they meet Snow White, Peggy and her brother Donny. Will there be a happy ending? You'll find all Laymon elements inside, from Peeping Tom to exposed breasts and exposed crutch. The dialogues are outstanding but a bit overwhelming. After some time reading there isn't much progress in the story. The plot becomes a bit tedious. A roadtrip drying up in the desert. An okay novel but definitely not one of his best. For Laymon fans.
November 22, 2008
Boo to whoever wrote the synopsis on the back of this book, and Boo to Richard Laymon for what this book turned into. This book is sold as a vampire novel… it’s not, in fact the “vampire” has metal fangs and spends 90% of the book in the trunk of a car with a stake through him, looking very very dead. This book follows Cat and Sam through a series of bad luck and even worse choices. The choices they make are so dumb, that the reader will find themselves hoping that the vampire WOULD come back and do the two of them in before they have a chance to breed and create anyone else as dumb as the two of them.
Short Summary: Cat shows up out of nowhere on the front steps of her long forgotten ex-boyfriends house. She asks him (after not seeing him for 10 years) to slay a vampire for her… so without a single question he goes “Okay” and they slay the vampire. Then they pop the Vampire’s body into the trunk and head off to who knows where to try to bury the body. But they get a flat, and meet up with a serial killer, and some hostages, and some other nastiness… but they laugh and have sex through all of it.
It seems like this should have been at least an okay book. But it wasn’t… in reality this was a very boring book with little to no action, lots of whining and Cat yapping about the 57 or so times she has been raped, bitten by vampires, beaten by men, forced into abortions etc, and Sam just sort of nods at her and says something along the lines of “well that sucks” and she nods. These have to be two of the dumbest, and most boring characters ever put into a horror novel. And the sad thing is that if either of them had a lick of sense this book would have only been about 50 pages long… and better for it. The dialogue is terrible, the plot is full of more holes than a cheese grater, and the ending leaves the reader wondering – why did I just read that… I could have put it down and read something else… or picked my toes for 3 hours and had a better time.
Sorry, I can’t even recommend this to Laymon fans. The gore isn’t up to his standards… there is of course lots of sex and body descriptions… and I think it is a Laymon requirement to use the word “Rump” at least 30 times per book. I won’t say that it’s the worst book I’ve ever read… but it will be one that I quickly forget.
Short Summary: Cat shows up out of nowhere on the front steps of her long forgotten ex-boyfriends house. She asks him (after not seeing him for 10 years) to slay a vampire for her… so without a single question he goes “Okay” and they slay the vampire. Then they pop the Vampire’s body into the trunk and head off to who knows where to try to bury the body. But they get a flat, and meet up with a serial killer, and some hostages, and some other nastiness… but they laugh and have sex through all of it.
It seems like this should have been at least an okay book. But it wasn’t… in reality this was a very boring book with little to no action, lots of whining and Cat yapping about the 57 or so times she has been raped, bitten by vampires, beaten by men, forced into abortions etc, and Sam just sort of nods at her and says something along the lines of “well that sucks” and she nods. These have to be two of the dumbest, and most boring characters ever put into a horror novel. And the sad thing is that if either of them had a lick of sense this book would have only been about 50 pages long… and better for it. The dialogue is terrible, the plot is full of more holes than a cheese grater, and the ending leaves the reader wondering – why did I just read that… I could have put it down and read something else… or picked my toes for 3 hours and had a better time.
Sorry, I can’t even recommend this to Laymon fans. The gore isn’t up to his standards… there is of course lots of sex and body descriptions… and I think it is a Laymon requirement to use the word “Rump” at least 30 times per book. I won’t say that it’s the worst book I’ve ever read… but it will be one that I quickly forget.
October 13, 2015
I gave this book a 3 only because even though I was disappointed in the material, when I truly thought about it, I really shouldn't have expected anything different. Once he had introduced Snow White and the idiot twins (Donny and Peggy) I should have known this would be more about them than a supposed vampire who spent the majority of its time in the trunk of a car. Despite these flaws, it did have me guessing and gave me a few laughs on the way. Definitely not his best and not a good place to start if you are a laymon newbie. I imagined all kinds of possibilities laymon could have taken for the ending. The one he picked was ok.
October 3, 2012
Wow what to say about this book. Nothing like I expected, and I was really disappointed because I like most of Laymon's works. But this one, just did not do it for me. Nothing to take from the book at all. Hell I probably won't even remember in a year or two.
The begining, the set up of the story, was a bit ridiculous, so this supposed Vampire is introduced, and then the title "Bite" came into play for a moment and that was it. Where was the fear and the intensity at? Then towards the middle it gave me a few laughs. Even though it is supposed to be a horror, as it says in description of book 'Sam will enter a nightmare of blood and fear that he will never forget'. I didn't see that at all. It seemed to be mostly about this guys peversions. No action, no fear from the characters really, maybe on ocassion. And there was no seriousness about the matter at hand. I feel also lacked good character developemnet.
The end of the book was way drawn out. It was almost like Laymon really did not know where to go with it and just started throwing stuff in there that he thought sounded good. All I could do was shake my head and hope that I could get through the last of the book. So because the middle of the book gave me a bit of a reaction albeit it was not fear, but laughter, I gave it 2 stars.
The begining, the set up of the story, was a bit ridiculous, so this supposed Vampire is introduced, and then the title "Bite" came into play for a moment and that was it. Where was the fear and the intensity at? Then towards the middle it gave me a few laughs. Even though it is supposed to be a horror, as it says in description of book 'Sam will enter a nightmare of blood and fear that he will never forget'. I didn't see that at all. It seemed to be mostly about this guys peversions. No action, no fear from the characters really, maybe on ocassion. And there was no seriousness about the matter at hand. I feel also lacked good character developemnet.
The end of the book was way drawn out. It was almost like Laymon really did not know where to go with it and just started throwing stuff in there that he thought sounded good. All I could do was shake my head and hope that I could get through the last of the book. So because the middle of the book gave me a bit of a reaction albeit it was not fear, but laughter, I gave it 2 stars.
July 25, 2021
Както и при "The Stake", ако очаквате тривиална вампирска история, от онези втръснали ни до скъсване, много сте се заблудили. От друга страна, ако очаквате купчина психопати, цици и изнасилвания, значи ако сте чели каквото и да е от Леймън, сте на прав път.
Романът започва с убийството на единствения може би вампир в историята.
Сам е съвсем нормален човечец, даже леко смотан. Една вечер на верандата му се появява ученическата му любов - Кат, и го моли да ѝ помогне да се отърве от Елиът - вампир който я тормози повече от година. Сам не може да откаже на единствената жена, която е обичал. Проблемът е, че след като свършват работата се оказват с труп прободен с кол и двамата трябва да се отърват от него. Това е Леймън, така че всичко, което може да се обърка се обърква и Сам и Кат ги чакат едни две денонощия изпълнени с перипети и психопатщина.
В книгата си за писането Леймън обяснява, че изискванията за хорър роман, за да стъпи на пазара са да е поне 350 страници, не нормално дефинирания такъв от около 180. Там той надлежно обяснява какви трикове използва, не че редовият му читател не би ги забелязал. Тук е направил един експеримент, който според мен не сработва чак толкова добре. Вместо да вдигне обема с втора сюжетна линия, има такава ретроспективна, но за щастие не е само за пълнеж, той е наблегнал на едни битови подробности, които изморяват и накъсват темпото. Ако не бяха тези смешни издателски изисквания можехме да имаме бесен кратък роман от калибъра на "Endless Night" или "One Rainy Night".
Въпреки това книгата беше както обикновено неангажираща, забавна и изненадваща.
Романът започва с убийството на единствения може би вампир в историята.
Сам е съвсем нормален човечец, даже леко смотан. Една вечер на верандата му се появява ученическата му любов - Кат, и го моли да ѝ помогне да се отърве от Елиът - вампир който я тормози повече от година. Сам не може да откаже на единствената жена, която е обичал. Проблемът е, че след като свършват работата се оказват с труп прободен с кол и двамата трябва да се отърват от него. Това е Леймън, така че всичко, което може да се обърка се обърква и Сам и Кат ги чакат едни две денонощия изпълнени с перипети и психопатщина.
В книгата си за писането Леймън обяснява, че изискванията за хорър роман, за да стъпи на пазара са да е поне 350 страници, не нормално дефинирания такъв от около 180. Там той надлежно обяснява какви трикове използва, не че редовият му читател не би ги забелязал. Тук е направил един експеримент, който според мен не сработва чак толкова добре. Вместо да вдигне обема с втора сюжетна линия, има такава ретроспективна, но за щастие не е само за пълнеж, той е наблегнал на едни битови подробности, които изморяват и накъсват темпото. Ако не бяха тези смешни издателски изисквания можехме да имаме бесен кратък роман от калибъра на "Endless Night" или "One Rainy Night".
Въпреки това книгата беше както обикновено неангажираща, забавна и изненадваща.
July 26, 2021
Not one of Laymon's better efforts for sure. Given the cover and the blurb, one would guess this would be a pulpy vampire story, and while a supposed vampire does play a small role, the tale really comes down to one of Laymon's most typical tropes-- questionable characters making dubious decisions repeatedly. Sometimes this works, sometimes it just feels old and lacking imagination like in Bite. Plus, we have another typical Laymon trope at work here-- a sexually obsessed guy constantly drooling over women, and I mean constantly. More on this in a bit.
Our main protagonists, Sam and Cat, were friends in high school until Cat moved away to Seattle. Friends is perhaps not the best word, as basically, Sam was obsessed with Cat, writing her bad poetry and thinking about her all the time. Perhaps a generous reader may deem this just teen infatuation, but Sam is now 26 and _still_ obsessed with Cat. Anyway, one day Sam is just hanging out at home when Cat stops by, dressed in a flimsy nightgown and asking for help, so of course Sam agrees. Cat's problem, however, involves a vampire who has been sexually tormenting her and sucking her blood for about a year now and she is fed up (Cat has lots of brutal, graphic sexual escapades to share, and does so often here later in the story, but I will skip those). I will also skip how this state of affairs came to be, but is her vampire really a vampire? He seems human but wears stainless steel fangs that he can take on or off. Yes, he has bitten her repeatedly and sucked her blood, but is he really a vampire? Taking no chances, Sam and Cat devise a plot where Same will run from a closet and pound a stake in the guy's heart while he is screwing Cat. Of course, things do not work out to plan, but in the end, they stake the guy. Now what to do? They decide to take the body out into the desert somewhere (the story is set in Southern California) and bury it...
If you have ever read Laymon, you know things never go as planned for the protagonists, and this is no exception. Cruising through the desert late at night they have a blow-out (or was the tire shot out?) and end up off the road in the desert. After changing the tire, they set off into the desert as the embankment to the highway is too high for their car; after a while, they meet some guy, a biker named 'Snow White' who claims someone shot his hog and he is also stranded. You know this is not going to end well, but this is Laymon after all.
Enough on the plot. Laymon can write very well and is famous for his intricate plotting. Unfortunately, the dialogue between Sam and Cal is lame and the plot twists and turns you can see from miles away. Further, Sam is an unbelievable leach. Would anyone, driving down a highway with a dead body in the trunk of your car keep loosing attention to the road to take peaks at someone's breast peaking out of her shirt? In numerous deadly situations, Sam just can't help but obsess over Cal's body, especially her breasts. This type of character is featured in many works by Laymon, but it seldom works for me. I mean, Laymon writes a lot of sleaze, which can be enjoyable, but the adult males constantly obsessed over even a hint to breast wobble or whatnot gets old fast. Finally, Laymon needed more words to describe nipples as they are described in great detail over and over here. Sometimes, Laymon puts together a great story; other times, he strikes out hard. He barely got to first base here. 1.5 stars, rounding up (RIP Laymon!).
Our main protagonists, Sam and Cat, were friends in high school until Cat moved away to Seattle. Friends is perhaps not the best word, as basically, Sam was obsessed with Cat, writing her bad poetry and thinking about her all the time. Perhaps a generous reader may deem this just teen infatuation, but Sam is now 26 and _still_ obsessed with Cat. Anyway, one day Sam is just hanging out at home when Cat stops by, dressed in a flimsy nightgown and asking for help, so of course Sam agrees. Cat's problem, however, involves a vampire who has been sexually tormenting her and sucking her blood for about a year now and she is fed up (Cat has lots of brutal, graphic sexual escapades to share, and does so often here later in the story, but I will skip those). I will also skip how this state of affairs came to be, but is her vampire really a vampire? He seems human but wears stainless steel fangs that he can take on or off. Yes, he has bitten her repeatedly and sucked her blood, but is he really a vampire? Taking no chances, Sam and Cat devise a plot where Same will run from a closet and pound a stake in the guy's heart while he is screwing Cat. Of course, things do not work out to plan, but in the end, they stake the guy. Now what to do? They decide to take the body out into the desert somewhere (the story is set in Southern California) and bury it...
If you have ever read Laymon, you know things never go as planned for the protagonists, and this is no exception. Cruising through the desert late at night they have a blow-out (or was the tire shot out?) and end up off the road in the desert. After changing the tire, they set off into the desert as the embankment to the highway is too high for their car; after a while, they meet some guy, a biker named 'Snow White' who claims someone shot his hog and he is also stranded. You know this is not going to end well, but this is Laymon after all.
Enough on the plot. Laymon can write very well and is famous for his intricate plotting. Unfortunately, the dialogue between Sam and Cal is lame and the plot twists and turns you can see from miles away. Further, Sam is an unbelievable leach. Would anyone, driving down a highway with a dead body in the trunk of your car keep loosing attention to the road to take peaks at someone's breast peaking out of her shirt? In numerous deadly situations, Sam just can't help but obsess over Cal's body, especially her breasts. This type of character is featured in many works by Laymon, but it seldom works for me. I mean, Laymon writes a lot of sleaze, which can be enjoyable, but the adult males constantly obsessed over even a hint to breast wobble or whatnot gets old fast. Finally, Laymon needed more words to describe nipples as they are described in great detail over and over here. Sometimes, Laymon puts together a great story; other times, he strikes out hard. He barely got to first base here. 1.5 stars, rounding up (RIP Laymon!).
October 13, 2015
This was a little different for me & definitely a different style for Laymon even tho there wasn't as much action in it as his others it did still grab you. I was a little disappointed because how the plot turned out, but there were some really suspenseful moments & not too mention a lot of funny moments. I feel Laymon tried something different with this book compared to his others it wasn't bad but it wasn't exactly what I expected, & because the plot that's why I have it 4 stars, but it was still a pretty good book & I would recommend it still to Laymon fans.
November 21, 2015
This had all the things I consider Laymon. Dumb, adolescent-like boy, manipulative girl, bizarre sex and of course a lunatic. It wasn't his best, but it kept my interest and I enjoyed it. The ending was the best part for me.
June 13, 2024
I’ll give this one a 3 to 3.5 stars. Reading Laymon is not bad, but after reading so many amazing books this year I can’t help but laugh at his writing style. It’s definitely different but in a good way. This book was supposed to be about vampires, and it was to a degree, but so much crazy stuff happened throughout that vampires were not the main point. I did like it, but this is not a book that everyone could appreciate. I have read better ones from him, but this was not the worst.
May 7, 2014
I will always be a huge Laymon fan. That being said, I can totally see how a newbie could start a book like Bite and decide prematurely that Laymon sucks. The beginning of Bite is a bore fest... How much description do we really need about Cat and Sam trying to move the dead body of a so-called vampire? I have to say that I was even more irritated by the fact that I was going to have to slug through a whole vampire tale as I am sick to death of the neighborhood Nosferatus. But, as a true Laymon fan (and an avid, if not, obsessive reader), I hung in there and it paid off. Ironically, this type of long winded, painfully detailed introduction allows Laymon to do what he does best by getting the reader to drop their guard and sets them up for the action to come. The story really picks up when our heroes get shot off the road and end up meeting Snow White. It picks up even more speed when Donny and Peggy get in on the festivities. There are twists and turns, to say the least. Laymon takes us on a rollicking roller coaster and the reader is left saddened when the drops are over and the ride ends. Newbies: take note of this review! Give Laymon a chance.... You won't be disappointed.
Not my favorite Laymon novel, but it grew on me. At the end of the day, I got exactly what I expected from this author.
Not my favorite Laymon novel, but it grew on me. At the end of the day, I got exactly what I expected from this author.
February 8, 2023
3,5*
Sadly, this has not been one of my favorites from Richard Laymon. This one felt at some point quite repetitive and therefore way too long for the story he was trying to tell.
That being said, this was a great exploration of character and what people will do when put under pressure as well as knowing who to trust in extreme situations where your life is at stake.
Now, if you are picking up this book assuming this was going to be a vampire book, you will be disappointed. Thankfully one of my subscribers warned me this was not truly a vampire book so that helped me to lower my expectations with the vampire content.
Sam gets a visitor in the middle of the night. It is Cat, a girl he has always had a crush on. She asks him for a favor. To help her kill a vampire.
This turns into a survival road trip story with so many interesting ideas. The book also has a phenomenal ending but I wish it would have been edited down to help keep the tension going, which in my opinion was heavily affected by so much unnecessary details.
Sadly, this has not been one of my favorites from Richard Laymon. This one felt at some point quite repetitive and therefore way too long for the story he was trying to tell.
That being said, this was a great exploration of character and what people will do when put under pressure as well as knowing who to trust in extreme situations where your life is at stake.
Now, if you are picking up this book assuming this was going to be a vampire book, you will be disappointed. Thankfully one of my subscribers warned me this was not truly a vampire book so that helped me to lower my expectations with the vampire content.
Sam gets a visitor in the middle of the night. It is Cat, a girl he has always had a crush on. She asks him for a favor. To help her kill a vampire.
This turns into a survival road trip story with so many interesting ideas. The book also has a phenomenal ending but I wish it would have been edited down to help keep the tension going, which in my opinion was heavily affected by so much unnecessary details.
March 18, 2022
Galen idé men något svag för en Laymon-bok. Inte samma tempo eller bra karaktärsbeskrivningar som brukar vara vanligt.
June 21, 2022
Different type of vampire story where the vampire might be one of the least scary monster the main characters meet
May 11, 2008
What to say about this book? Well it was 'interesting'. One of the things that I am finding about Laymon's books, at least the ones that I have read, is that his main male characters always seem to be easily lead around by the women by their little brain instead of their big ones. lol I mean some of the stuff that Sam goes along with in the name of love really makes you wonder just what kind of idiot this guy is.
I kept waiting for Cat to say 'Surprise' this was all a set up to get you back, or some other crap. lol I found the entire plot of the book to be very surreal (at least I think that is the word that I am looking for). From the minute that Cat shows up at Sam's door in nothing but her housecoat after 10 years asking him to kill a vampire for her, to the climax of the story the twists just seemed so unreal to me. Like how in the world could all of these things keep happening to these people.
All in all a great book for one of the Sick Shit swaps but not the greatest read ever.
I kept waiting for Cat to say 'Surprise' this was all a set up to get you back, or some other crap. lol I found the entire plot of the book to be very surreal (at least I think that is the word that I am looking for). From the minute that Cat shows up at Sam's door in nothing but her housecoat after 10 years asking him to kill a vampire for her, to the climax of the story the twists just seemed so unreal to me. Like how in the world could all of these things keep happening to these people.
All in all a great book for one of the Sick Shit swaps but not the greatest read ever.
April 23, 2012
Initially, I thought the book started great. This was shortly interrupted by a lot of boring details and lots of frustrations regarding "can we just get on with the story now?!". I realize some of this was for suspense, and that's great and all, but, when it starts impeding the progress of the story, maybe you should quit while you're behind. Eventually, the story ended, which I often found myself eagerly awaiting cause at least then I could say the story was progressing. Now, having said all of this, I thought the ending was genius. Wished it hadn't taken forever to get there, but, it was a great ending. If you have lots of patience, this is a great Laymon book for you. If you like things that move quick, prepare to be frustrated.
May 20, 2021
Leave it to Laymon to write a vampire book and it has very little to do with a bloodsucker. It's more of a cat and mouse chase through the desert with a couple trying to get rid of the "Vampire" while crossing paths with a motorcycle sadist and a young woman and boy. The quintuple go at each other tooth and claw all while the staked prince of darkness waits to either be buried or resurrected.
This is your typical book by the author. By which I mean uncomfortable moments. Sexually with the characters in some of the most inopportune times. Descriptive violence and sadism. I would have to say that this was a little toned down for Laymon, but the suspense and guessing game was well worth the trade off.
This is your typical book by the author. By which I mean uncomfortable moments. Sexually with the characters in some of the most inopportune times. Descriptive violence and sadism. I would have to say that this was a little toned down for Laymon, but the suspense and guessing game was well worth the trade off.
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November 7, 2009This book was dreadful. A total waste of time.
It's about a guy & a girl who kill a supposed vampire and stick him in the car trunk, and drive around the desert looking for a place to dump the body. Along the way, they meet up with a freak named Snow White who terrorizes the hell out of them.
It's just SUCH an idiotic story, that I honestly have no idea how the thing even got published in the first place. It's books like these that are times when I KNOW that even I can write a better story than that.
An utter disappointment that doesn't deserve a single star.
It's about a guy & a girl who kill a supposed vampire and stick him in the car trunk, and drive around the desert looking for a place to dump the body. Along the way, they meet up with a freak named Snow White who terrorizes the hell out of them.
It's just SUCH an idiotic story, that I honestly have no idea how the thing even got published in the first place. It's books like these that are times when I KNOW that even I can write a better story than that.
An utter disappointment that doesn't deserve a single star.
July 12, 2019
Oh where to begin..I’ve read over two dozen Laymon novels, so I definitely know what I’m getting myself into. And most of the time, I love every sleazy minute of it. However, I’m afraid Bite is at the bottom of the pile for me. I would even put The Lake above this one - it may have been incoherent, but at least it had bridge trolls. And a psychotic dred-locked chef.
what made Bite less of a horror novel was the fact that every idea presented throughout the story seemed as if Laymon wasn’t sure he really wanted to do it - he never committed to anything. I mean for God sakes, he writes a book about a vampire...who’s not really a vampire? Or he is, but he doesn’t have real fangs? I don’t know, I just quickly lost patience with the book because anything that could’ve been an interesting subplot, or addition to the narrative, was ignored in favor of a lot talking between two main protagonists. I mean, a lot of talking. Like, 200+ pages could’ve been edited from this. To summarize: a road tripping, body removing, frustrating quasi-vampire novel.
However, for all you true fans, I will say that through all of the dialogue, Laymon revealed quite a bit about himself. The reader definitely gets some insight in to Laymon’s tastes in politics, choice of soda (Pepsi) and summer sausage. So, for that information, I’ll give this one a solid 2 stars.
what made Bite less of a horror novel was the fact that every idea presented throughout the story seemed as if Laymon wasn’t sure he really wanted to do it - he never committed to anything. I mean for God sakes, he writes a book about a vampire...who’s not really a vampire? Or he is, but he doesn’t have real fangs? I don’t know, I just quickly lost patience with the book because anything that could’ve been an interesting subplot, or addition to the narrative, was ignored in favor of a lot talking between two main protagonists. I mean, a lot of talking. Like, 200+ pages could’ve been edited from this. To summarize: a road tripping, body removing, frustrating quasi-vampire novel.
However, for all you true fans, I will say that through all of the dialogue, Laymon revealed quite a bit about himself. The reader definitely gets some insight in to Laymon’s tastes in politics, choice of soda (Pepsi) and summer sausage. So, for that information, I’ll give this one a solid 2 stars.
August 9, 2010
Bite was easily one of the best horror novels of 1999. The story begins when the protagonist, Sam, gets a late-night visit from his former girlfriend Cat, who he hasn't seen in ten years. She comes knocking at his door wearing only a silk robe.
It turns out that Cat is being victimized by a vampire named Elliot, and she wants Sam to hide in her closet with a stake and destroy him.
Sam sums up his own predicament: "Things had started fairly simple: weird but simple. I was supposed to ambush Cat's vampire and kill it."
Killing the vampire is the least of their worries. When they try to find a place to bury the stiff in the desert, they run into a psycho biker named Snow White.
The rest of the book is a comedy of errors and terrors.
Interesting real-life tidbits:
Don D'Auria, Leisure Books senior editor of horror and westerns, said this to me about Laymon and the book at the 2000 World Horror Convention:
"I was really thrilled to be able to publish Dick. I loved his stuff and always have. I was one of those people buying his imports (from England, Australia and New Zealand) over the Internet.
"He's a brilliant writer who couldn't get a break from the New York publishers just because he was writing horror.
"The first book we did with him, Bite, was one of our top sellers ever. He just needed somebody to publish him in America."
Ranting and raving:
This book has great comical barbs and a reader-friendly, conversational narrative. Throw in a plot that twists and turns like a chiropractor's nightmare and you have one weird and wild adventure.
Mike's blurb:
I loved every page of it. Californian Laymon is a hot writer in England, Australia and New Zealand, and after Bite he finally got some long overdue attention in America.
Bite has bite – buy it!
It turns out that Cat is being victimized by a vampire named Elliot, and she wants Sam to hide in her closet with a stake and destroy him.
Sam sums up his own predicament: "Things had started fairly simple: weird but simple. I was supposed to ambush Cat's vampire and kill it."
Killing the vampire is the least of their worries. When they try to find a place to bury the stiff in the desert, they run into a psycho biker named Snow White.
The rest of the book is a comedy of errors and terrors.
Interesting real-life tidbits:
Don D'Auria, Leisure Books senior editor of horror and westerns, said this to me about Laymon and the book at the 2000 World Horror Convention:
"I was really thrilled to be able to publish Dick. I loved his stuff and always have. I was one of those people buying his imports (from England, Australia and New Zealand) over the Internet.
"He's a brilliant writer who couldn't get a break from the New York publishers just because he was writing horror.
"The first book we did with him, Bite, was one of our top sellers ever. He just needed somebody to publish him in America."
Ranting and raving:
This book has great comical barbs and a reader-friendly, conversational narrative. Throw in a plot that twists and turns like a chiropractor's nightmare and you have one weird and wild adventure.
Mike's blurb:
I loved every page of it. Californian Laymon is a hot writer in England, Australia and New Zealand, and after Bite he finally got some long overdue attention in America.
Bite has bite – buy it!
June 26, 2011
I'm a great lover of character driven stories probably beacuse human reaction is what life is made of. After having a Laymon book read to me over the phone, I fell in love with his character building abilities. So, when this book came highly recommended by someone who knows me rather well, I had to read it.
In this book about the murder and disposal of a vampire, the question of whether or not they are real is a steady theme. Bite takes the reader on an adventure that consists of a series of unforseen happenings and one man's excuse to prolong his time with the woman he has obsessed over for years. So, are vampires real? Well, according to Laymon's characters in this book, the world may never know...
In this book about the murder and disposal of a vampire, the question of whether or not they are real is a steady theme. Bite takes the reader on an adventure that consists of a series of unforseen happenings and one man's excuse to prolong his time with the woman he has obsessed over for years. So, are vampires real? Well, according to Laymon's characters in this book, the world may never know...
August 5, 2013
Ok, I gave this three stars only because I have to admit, the author did in fact write "well". There was good description, character developement, and tension for climax. However...the story sucked.
First and foremost, this is NOT a vampire thriller. Not even close.
Its more about mass murderers, and is basically a descent into depravity, stupidity, and intense sado-masochism.
I never could like the main characters; they can be described in three words...dirt-dumb-stupid. I came to feel they deserved whatever foul things came their way they were soooo stupid!
While this had some tension, and suspense, it is NOT a horror novel. If that's what you are looking for, you'd be far better off reading something by Terry Lloyd Vinson or Nick Pacione
First and foremost, this is NOT a vampire thriller. Not even close.
Its more about mass murderers, and is basically a descent into depravity, stupidity, and intense sado-masochism.
I never could like the main characters; they can be described in three words...dirt-dumb-stupid. I came to feel they deserved whatever foul things came their way they were soooo stupid!
While this had some tension, and suspense, it is NOT a horror novel. If that's what you are looking for, you'd be far better off reading something by Terry Lloyd Vinson or Nick Pacione
January 26, 2013
After reading Darkness, Tell Us, I was intrigued by Laymon's rather eccentric writing. Not to mention his sexual take on things. I really thought I would like this book but it turned out otherwise.
What took the book down was the nonsense dialogues that just add up in the book's pages. I also observed 3 to 4 pages of Sam's peeping at Cat. 2 pages would do, Mr. Laymon.
What's more, Elliot's not really mentioned in the book. He just lay there in the car's trunk and that's pretty much his action.
To sum it all up, 1 star to this crappy book. I never imagined myself giving a one star to a book, really.
What took the book down was the nonsense dialogues that just add up in the book's pages. I also observed 3 to 4 pages of Sam's peeping at Cat. 2 pages would do, Mr. Laymon.
What's more, Elliot's not really mentioned in the book. He just lay there in the car's trunk and that's pretty much his action.
To sum it all up, 1 star to this crappy book. I never imagined myself giving a one star to a book, really.
July 16, 2010
I get so frustrated with this author. He's telling a great, imaginative story about a maybe vampire and then he does it, once again. He throws in a scene or two or three (in one afternoon!) of what can only be described as a series of Penthouse letters written by a horny, overly sentimental 14-year-old boy. Laymon fans, is there a single novel that doesn't get interrupted by his silly juvenile sex fantasies?
May 28, 2009
This book was awful! I tend to read a lot of campy horror and sci-fi but this was worse than most. The characters were horrible and the dialog as painful. The plot lacked any interest at all. The first chapter was mildly entertaining but all I can say is it was a waste of time and that is saying a lot for the stuff that I tend to read!
August 9, 2015
Another awesome summer horror novel! I really liked the main characters. The story line didn't resolve like I expected it to, which was a relief. Very cool!
August 9, 2017
Where do I even begin describing this one? I bought it in horror section so I didn't expect the giggles it gave me.
Heck, you are reading a vampire book review so I'm sure you're familiar with a special type of movies which I, for some reason, loved as a kid - you know, the type where there was a lot of blood and gore, scantily clad women, absolutely stupid dialogues and action defying all reason? I bet you do know what I'm talking about. So, this book was exactly it. But in a written form.
A woman, whom you haven't seen for ten years, in a basically see-through negligee knocks on your door and tells you she's in trouble. You, because you never got over loving her, nod in agreement and go. You have no idea what she needs but you are willing to do it because you are thinking with your other head. At her house you are said to dispose of a vampire who is to come. And that's when one hell of a ride begins. It's full of blood, unjustified nudity and ridiculous dialogue.
The thing is, it gave me such a shot of nostalgia that I'm not even mad at it. It's a terrible horror but the cringy characters are hilarious in their own special way.
Heck, you are reading a vampire book review so I'm sure you're familiar with a special type of movies which I, for some reason, loved as a kid - you know, the type where there was a lot of blood and gore, scantily clad women, absolutely stupid dialogues and action defying all reason? I bet you do know what I'm talking about. So, this book was exactly it. But in a written form.
A woman, whom you haven't seen for ten years, in a basically see-through negligee knocks on your door and tells you she's in trouble. You, because you never got over loving her, nod in agreement and go. You have no idea what she needs but you are willing to do it because you are thinking with your other head. At her house you are said to dispose of a vampire who is to come. And that's when one hell of a ride begins. It's full of blood, unjustified nudity and ridiculous dialogue.
The thing is, it gave me such a shot of nostalgia that I'm not even mad at it. It's a terrible horror but the cringy characters are hilarious in their own special way.
June 15, 2021
What? Are you kidding? Two stars is all this gets from me. It was like Laymon decided he wanted to write in the style of Jeff Strand but couldn't commit to the humor and over-the-top zaniness. It works for Strand because he finds that perfect balance of utterly terrifying and satisfyingly hilarious. In the case of Bite (which is NOT a vampire novel) Laymon gives us ridiculous (a biker named Snow White as a major character), sad attempts at humor in all the wrong places, and a tiny dose of typical Laymon violence, all with a heaping dose of sexuality. It's not the worst I've read, but it might be one of my least favorite from him.
March 26, 2022
Do you remember the movie "Weekend at Bernie's? "Bite" reminded me of it....a murder committed...with the dead man appearing and disappearing...but was the victim REALLY a vampire? He drank blood and wore a cape...but appeared to have no supernatural powers...yet remained a central character in the book despite his demise.....
I was hoping for so much more out of this book - in the process of trying to hide the body in the desert, "Snow White" is picked up - a man with secrets of his own. Everything is neatly wrapped up by the end of the novel.....but the question of the victim being a vampire was left hanging.....
I was hoping for so much more out of this book - in the process of trying to hide the body in the desert, "Snow White" is picked up - a man with secrets of his own. Everything is neatly wrapped up by the end of the novel.....but the question of the victim being a vampire was left hanging.....
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