What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rapist
The Rapist introduces us to Truman Ferris Pinter, an amoral man occupying a prison cell for a heinous crime committed years earlier. Master storyteller Les Edgerton guides us on a haunting journey inside the criminal mind to show that no matter how depraved a person appears to be, there might still exist a spark of humanity.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2013
8 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 18, 2023
Who is the Criminal?...
THE RAPIST by Les Edgerton
No spoilers. 3 stars. This story is a philosophical study as told by a man on death row for committing the crime of rape and the unjust sentence meted out by the jury...
The crime:
Truman Ferris Pinter was out for a day of fishing when he was disturbed by a low-life woman, Greta Carlisle...
An amoral barmaid who goads Truman until he goes beserk and rapes her. Greta flees the scene, stumbles on a rock, and...
Falls into the River...
As Greta is drowning, Truman basically says to himself: it's not my problem. I didn't push her into the river...
Later...
He is tried and convicted of rape and murder and is sentenced to death by hanging or firing squad. His choice...
Truman sits in prison, contemplating the unjust sentence and whether or not rape is even a crime, citing several reasons rape is just an act of nature...
There are interactions between Truman and the prison system, including his own rape by a fellow inmate, which he feels bolsters his position...
This short novella was cited and recommended by readers of the excellent novella GRAVEYARD LOVE by Scott Adlerberg, so based on that, I gave it a read.
I ultimately felt that reading this novel was a waste of time. I really didn't see any correlation between the two novels, and this book was quite boring.
I also didn't like the usage of 1800s dialog to tell a current-day story. I felt it made the story unnecessarily hard to follow.
The bizarre ending was the final nail in the coffin for me as I agreed with the main character that he was guilty of rape but not murder.
THE RAPIST by Les Edgerton
No spoilers. 3 stars. This story is a philosophical study as told by a man on death row for committing the crime of rape and the unjust sentence meted out by the jury...
The crime:
Truman Ferris Pinter was out for a day of fishing when he was disturbed by a low-life woman, Greta Carlisle...
An amoral barmaid who goads Truman until he goes beserk and rapes her. Greta flees the scene, stumbles on a rock, and...
Falls into the River...
As Greta is drowning, Truman basically says to himself: it's not my problem. I didn't push her into the river...
Later...
He is tried and convicted of rape and murder and is sentenced to death by hanging or firing squad. His choice...
Truman sits in prison, contemplating the unjust sentence and whether or not rape is even a crime, citing several reasons rape is just an act of nature...
There are interactions between Truman and the prison system, including his own rape by a fellow inmate, which he feels bolsters his position...
This short novella was cited and recommended by readers of the excellent novella GRAVEYARD LOVE by Scott Adlerberg, so based on that, I gave it a read.
I ultimately felt that reading this novel was a waste of time. I really didn't see any correlation between the two novels, and this book was quite boring.
I also didn't like the usage of 1800s dialog to tell a current-day story. I felt it made the story unnecessarily hard to follow.
The bizarre ending was the final nail in the coffin for me as I agreed with the main character that he was guilty of rape but not murder.
March 13, 2013
When I was given the opportunity to read Les Edgerton’s forthcoming novella, I already had in mind something of what I might experience. Having read JUST LIKE THAT and THE BITCH, I knew THE RAPIST would be uncompromising, and brilliantly written. And it is. Truth be told, however, the central character in THE RAPIST – Truman Pinter – is as far away from any protagonist Les Edgerton has ever written. Indeed, apart from being uncompromising and brilliantly written, you’d be hard pressed to guess this is a Les Edgerton book at all.
For instance, here is the opening:
Let me tell you who occupies this prison cell. Perfidious, his name is Perfidity. His name is: Liar, Blasphemer, Defiler of Truth, Black-Tongued. He lies down with all members of the congregation equally, tells them each in turn they are his beloved, while he is already attending to the next assignation, in his relentless rendezvous with the consumption of souls.
THE RAPIST is a book in three acts, beginning with Truman sitting in a prison cell, accused of rape, awaiting execution. Truman speaks with such precision and clarity, such perfect prose, the reader is immediately faced with the conflict of how this weaver of words could commit such a brutal act. The seductive nature of the words is incredible. But that is only half the story. The seduction is purely intellectual. It speaks purely to the mind. Truman seems a character almost totally bereft of any sort of empathy or compassion. Never before have I read such coldness. Hanibal Lector doesn’t even come close. Truman Pinter is truly terrifying.
Truman tells us of his crime, his justification for the act, his plan to thwart the authorities at the final moment. He is very difficult to like.
But then comes the second act. We learn of Truman’s childhood. We learn of how his pathology manifested. We learn of the boy he once was. What is so brilliant about this is that as Truman tells us of his mother and his father, and of his childhood, he is barely aware how vulnerable he is becoming. It is so very, very touching.
The third act spins everything on it’s head, and concludes with a twist that is sublime beyond words.
A writer who writes a book entitled THE RAPIST is a writer that holds no fear. That is clear from the outset. It alerts the reader to the fact this will be a challenging read – and it is. A challenge for the reader to trust the writer. Unreservedly. Trust the writer will keep them safe.
In Les Edgerton, you are in the safest of hands.
THE RAPIST is bleak and touching, challenging and inspirational.
An astounding read.
For instance, here is the opening:
Let me tell you who occupies this prison cell. Perfidious, his name is Perfidity. His name is: Liar, Blasphemer, Defiler of Truth, Black-Tongued. He lies down with all members of the congregation equally, tells them each in turn they are his beloved, while he is already attending to the next assignation, in his relentless rendezvous with the consumption of souls.
THE RAPIST is a book in three acts, beginning with Truman sitting in a prison cell, accused of rape, awaiting execution. Truman speaks with such precision and clarity, such perfect prose, the reader is immediately faced with the conflict of how this weaver of words could commit such a brutal act. The seductive nature of the words is incredible. But that is only half the story. The seduction is purely intellectual. It speaks purely to the mind. Truman seems a character almost totally bereft of any sort of empathy or compassion. Never before have I read such coldness. Hanibal Lector doesn’t even come close. Truman Pinter is truly terrifying.
Truman tells us of his crime, his justification for the act, his plan to thwart the authorities at the final moment. He is very difficult to like.
But then comes the second act. We learn of Truman’s childhood. We learn of how his pathology manifested. We learn of the boy he once was. What is so brilliant about this is that as Truman tells us of his mother and his father, and of his childhood, he is barely aware how vulnerable he is becoming. It is so very, very touching.
The third act spins everything on it’s head, and concludes with a twist that is sublime beyond words.
A writer who writes a book entitled THE RAPIST is a writer that holds no fear. That is clear from the outset. It alerts the reader to the fact this will be a challenging read – and it is. A challenge for the reader to trust the writer. Unreservedly. Trust the writer will keep them safe.
In Les Edgerton, you are in the safest of hands.
THE RAPIST is bleak and touching, challenging and inspirational.
An astounding read.
August 25, 2014
The Rapist is the story of one Truman Ferris Pinter’s final hours before the death penalty is executed for his crimes, the Rape and murder of Greta Carlisle. Told in first person, we ride the wave of opinion and conceited thought of a thoroughly dislikeable man with not a shred of restitution or an ounce of regret.
A man who finds the concept society defines as rape to be incredulously wanting, she was a common whore not capable of being raped and a man who thinks it well within his rights.
Prisoner 49028 has a plan for death, he believes he can escape its clutches, it’s just unfortunate that we have to wait as long as we do to see him get his just deserts.
A more self-righteous, egotistical sociopath you’ll not meet again and it’s the dark, troubling journey of someone who believes himself worthy of applause, who goes into great detail to explain his actions, his thoughts of rape as a crime before God and a man who thinks himself superior, and infinitely more intelligent than anyone else.
The Rapist is clearly a controversial piece of fiction by a very talented writer, full of wonderful prose and inspired feelings of hatred. The subject matter was probably not the best introduction to Les Edgerton and I felt the story got bogged down a little towards the end with the dreams of a nutcase and his flying act.
I would certainly read more from this author and the story more than battered my emotions with a 2’ by 4’.
A 3.5* Rating.
http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
A man who finds the concept society defines as rape to be incredulously wanting, she was a common whore not capable of being raped and a man who thinks it well within his rights.
Prisoner 49028 has a plan for death, he believes he can escape its clutches, it’s just unfortunate that we have to wait as long as we do to see him get his just deserts.
A more self-righteous, egotistical sociopath you’ll not meet again and it’s the dark, troubling journey of someone who believes himself worthy of applause, who goes into great detail to explain his actions, his thoughts of rape as a crime before God and a man who thinks himself superior, and infinitely more intelligent than anyone else.
The Rapist is clearly a controversial piece of fiction by a very talented writer, full of wonderful prose and inspired feelings of hatred. The subject matter was probably not the best introduction to Les Edgerton and I felt the story got bogged down a little towards the end with the dreams of a nutcase and his flying act.
I would certainly read more from this author and the story more than battered my emotions with a 2’ by 4’.
A 3.5* Rating.
http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
March 7, 2013
Truman Pinter is a sociopath.
Like all sociopaths, he sees himself as better—elevated in every way. Removed and above those of us he sees as less. Less cultured. Less intelligent. Less aware. Less significant. Less… human.
We are but bothersome insects to Truman. Base, vulgar creatures who roam and rut our way through life without thought or care for things that truly matter.
Truman Pinter is a Rapist.
This is a fact he never disputes… in fact he admits it almost proudly. To police. To himself. To us. He infects us with his perverse perceptions and false logic. He makes us question the very things we base our own humanity on. He peels back the curtain and whispers, “there… see, you feel it too. You are no better than I.”
Truman Pinter is going to pay for his perceived crimes against humanity.
Or is he?
It’s hard to pin down, Les Edgerton’s latest novel, The Rapist. Is it considered a classic noir tale of a damaged man’s twisted path of self-destruction? Maybe it’s a gritty crime novel that chronicles an evil sociopath’s final hours… perhaps it’s a highbrowed work of literary fiction fraught with existential yearning.
The answer is yes. The Rapist is all of those things… and much, much more.
The Rapist is a dirty window used to peer into the blackest of hearts and the most vile of souls. A window that can never be wiped clean enough to make us want to press our faces against it… but we do so anyway, all the while feeling as if the stain of Truman Pinter’s heart has tainted us forever.
It is a murky kaleidoscope of appalling shapes and unspeakable colors. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, just when you think you finally understand the vision Edgerton has set in front of us, it tumbles away, giving us another look from an entirely different perspective. A perspective we are not wholly comfortable with. One we reject, even as we unwillingly understand it.
The final result is Les Edgerton’s tour de force. A masterfully raw, brilliantly unabashed study into the heart and mind of the most cold-blooded sociopath you’ll ever encounter, on the page or off.
Like all sociopaths, he sees himself as better—elevated in every way. Removed and above those of us he sees as less. Less cultured. Less intelligent. Less aware. Less significant. Less… human.
We are but bothersome insects to Truman. Base, vulgar creatures who roam and rut our way through life without thought or care for things that truly matter.
Truman Pinter is a Rapist.
This is a fact he never disputes… in fact he admits it almost proudly. To police. To himself. To us. He infects us with his perverse perceptions and false logic. He makes us question the very things we base our own humanity on. He peels back the curtain and whispers, “there… see, you feel it too. You are no better than I.”
Truman Pinter is going to pay for his perceived crimes against humanity.
Or is he?
It’s hard to pin down, Les Edgerton’s latest novel, The Rapist. Is it considered a classic noir tale of a damaged man’s twisted path of self-destruction? Maybe it’s a gritty crime novel that chronicles an evil sociopath’s final hours… perhaps it’s a highbrowed work of literary fiction fraught with existential yearning.
The answer is yes. The Rapist is all of those things… and much, much more.
The Rapist is a dirty window used to peer into the blackest of hearts and the most vile of souls. A window that can never be wiped clean enough to make us want to press our faces against it… but we do so anyway, all the while feeling as if the stain of Truman Pinter’s heart has tainted us forever.
It is a murky kaleidoscope of appalling shapes and unspeakable colors. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, just when you think you finally understand the vision Edgerton has set in front of us, it tumbles away, giving us another look from an entirely different perspective. A perspective we are not wholly comfortable with. One we reject, even as we unwillingly understand it.
The final result is Les Edgerton’s tour de force. A masterfully raw, brilliantly unabashed study into the heart and mind of the most cold-blooded sociopath you’ll ever encounter, on the page or off.
November 20, 2013
Meet Truman Ferris Pinter, a self-confessed rapist and murderer, currently residing on death row, hours away from his execution.
If you’ve read the author bio you’ll probably appreciate that I approached The Rapist with a degree of trepidation – Les Edgerton is one scary dude. In addition the subject matter would probably be difficult. The cover, of a woman’s face, eyes sightless, is haunting.
And I was right, it isn’t an easy read. It’s one of those stories you push away after finishing it, then pull it back again and look at it in a whole new light. Clearly Edgerton likes to jolt his readers. In fact, afterwards I felt a bit grubby having been in the mind of the main character, Truman Ferris Pinter, for so long.
Socially inept (a gross understatement) and incredibly self-important, Truman is a strange guy. At the outset we meet Truman in prison, he’s on death row having been found guilty of the rape and murder of a young woman. Through the initial part of the story Truman admits and even justifies his actions in a quite unique voice. He feels morally justified in his actions because of who she is and who he is. He is a class above.
Here’s an example from the outset:
He will inhale you, devour you, eat the pulp of your soul and spit out the husk. Behind his eyes lies nothing save the fevered light of unholy candles.
And this is Truman describing himself. Whilst awaiting his sentence for death in a matter of hours time (which adds another layer of tension) he recounts the situation which put him there and we learn about Truman’s life and experiences – some of which are strange – before he goes through a personal change. I won’t say more, you’ll need to discover these for yourself.
Should I feel sorry for Truman? Really I shouldn’t, but eventually I became drawn to the oddball. It was a strange experience.
The writing is very sharp, the prose as rich and wealthy as a billionaire. I stayed up late for three nights in a row to finish The Rapist, only going to bed when I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open, it’s that compelling a story.
I haven’t picked up anything quite like The Rapist before. I probably never will again.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
If you’ve read the author bio you’ll probably appreciate that I approached The Rapist with a degree of trepidation – Les Edgerton is one scary dude. In addition the subject matter would probably be difficult. The cover, of a woman’s face, eyes sightless, is haunting.
And I was right, it isn’t an easy read. It’s one of those stories you push away after finishing it, then pull it back again and look at it in a whole new light. Clearly Edgerton likes to jolt his readers. In fact, afterwards I felt a bit grubby having been in the mind of the main character, Truman Ferris Pinter, for so long.
Socially inept (a gross understatement) and incredibly self-important, Truman is a strange guy. At the outset we meet Truman in prison, he’s on death row having been found guilty of the rape and murder of a young woman. Through the initial part of the story Truman admits and even justifies his actions in a quite unique voice. He feels morally justified in his actions because of who she is and who he is. He is a class above.
Here’s an example from the outset:
He will inhale you, devour you, eat the pulp of your soul and spit out the husk. Behind his eyes lies nothing save the fevered light of unholy candles.
And this is Truman describing himself. Whilst awaiting his sentence for death in a matter of hours time (which adds another layer of tension) he recounts the situation which put him there and we learn about Truman’s life and experiences – some of which are strange – before he goes through a personal change. I won’t say more, you’ll need to discover these for yourself.
Should I feel sorry for Truman? Really I shouldn’t, but eventually I became drawn to the oddball. It was a strange experience.
The writing is very sharp, the prose as rich and wealthy as a billionaire. I stayed up late for three nights in a row to finish The Rapist, only going to bed when I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open, it’s that compelling a story.
I haven’t picked up anything quite like The Rapist before. I probably never will again.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
April 2, 2014
The cover and title alone may deter many readers from picking this up.
We meet Truman who is within hours of his execution on death row for rape and murder. This story delves deep into his deranged psyche and it is not always a pleasant experience. He is part delusional, rude, and egotistical. An Ivy League loser who believes he is better than everyone.
I never felt especially sad for him and his impending fate but it was interesting to see what makes his mind tick. I liked how the victim was not particularly innocent and the account of her death was humorous. It lead to a more morally-nuanced tale than having some lady snatched off the street and killed.
I felt the need to take a big hit from my hypothetical bong while reading the passages of him "flying". Real deep thoughts on the various planes of existence and the meaning of life. That was some crazy stuff.
We meet Truman who is within hours of his execution on death row for rape and murder. This story delves deep into his deranged psyche and it is not always a pleasant experience. He is part delusional, rude, and egotistical. An Ivy League loser who believes he is better than everyone.
I never felt especially sad for him and his impending fate but it was interesting to see what makes his mind tick. I liked how the victim was not particularly innocent and the account of her death was humorous. It lead to a more morally-nuanced tale than having some lady snatched off the street and killed.
I felt the need to take a big hit from my hypothetical bong while reading the passages of him "flying". Real deep thoughts on the various planes of existence and the meaning of life. That was some crazy stuff.
February 27, 2013
This is brave literary pulp of the highest order. Dark, dark stuff. No celebration here. It's going to get under your skin. Deserves all the awards next year.
March 24, 2013
On the back cover of this is the line that dared me to buy this book: “…no matter how depraved a person appears to be, there might still exist a spark of humanity.”
Pfft, I thought. So he thinks he’s figured out how to make a rapist appear human to me? I’ll take that challenge.
In “The Rapist” Les Edgerton takes the reader deep inside the disturbing mind of Truman Pinter. The clincher, or the hook that reels you into this story, is the uncertainty as to whether or not Pinter is responsible for the crime he’s convicted of. In simpler terms: while you may not doubt his guilt, you’re uncertain as to whether he deserves his punishment.
Aside from his tight grasp of the craft, what really impressed me about Edgerton is that this story took balls to write. The themes and ideas in this book are the very things that make the bleeding hearts that are always eager to take offense practically orgasmic in their shit losing. But this story is not about offending people. It’s not about taking a voyeuristic trip inside the mind of a sicko. It’s not about exploiting the crimes he committed. In my opinion “The Rapist” is about making you look inward. It challenges your personal morals and beliefs on many levels, and forces you to acknowledge that while everyone does bad things, some worse than others, we’re all human. We all share feelings, fears, thoughts and biases with even the lowest criminal. That fact is so disturbing and unpleasant that we choose to ignore it. After all, if we embrace such things, we must also concede that it’s possible for such darkness to lurk inside all of us.
Full review to come next week on OnFictionWriting.com.
January 22, 2014
This book is simply genius. Genius to the point that I find it trying to even write a review worthy enough to describe said genius. I knew Les Edgerton was good, but DANG! This book demonstrated his abilities on a whole other level.
I won’t lie. When I saw the title of the book there was a little apprehension on my part to make the purchase. The cover is quite troubling, and the title….well I think that speaks for itself. However, being a big Edgerton fan, I knew I had to take the plunge. I am damn happy I did!
The protagonist, Truman Pinter, is a rapist, sociopath, and essentially a guy you will absolutely despise. Edgerton writes this character in way that should be studied by future and current authors. In fact, after reading the book, I am not at all surprised Les writes self-help books on the craft of writing.
The Rapist is a must read book. It’s flawlessly written, and the ending will leave you speechless.
I won’t lie. When I saw the title of the book there was a little apprehension on my part to make the purchase. The cover is quite troubling, and the title….well I think that speaks for itself. However, being a big Edgerton fan, I knew I had to take the plunge. I am damn happy I did!
The protagonist, Truman Pinter, is a rapist, sociopath, and essentially a guy you will absolutely despise. Edgerton writes this character in way that should be studied by future and current authors. In fact, after reading the book, I am not at all surprised Les writes self-help books on the craft of writing.
The Rapist is a must read book. It’s flawlessly written, and the ending will leave you speechless.
August 2, 2014
This book was incredible. I first read the author's novel, The Bitch, which was perhaps the finest piece of crime noir I have ever read. This novel had the same quality, but an amazing change of style that speaks to the author's talent. This is a character study, with what seems near magical realism thrown in, and a socio-pathic character who the author is able to suck you in to having more empathy for than you'll admit. Read them both.
March 17, 2013
Les Edgerton's The Rapist puts the reader inside the head of Truman Ferris Pinter, a convicted rapist and murderer. Be prepared for quite a journey! Although the bulk of this novella focuses on the last several hours of Truman's life while he is waiting for his own execution, Edgerton's thought-provoking narrative will take you on a mind-bending journey through Truman's past, present, and yes, even a glimpse at his possible future in the afterlife.
March 14, 2013
Les' tour de force novel is disturbing and by turns masochistic, sadist and visionary...its a warped story that seeks redemption through a kind of re-creation of its own version of The Kingdom of God. Subversive & dangerous: The Rapist is a book that will inflame many readers, repulse more and inspire some. I was asked to write the forward for this excellent novel and I did so with pride.
October 30, 2013
Forget "hard-boiled", forget "noir", forget everything you think you know about what a genre story is supposed to be. THE RAPIST brushes all of that aside with a disdainful sneer and instead presents something that aspires to far more than any single genre can provide. More than anything else, this novel occupies the same uneasy space that Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground" rests in-- a controlled testament of misanthropy and delusion. But whereas the great Russian's protagonist was fueled by rage, Edgerton's narrator is fueled by a sharp, ugly narcissism, and a beastly inhuman nature that peeks like a stalker through his eloquent language and high-minded ideas. Not so much a plot-driven novel as a narrative, Edgerton guides us into the mind of his narrator and leaves us there alone to fend for ourselves and make our own way back from the darkness. How much of what Truman says can we dismiss as the ravings of a damaged mind? And how much must we stop and listen to, hunting for a glimmer of truth?
THE RAPIST is a challenging novel, not for the squeamish, and definitely not for anyone who dis-likes being pulled out of their comfort zone. It quite simply blew me away. Destined to be a classic.
THE RAPIST is a challenging novel, not for the squeamish, and definitely not for anyone who dis-likes being pulled out of their comfort zone. It quite simply blew me away. Destined to be a classic.
February 28, 2013
THE RAPIST is ambitious, challenging, amoral, incredibly courageous and takes a graceful swan-dive into the heart of darkness. It's the kind of novel that makes people lose their shit. This is maybe the most controversial book released since AMERICAN PSYCHO. It's not really a crime novel or a noir. THE RAPIST is above categories. It just it.
The story of Truman Feriss Pinter went beyond the page and attacked my personal morals as a human being, a writer and an art lover. Edgerton keeps playing on a fine line in managing the interaction between his protagonist and the support cast, but shows nimble balance in his prose and never draws outside the lines. THE RAPIST is so accurate in its depiction of human dynamics that it will make you forget you're reading. I read it in less than 48 hours.
My only criticism is that I thought the last part was loosely pertinent compared to the pulverizing first half. It's good and it serves a clear purpose, but I thought both ends were like non-matching puzzle piece. It didn't deter my reading though. THE RAPIST is a one-of-a-kind, transcendent object.
The story of Truman Feriss Pinter went beyond the page and attacked my personal morals as a human being, a writer and an art lover. Edgerton keeps playing on a fine line in managing the interaction between his protagonist and the support cast, but shows nimble balance in his prose and never draws outside the lines. THE RAPIST is so accurate in its depiction of human dynamics that it will make you forget you're reading. I read it in less than 48 hours.
My only criticism is that I thought the last part was loosely pertinent compared to the pulverizing first half. It's good and it serves a clear purpose, but I thought both ends were like non-matching puzzle piece. It didn't deter my reading though. THE RAPIST is a one-of-a-kind, transcendent object.
March 14, 2013
Les Edgerton’s ‘The Rapist’ is an extraordinary book.
In essence, it describes the events leading up to the protagonist’s incarceration and the time he passes as he waits his final dawn to arrive.
It’s written in a style of yester-year and there are sketches that suggest a contemporary setting; what I feel the author achieves by this juxtaposition is to direct his thoughts to the human condition as it’s always been rather than it might be at any given point.
The main character is an intellectual. A pedant. A philosopher. He is in the middle of a war of attrition against the people he meets, himself and even more importantly with the reader.
It’s like being hit repeatedly by a blunt object as he cajoles and insists and backs up his arguments. There are even times when the guy seems convincing and these are the most disturbing sections of all.
There aren’t many modern books like this, I’m pretty sure. Though it may not always be a fun ride, there’s an element of satisfaction for the reader who takes this on in undertaking such a perilous journey.
I left ‘The Rapist’ battered, bruised and exhausted - what more can one say about a book than that?
In essence, it describes the events leading up to the protagonist’s incarceration and the time he passes as he waits his final dawn to arrive.
It’s written in a style of yester-year and there are sketches that suggest a contemporary setting; what I feel the author achieves by this juxtaposition is to direct his thoughts to the human condition as it’s always been rather than it might be at any given point.
The main character is an intellectual. A pedant. A philosopher. He is in the middle of a war of attrition against the people he meets, himself and even more importantly with the reader.
It’s like being hit repeatedly by a blunt object as he cajoles and insists and backs up his arguments. There are even times when the guy seems convincing and these are the most disturbing sections of all.
There aren’t many modern books like this, I’m pretty sure. Though it may not always be a fun ride, there’s an element of satisfaction for the reader who takes this on in undertaking such a perilous journey.
I left ‘The Rapist’ battered, bruised and exhausted - what more can one say about a book than that?
March 7, 2013
Les Edgerton’s masterly The Rapist is a deeply disturbing journey into the murky recesses of the mind of psychopathic death row inmate Truman Ferris Pinter. An intellectual, erudite, philosophical misanthrope, Truman draws the reader inexorably into his fractured web. There are times when one nods one’s head in agreement with his well-reasoned arguments, only to shrink back in horror at the realisation. Sympathy for The Devil, indeed, in this dark vision of a black heart that is both astoundingly honest and ultimately terrifying.
April 9, 2013
The Rapist is an excellent title for Les Edgerton’s wonderful and terrifying novella, but don’t expect a simple and lurid crime tale. Truman Ferris Pinter is no ordinary criminal.
We discover him on death row during his last hours before his execution for rape and murder. His voice has the tone of an ersatz Old Testament prophet, and he describes himself as “Perfidy. . .Liar, Blasphemer, Defiler of Truth, Black-tongued.” Indeed, perhaps the whole first half of the book has a 19th Century stilt to it, like something out of Hawthorne or Poe. That voice is important for two reasons. First, it establishes our narrator/protagonist as someone with intellectual pretensions, if not the credentials to back them up. Second, it puts a storyteller’s distance between him and the events he describes and thus establishes an illusion of objectivity. Consequently, as we read his description of the crime and the events leading to and away from it, we’re inclined to accept his version. The moreso because he goes into graphic detail without apparently omitting even facts that put a guilty and ugly light on his role in the affair.
Ah, but then return to those opening lines and beware. Edgerton has given us the most masterful unreliable narrator I have ever read. For me, it was not until Pinter’s recounting of a conversation with the warden of his prison about halfway through the book that I realized that his purported declaration of guilt is far from the whole story. Other clues follow thereafter, but his initial description of his act is utterly convincing, to the point where he “confesses” not only his own guilt, but offers a rationale for it.He justifies what he did by declaring that it is what in legal circles would be described as an act, not wrong in and of itself, but wrong only in terms of the law. Sort of like jaywalking or speeding. His logic is twisted, but nicely argued in its own psychopathic way.
So much for the crime itself, which would make a well-told tale if it stopped there; but Edgerton adds another level or three that carries The Rapist from the realm of the merely excellent to that of the stellar. While he tells his story, Pinter (And it’s no accident he shares a name with the playwright famous for his “comedies of menace.”) prepares for life after his execution, and his preparations include revenge on his jailers and on society as a whole as well as a try at immortality. During these ruminations, we’re treated to meetings with a being who appears as an old man, someone who exists simultaneously everywhere in the space-time continuum and who seems to offer Truman counsel regarding his past, present and future. Each meeting, however, creates more confusion until Pinter becomes as baffled about his past as about his future. It is during these sessions that we soar into the ethereal territory of writers like Camus and Dante, or that of films like The Seventh Seal–and I don’t use those comparisons lightly. We believe that we, along with Pinter, may be face-to-face with God or with Death. And judgement day is terrifying. Even if we’re not the rapist, we’re all trying to hide something. Edgerton seems to suggest that it’s no use, that we’re all the unreliable narrators of our own lives, all defilers of truth who must pay somehow, somewhen. Not a pleasant notion, but when you finish The Rapist, you’ll feel as if there’s a truth in it you can’t avoid, no matter how much you’d love to.
We discover him on death row during his last hours before his execution for rape and murder. His voice has the tone of an ersatz Old Testament prophet, and he describes himself as “Perfidy. . .Liar, Blasphemer, Defiler of Truth, Black-tongued.” Indeed, perhaps the whole first half of the book has a 19th Century stilt to it, like something out of Hawthorne or Poe. That voice is important for two reasons. First, it establishes our narrator/protagonist as someone with intellectual pretensions, if not the credentials to back them up. Second, it puts a storyteller’s distance between him and the events he describes and thus establishes an illusion of objectivity. Consequently, as we read his description of the crime and the events leading to and away from it, we’re inclined to accept his version. The moreso because he goes into graphic detail without apparently omitting even facts that put a guilty and ugly light on his role in the affair.
Ah, but then return to those opening lines and beware. Edgerton has given us the most masterful unreliable narrator I have ever read. For me, it was not until Pinter’s recounting of a conversation with the warden of his prison about halfway through the book that I realized that his purported declaration of guilt is far from the whole story. Other clues follow thereafter, but his initial description of his act is utterly convincing, to the point where he “confesses” not only his own guilt, but offers a rationale for it.He justifies what he did by declaring that it is what in legal circles would be described as an act, not wrong in and of itself, but wrong only in terms of the law. Sort of like jaywalking or speeding. His logic is twisted, but nicely argued in its own psychopathic way.
So much for the crime itself, which would make a well-told tale if it stopped there; but Edgerton adds another level or three that carries The Rapist from the realm of the merely excellent to that of the stellar. While he tells his story, Pinter (And it’s no accident he shares a name with the playwright famous for his “comedies of menace.”) prepares for life after his execution, and his preparations include revenge on his jailers and on society as a whole as well as a try at immortality. During these ruminations, we’re treated to meetings with a being who appears as an old man, someone who exists simultaneously everywhere in the space-time continuum and who seems to offer Truman counsel regarding his past, present and future. Each meeting, however, creates more confusion until Pinter becomes as baffled about his past as about his future. It is during these sessions that we soar into the ethereal territory of writers like Camus and Dante, or that of films like The Seventh Seal–and I don’t use those comparisons lightly. We believe that we, along with Pinter, may be face-to-face with God or with Death. And judgement day is terrifying. Even if we’re not the rapist, we’re all trying to hide something. Edgerton seems to suggest that it’s no use, that we’re all the unreliable narrators of our own lives, all defilers of truth who must pay somehow, somewhen. Not a pleasant notion, but when you finish The Rapist, you’ll feel as if there’s a truth in it you can’t avoid, no matter how much you’d love to.
May 24, 2024
Prima lettura dell'anno (finally), completata nel giro di un paio d'ore. L'ho trovato brillante e piacevole, però sono rimasta molto perplessa dal fatto che viene definito dai più come sconvolgente, ma anche volgare e violento... Non c'ho trovato nulla né di sconvolgente né di particolarmente violento o volgare.
Questo cosa dice di me? XD
Questo cosa dice di me? XD
December 20, 2013
Les Edgerton’s The Rapist lures through prurient interest of a heinous crime and the promise to peek into the mind of the rapist. It begins as smut, some pages feel dirty. The rapist, Truman, is unrepentant, even spiteful and arrogant toward those who would judge him. He is a condemned man, sits in a cell awaiting execution. He recalls his crime and his hates, even an infant hate. Complexity and contradiction nudge their way in. Edgerton tracks Truman’s thoughts and dreams, which are unusual and particular—in this way creating an uncanny realism of an individual mind. The book evokes consideration of art and life. It does not debate right and wrong but aims higher: the possibility of salvation.
The book is profound yet easy to read. It is a slim book with a tightly woven narrative that springboards from the guise of pulp fiction to its destination as guidebook for lost souls. It punches like Bukowski, obsesses like Henry Miller, features "A Stranger" like Albert Camus. How else to persuade you all to read it? If some nerd creates metrics for measuring the amount of book per page—lyrical communication of ideas, inspiration, insight, brain tickling, suspense in the service of story—this book would win. (Not that I’d want a nerd to do this, the best books—like this one—are mysterious.) The Rapist is a work of genius. I’ll be reading it again soon.
The Rapist
The book is profound yet easy to read. It is a slim book with a tightly woven narrative that springboards from the guise of pulp fiction to its destination as guidebook for lost souls. It punches like Bukowski, obsesses like Henry Miller, features "A Stranger" like Albert Camus. How else to persuade you all to read it? If some nerd creates metrics for measuring the amount of book per page—lyrical communication of ideas, inspiration, insight, brain tickling, suspense in the service of story—this book would win. (Not that I’d want a nerd to do this, the best books—like this one—are mysterious.) The Rapist is a work of genius. I’ll be reading it again soon.
The Rapist
June 25, 2013
This is rough going, I will not lie. Not because it isn't written brilliantly, and not because it ever gets boring.
The protagonist is Truman Ferris Pinter who is a psychopath, no kidding with this. It is stomach turning how this guy rationalizes, and harrowing. I really HATE him, but I could not put it down. And the fact that I would put "hate" in all caps is what makes this brilliant. I read a lot, and one out of every 100 novels affects me the way this has. It was beyond the mediocre character villains, the clichés that allow you to sit back and think, "cardboard character" I'm just along for the ride. No, you get so involved with this, that you have an emotional reaction on the visceral level.
I have only read 2 other novels that stayed with me to this extent, "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Lolita". They stayed with me for months, and even years. This one is going to do the same.
It is powerful. Read it.
The protagonist is Truman Ferris Pinter who is a psychopath, no kidding with this. It is stomach turning how this guy rationalizes, and harrowing. I really HATE him, but I could not put it down. And the fact that I would put "hate" in all caps is what makes this brilliant. I read a lot, and one out of every 100 novels affects me the way this has. It was beyond the mediocre character villains, the clichés that allow you to sit back and think, "cardboard character" I'm just along for the ride. No, you get so involved with this, that you have an emotional reaction on the visceral level.
I have only read 2 other novels that stayed with me to this extent, "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Lolita". They stayed with me for months, and even years. This one is going to do the same.
It is powerful. Read it.
May 17, 2016
A surprising book from start to finish! It starts with an act of supreme violation and we're in the mind of the perpetrator and it's a nasty place. It's clear that the lead character, Truman Pinter, is a psychopath. He's disconnected from the rest of society by his total lack of emotion or feelings of empathy towards his fellow man. We follow his thought processes as he awaits his fate in prison on death row. This is a visceral, fascinating, imaginative glimpse into the mind of someone clearly outside "the norm", whatever that is!
It's a book in three chapters that feel more like acts in a play. A short read that has all the emotional power of a much longer epic. Fantastically written Edgerton has done himself proud by not shying away from a difficult, upsetting subject. If the book shocks the ending will deliver a knockout blow. Destined to become a cult classic.
It's a book in three chapters that feel more like acts in a play. A short read that has all the emotional power of a much longer epic. Fantastically written Edgerton has done himself proud by not shying away from a difficult, upsetting subject. If the book shocks the ending will deliver a knockout blow. Destined to become a cult classic.
November 3, 2014
Edgerton takes the reader through the dark mind and twisted reasoning of the privileged, nihilist Truman Pinter and forces us to question our own perceptions of morality. Locked in a cell for a crime he may or may not have been responsible for, Pinter plans an escape that only he could, an escape from his own damned spirit. The Rapist shows us not only a gifted craftsman at work in Edgerton, but a writer at the top of his game. A tour de force and study in the psychology of the criminal mind.
Kevin Lynn Helmick
March 8, 2013
The REALLY scary thing about exploring a glib psychopath's mind and the gruesome, dastardly crime he admits to, you keep finding little pieces of yourself in his rants, tiny little moments where your gut says, "Well, he's got a point there." Makes you wonder what you and the human race are really like inside. Part of me wanted to stop reading because I was seeing too much, but that's also why I couldn't stop. What a ride Les Edgerton takes readers on in THE RAPIST. Like the book's blurb says, this is instant classic noir.
March 16, 2016
Speechless. The ending left me speechless. In between I felt like I was being taught Intro to Philosophy, there were points in the book where I felt Les could have worked the philosophy in a bit more subtly. But the ending. Wow. I was originally going to give the book three stars but the ending saved it from being mediocre. It was gripping and quick, Truman made me think on more than one occasion on on different philosophical and social platitudes than I am used to. Pick it up. It might surprise you.
October 25, 2013
You pick up a book called "The Rapist," and you know that you're in for a rough ride. But whatever you're expecting when you open this amazing novel, you're going to get way more than you bargained for. Driven by a well-crafted narrative voice, this book takes you on a wild ride into the depths of a deranged mind. It's not a comfortable place to be, but the insightful, surprising writing more than makes up for it. I could say so much more about the brilliance of this piece, but I don't want to give anything away. Find it. Read it. Prepare to be blown away.
February 13, 2014
I have read most of Les's work and I must say that this is his best yet. Ambitious and thought provoking. Do not let the title dissuade you from reading. Raises a lot of questions about life and death. Loved it. Best read yet in 2014.
May 9, 2017
4.25
September 12, 2024
C’è un tipo che si sente ‘sto cazzo che stupra una tipa. Lo acchiappano e lo mettono al gabbio. Figo.
January 19, 2025
Not my kind of story. The main character is purposely full of himself and thinks he's above everyone else but it's so grating. The astral projection and surreal stuff didn't work for me.
November 18, 2014
The title (and the cover) of this book is going to be enough to make one decide if he or she is going to be drawn or repelled by it. I was drawn. I found that the sections that study the culprit's feelings about the act at hand successfully capture the crudity of the main character, a crudity that is skillfully disguised under the cloak of a cultured (self-percieved) scholar. Those parts are riveting. When the main character, the rapist, zeroed in on his parents and his past I was truly captivated.
But digression is not a word to use lightly when describing the other parts of this novel. The main character digresses… A lot. Too many times I felt the author was chiming in with a political expression of humanity and the world. Now all of us know that some erudite psychopaths create manifestoes. Perhaps that was the point of this book -- the author wanted to treat us to a rapist's manifesto. But too much digression from the point at hand made me bored with the excessive rambling. While this work may very well ring true in regards to an actual manifesto of a criminal mind, it doesn't mean it's going to fly when a reader reads it. There is a fine line, of course. The author wants to remain true to his art but would like to sell books at the same time. Maybe not. The other thing that stuck out like a sore thumb to me were the many comparisons to Camus that were more than alluded to, both in the "praise for" pages and in the novel itself. Okay, I get it. This is the new Camus. Too many references to a famed author/philosopher are going to throw all the light and interest on him… and not allow the reader to discover the brave new world contained in the work they are reading.
But digression is not a word to use lightly when describing the other parts of this novel. The main character digresses… A lot. Too many times I felt the author was chiming in with a political expression of humanity and the world. Now all of us know that some erudite psychopaths create manifestoes. Perhaps that was the point of this book -- the author wanted to treat us to a rapist's manifesto. But too much digression from the point at hand made me bored with the excessive rambling. While this work may very well ring true in regards to an actual manifesto of a criminal mind, it doesn't mean it's going to fly when a reader reads it. There is a fine line, of course. The author wants to remain true to his art but would like to sell books at the same time. Maybe not. The other thing that stuck out like a sore thumb to me were the many comparisons to Camus that were more than alluded to, both in the "praise for" pages and in the novel itself. Okay, I get it. This is the new Camus. Too many references to a famed author/philosopher are going to throw all the light and interest on him… and not allow the reader to discover the brave new world contained in the work they are reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews