What do you think?
Rate this book
The Evil Days
Caleb Dawson, director de una empresa editorial de Nueva York, regresó aquel día a Mount Birch como lo hacía diariamente, al atardecer. En la estación le esperaba su hermosa esposa, Sally. Todo era normal. Tenían dos hijos y eran felices pese a alguna dificultad económica. Pero aquella misma noche, todo iba a cambiar para ellos.
Depósito legal: B-21500-1990
Depósito legal: B-21500-1990
- GenresMystery
210 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
38 people want to read
About the author
Bruno Fischer
103 books12 followersBruno Fischer was the author of 25 novels and more than 300 short stories, a contributor to "Black Mask" and "Manhunt" magazines, and the uncrowned king of the notorious 'weird menace' pulps. He wrote also as Russell Gray and Harrison Storm.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 15, 2022
When this came out in 1973, Bruno Fischer (though a super successful thriller writer of the 1950s), had not published a book since 1960. And never another again. Yet this is considered one of his best. He was 65 when it came out. It's the second novel in the Stark House book with The Bleeding Scissors. That one is from 1948, and I did like it better. But this, The Evil Days, moves so fast which I really, really, like. I fully enjoyed all the details about the publishing business. I got more bored when it goes on about baseball.
March 31, 2018
The Evil Days by Bruno Fischer
During the 1950s, Bruno Fischer was one of the mainstays of crime fiction. His bestselling novel, “House of Flesh,” sold 1.8 million copies following its 1950 release. After 21 years of writing, followed by a 14-year hiatus from new releases, Fischer’s “The Evil Days” (1974) was his last published book at the age of 62. Stark House Mystery Classics has repackaged the novel for modern audiences as a double along with Fischer’s “The Bleeding Scissors” (1948).
“The Evil Days” was marketed as a “novel of crime and suspense in the suburbs.” The plot setup is one we’ve seen before: Caleb Dawson’s wife finds a bag of jewels that she wants to keep to supplement the family’s meager income. Caleb thinks it’s a bad idea, but acquiesces to his money-hungry wife’s ill-conceived scheme. As you may have guessed, there are unsavory people who aren’t excited to just walk away from a lost fortune and want the jewels recovered. Meanwhile, there’s a violent murder in the same suburb that serves as the basis for a satisfying mystery. Could the two events be connected?
Fischer spent much of the 1960s working as an editor for two large publishing houses, and he puts his industry knowledge to good use in “The Evil Days.” Caleb works for a respected publisher that has been acquired by a large corporation. The inside baseball treatment of the publishing world is an interesting aspect to this novel for avid readers with an interest in the way a book is brought to market, and the way that editors speak about writers when they’re not around. The snappy dialogue feels authentic because Fischer has been there.
Another interesting way to read this novel is with the knowledge that Fischer was an honest-to-goodness Socialist. His early career was spent editing leftist publications, and he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1938 as the Socialist Party Candidate (spoiler: he lost). The ideas that workers are exploited by their bosses and that lust for money invites unhappiness are recurring ideas in his books and stories. “The Evil Days” has elements of both themes.
But even if you don’t read this paperback as a Marxist allegory, it remains a helluva mystery filled with moral dilemmas, poetic intrigue, sex, and murder. His politics aside, Fischer was an outstanding writer who honed his craft writing short-stories for the pulps, and that fat-free approach to storytelling carried forward for decades to this fine tale. It’s not filled with action or violence, but the Hitchcock-style mystery is plenty tense. Fischer was a pro at this game, and this final novel was a fitting close to a remarkable body of work. Highly recommended.
Bonus Tip:
The best work by Bruno Fischer that I’ve ever read was a 40-page novella called “We Are All Dead.” It’s about a fouled-up getaway after a heist. It’s only $1.49 on your Kindle, and it’s a damn masterpiece. Thank me later.
During the 1950s, Bruno Fischer was one of the mainstays of crime fiction. His bestselling novel, “House of Flesh,” sold 1.8 million copies following its 1950 release. After 21 years of writing, followed by a 14-year hiatus from new releases, Fischer’s “The Evil Days” (1974) was his last published book at the age of 62. Stark House Mystery Classics has repackaged the novel for modern audiences as a double along with Fischer’s “The Bleeding Scissors” (1948).
“The Evil Days” was marketed as a “novel of crime and suspense in the suburbs.” The plot setup is one we’ve seen before: Caleb Dawson’s wife finds a bag of jewels that she wants to keep to supplement the family’s meager income. Caleb thinks it’s a bad idea, but acquiesces to his money-hungry wife’s ill-conceived scheme. As you may have guessed, there are unsavory people who aren’t excited to just walk away from a lost fortune and want the jewels recovered. Meanwhile, there’s a violent murder in the same suburb that serves as the basis for a satisfying mystery. Could the two events be connected?
Fischer spent much of the 1960s working as an editor for two large publishing houses, and he puts his industry knowledge to good use in “The Evil Days.” Caleb works for a respected publisher that has been acquired by a large corporation. The inside baseball treatment of the publishing world is an interesting aspect to this novel for avid readers with an interest in the way a book is brought to market, and the way that editors speak about writers when they’re not around. The snappy dialogue feels authentic because Fischer has been there.
Another interesting way to read this novel is with the knowledge that Fischer was an honest-to-goodness Socialist. His early career was spent editing leftist publications, and he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1938 as the Socialist Party Candidate (spoiler: he lost). The ideas that workers are exploited by their bosses and that lust for money invites unhappiness are recurring ideas in his books and stories. “The Evil Days” has elements of both themes.
But even if you don’t read this paperback as a Marxist allegory, it remains a helluva mystery filled with moral dilemmas, poetic intrigue, sex, and murder. His politics aside, Fischer was an outstanding writer who honed his craft writing short-stories for the pulps, and that fat-free approach to storytelling carried forward for decades to this fine tale. It’s not filled with action or violence, but the Hitchcock-style mystery is plenty tense. Fischer was a pro at this game, and this final novel was a fitting close to a remarkable body of work. Highly recommended.
Bonus Tip:
The best work by Bruno Fischer that I’ve ever read was a 40-page novella called “We Are All Dead.” It’s about a fouled-up getaway after a heist. It’s only $1.49 on your Kindle, and it’s a damn masterpiece. Thank me later.
April 16, 2019
"conoscevo troppo bene la tensione psicologica cui è sottoposta la gente come noi quando si butta in questo genere di avventure".
Una villetta, il giardino, l'automobile, gli anni 70 americani... tutto bello, quasi perfetto, quasi, ecco quasi... Credo tutte le civiltà abbiano affrontato nella loro storia il tema e il dilemma di come comportarsi di fronte alla tentazione della ricchezza che spesso si allontana dall'onestà, la menzogna che porta nuova menzogna, spesso penso che basta rompere il ghiaccio e poi il peccato si moltiplica, si accresce nelle sue varie manifestazioni. Nessuno ne è immune, nemmeno il professore che taglia l'erba di fronte a casa se non sta attento.
Toccare questi argomenti senza essere un moralizzatore è una bella impresa, l'autore ci riesce, la trama non è il classico "tanto arrivano i buoni"ma non voglio svelare molto.
La scrittura è magistrale, leggendo la biografia di Fischer ne è una conferma, infatti era un grande professionista della letteratura. La lettura è piacevole ed estremamente coinvolgente, appena si percepisce un inizio di noia ecco che c'è l'evento che risveglia l'interesse per la storia.
Una villetta, il giardino, l'automobile, gli anni 70 americani... tutto bello, quasi perfetto, quasi, ecco quasi... Credo tutte le civiltà abbiano affrontato nella loro storia il tema e il dilemma di come comportarsi di fronte alla tentazione della ricchezza che spesso si allontana dall'onestà, la menzogna che porta nuova menzogna, spesso penso che basta rompere il ghiaccio e poi il peccato si moltiplica, si accresce nelle sue varie manifestazioni. Nessuno ne è immune, nemmeno il professore che taglia l'erba di fronte a casa se non sta attento.
Toccare questi argomenti senza essere un moralizzatore è una bella impresa, l'autore ci riesce, la trama non è il classico "tanto arrivano i buoni"ma non voglio svelare molto.
La scrittura è magistrale, leggendo la biografia di Fischer ne è una conferma, infatti era un grande professionista della letteratura. La lettura è piacevole ed estremamente coinvolgente, appena si percepisce un inizio di noia ecco che c'è l'evento che risveglia l'interesse per la storia.
June 6, 2009
Set in suburbia, this is Mr. Fischer's last novel. A forgotten gem.
February 13, 2025
ENGLISH
This was the last novel written by Bruno Fischer, after 15 years of inactivity, in a literary production that takes place practically in the 40s and 50s and for which he has acquired a certain reputation among fans of crime novels. As I had not read anything by him, I decided to start with this one, which happens to be one of his best works.
Set in a contemporary time to the book, the early 70s, it tells the story of Caleb Dawson, a resident of the residential suburbs of the New York area, working as an executive in a New York publishing house and with a marriage (children included) that like so many others and after the initial fervor of the first years, has gradually opened the way to new concerns, monetary ones, as could not be otherwise in a society founded on the values of success and capitalism. In short, a kind of mix of The Man in the Gray frannel Suit (1955) with The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, 1997). The novel, apart from serving as an excuse to show a little of the editorial intricacies (the decisions and other mercantile dealings that take place on the upper floors of large buildings, but without going overboard too much, in case Random House took it the wrong way; apparently Fischer knew the sector well, which would perhaps explain those 3 decades of literary inactivity), introduces the element of some jewels that the couple finds by accident (with which to gain economic advantage) and at the same time the murder in the vicinity of those suburbs of a writer in contact with Caleb's company.
Well, I have to say that it is a novel with narrative fluidity, well written, and that has captivated me. When one reaches a certain climax halfway through the novel, it happens like in "Vertigo" (Hitch, 1958)... one feels even more curious ("well, what now?")... which gives it a plus. I think it's all well-woven, but there's something that doesn't seem right. As a mystery plot, or the way the pieces fit together (which happens in so many works of crime and/or mystery novels) it works more or less well (I say "more or less" because the protagonist ends up revealing himself to be a shrewd and unexpected Sherlock Holmes), but I think that the whole story woven by Fischer could have led to something more powerful than the simple revelation of the mystery, which can be said to be as effective as it is somewhat aseptic. I think there was enough bite to be a bit more ambitious, to talk about the miseries of the human being and not leave it just as a simple mystery story. But then, Fischer wasn't Richard Yates either. Even so, it's an estimable read, and that, I suppose and seeing what there is, is already a lot.
SPANISH
Esta fue la última novela escrita por Bruno Fischer, tras 15 años de inactividad, en una producción literaria que transcurre prácticamente en la década de los 40s y 50’s y por lo que ha adquirido cierta reputación entre los fans de la novela negra. Como no había leído de él, he decidido empezar por ésta que pasa por ser una de sus mejores obras.
Ambientada en tiempo contemporáneo al libro, los primeros 70s, narra la historia de Caleb Dawson residente en los suburbios residenciales de la zona de Nueva York, trabajador como ejecutivo en una editorial Neoyorkina y con un matrimonio (hijos incluidos) que como tantos otros y tras el fervor inicial de los primeros años, se ha ido abriendo paso gradualmente a nuevas inquietudes, las monetarias, como no podía ser menos en una sociedad cimentada sobre los valores del éxito y el capitalismo. Vamos que una especie de mezcla de El hombre del traje gris (1955) con La tormenta de hielo (Ang Lee, 1997). La novela, aparte de servir como excusa para mostrar un poco los entresijos editoriales (las decisiones y demás tejemanejes con afán mercantilista que se cuecen en las plantas superiores de los grandes edificios, eso sí, sin cargar demasiado las tintas, no fuera caso que Random House se lo tomara a mal; al parecer Fischer conocía bien el sector, lo que explicaría tal vez esos 3 lustros de inactividad literaria), introduce el elemento de unas joyas que encuentra el matrimonio por accidente (con las que sacar ventaja económica) y paralelamente el asesinato en las inmediaciones de esos suburbios de un escritor en contacto con la compañía de Caleb.
Bien, he de decir que es una novela con fluidez narrativa, bien escrita, y que me ha ido atrapando. Cuando uno llega a mitad de la novela a cierto climax, ocurre como en "Vértigo" (Hitch, 1958)…uno siente aún más curiosidad ("bueno, ¿y ahora qué?")... lo cual le da un plus. Creo que está bien hilvanado todo, pero hay algo que chirría. Como trama de misterio, o el encaje de las piezas del mismo (que sucede en tantas obras de la novela negra y/o misterio) funciona más o menos bien (digo “más o menos” porque el prota se nos acaba revelando como un tan sagaz como inesperado Sherlock Holmes), pero creo que todo la historia urdida por Fischer podía haber dado para algo más potente que la simple revelación del misterio, que puede decirse que es tan efectiva como algo aséptica. Creo que había mordiente suficiente para ser algo más ambicioso, hablar de las miserias del ser humano y no dejarlo solo en una simple historia de misterio. Pero bueno tampoco Fischer era Richard Yates. Aun con todo es una lectura estimable, y eso, supongo y viendo lo que hay, ya es mucho.
This was the last novel written by Bruno Fischer, after 15 years of inactivity, in a literary production that takes place practically in the 40s and 50s and for which he has acquired a certain reputation among fans of crime novels. As I had not read anything by him, I decided to start with this one, which happens to be one of his best works.
Set in a contemporary time to the book, the early 70s, it tells the story of Caleb Dawson, a resident of the residential suburbs of the New York area, working as an executive in a New York publishing house and with a marriage (children included) that like so many others and after the initial fervor of the first years, has gradually opened the way to new concerns, monetary ones, as could not be otherwise in a society founded on the values of success and capitalism. In short, a kind of mix of The Man in the Gray frannel Suit (1955) with The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, 1997). The novel, apart from serving as an excuse to show a little of the editorial intricacies (the decisions and other mercantile dealings that take place on the upper floors of large buildings, but without going overboard too much, in case Random House took it the wrong way; apparently Fischer knew the sector well, which would perhaps explain those 3 decades of literary inactivity), introduces the element of some jewels that the couple finds by accident (with which to gain economic advantage) and at the same time the murder in the vicinity of those suburbs of a writer in contact with Caleb's company.
Well, I have to say that it is a novel with narrative fluidity, well written, and that has captivated me. When one reaches a certain climax halfway through the novel, it happens like in "Vertigo" (Hitch, 1958)... one feels even more curious ("well, what now?")... which gives it a plus. I think it's all well-woven, but there's something that doesn't seem right. As a mystery plot, or the way the pieces fit together (which happens in so many works of crime and/or mystery novels) it works more or less well (I say "more or less" because the protagonist ends up revealing himself to be a shrewd and unexpected Sherlock Holmes), but I think that the whole story woven by Fischer could have led to something more powerful than the simple revelation of the mystery, which can be said to be as effective as it is somewhat aseptic. I think there was enough bite to be a bit more ambitious, to talk about the miseries of the human being and not leave it just as a simple mystery story. But then, Fischer wasn't Richard Yates either. Even so, it's an estimable read, and that, I suppose and seeing what there is, is already a lot.
SPANISH
Esta fue la última novela escrita por Bruno Fischer, tras 15 años de inactividad, en una producción literaria que transcurre prácticamente en la década de los 40s y 50’s y por lo que ha adquirido cierta reputación entre los fans de la novela negra. Como no había leído de él, he decidido empezar por ésta que pasa por ser una de sus mejores obras.
Ambientada en tiempo contemporáneo al libro, los primeros 70s, narra la historia de Caleb Dawson residente en los suburbios residenciales de la zona de Nueva York, trabajador como ejecutivo en una editorial Neoyorkina y con un matrimonio (hijos incluidos) que como tantos otros y tras el fervor inicial de los primeros años, se ha ido abriendo paso gradualmente a nuevas inquietudes, las monetarias, como no podía ser menos en una sociedad cimentada sobre los valores del éxito y el capitalismo. Vamos que una especie de mezcla de El hombre del traje gris (1955) con La tormenta de hielo (Ang Lee, 1997). La novela, aparte de servir como excusa para mostrar un poco los entresijos editoriales (las decisiones y demás tejemanejes con afán mercantilista que se cuecen en las plantas superiores de los grandes edificios, eso sí, sin cargar demasiado las tintas, no fuera caso que Random House se lo tomara a mal; al parecer Fischer conocía bien el sector, lo que explicaría tal vez esos 3 lustros de inactividad literaria), introduce el elemento de unas joyas que encuentra el matrimonio por accidente (con las que sacar ventaja económica) y paralelamente el asesinato en las inmediaciones de esos suburbios de un escritor en contacto con la compañía de Caleb.
Bien, he de decir que es una novela con fluidez narrativa, bien escrita, y que me ha ido atrapando. Cuando uno llega a mitad de la novela a cierto climax, ocurre como en "Vértigo" (Hitch, 1958)…uno siente aún más curiosidad ("bueno, ¿y ahora qué?")... lo cual le da un plus. Creo que está bien hilvanado todo, pero hay algo que chirría. Como trama de misterio, o el encaje de las piezas del mismo (que sucede en tantas obras de la novela negra y/o misterio) funciona más o menos bien (digo “más o menos” porque el prota se nos acaba revelando como un tan sagaz como inesperado Sherlock Holmes), pero creo que todo la historia urdida por Fischer podía haber dado para algo más potente que la simple revelación del misterio, que puede decirse que es tan efectiva como algo aséptica. Creo que había mordiente suficiente para ser algo más ambicioso, hablar de las miserias del ser humano y no dejarlo solo en una simple historia de misterio. Pero bueno tampoco Fischer era Richard Yates. Aun con todo es una lectura estimable, y eso, supongo y viendo lo que hay, ya es mucho.
December 19, 2018
Even though this was published back in 1973, it still was surprisingly current in it's portrayal of a married couple struggling with career disappointment and financial stress. The mystery was a bit scoobydoosih at the end in explaining the plot to the reader in too much detail. But the suspense started from page one, and was a very quick read. The title is a bit misleading. A better one would be "Middle-class Folly" or something similar, lol.
November 5, 2022
Shenanigans, sex and chicanery in the 1970's suburbs. Fischer does a great job lulling you into the quiet suburbs, leads you the seedier side of the 1970's corporate world, and slams you with theft, murder and kidnapping. And that's just the protagonist. A good quick read, and keeps your interest to the very end.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews