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The Store
Bentley Little is a top craftsman of the horror tale in long form. He has the ability, more unusual than you might think, to imagine 300 to 400 pages' worth of horrific incidents that add up to a long-lasting and powerfully unsettling mood. In The Store Little examines the steadily expanding influence, over all of us, of chain stores. Listen to what one character says: "A lot of these loonies ... are so worried about the federal government, and I never saw a government agency that worked worth a damn. These guys're so afraid of Big Brother and creeping totalitarianism, but our government's always seemed to me to be full of inept bunglers, not brilliant organized master planners. Hell, they couldn't even pull off a third-rate burglary. It's the corporations we have to worry about, I think. They're the ones with the money. They're the ones who can afford to hire the best and the brightest, to competently carry out their plans."
The Store builds paranoia by starting with simple descriptions of the picturesque landscape and the deceptively banal Western town that is Juniper, Arizona. Then The Store arrives. The Store razes a lovely hill to build its huge parking lot. The Store offers well-paying jobs and an astonishing variety of consumer goods. The pattern of delight and worry in the citizens, as The Store spreads its tentacles into local concerns, is believable--disturbingly so. The Store seems like any other of the familiar chains that reproduce like rabbits, invade communities, wipe out small businesses, and turn unique localities into a generic America that looks just the same from Alaska to Florida.
But what exactly goes on, when Samantha and Shannon meet with their boss in the basement of The Store? And who are the Night Managers?
This is dystopia in microcosm. This is horror fiction at its subversive best. --Fiona Webster
431 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
235 people are currently reading
10100 people want to read
About the author
Bentley Little
135 books2,566 followersBentley Little is an American author of horror fiction. Publishing an average of a novel a year since 1990, Little avoids publicity and rarely does promotional work or interviews for his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 778 reviews
January 3, 2022
I have read 17 of Little's books now and this is my favorite. Little weaves a tale like no other and takes you on a weird journey that leaves you wanting more. He writes about things no other writer dares to try. That makes him and his books unique. In this book we are thrust into Juniper, Arizona where a new store has opened it's doors. What starts as a pleasant white walled store quickly changes on a daily basis into your worst nightmare. The whole town starts to transform. The residents are no longer "good neighbors". Bill Davis learns quickly The Store demands more than loyalty, it demands your soul.
🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
September 8, 2015
No, no, no.
I have been meaning to read Bentley Little for well over twenty years, but his aguably best, The Store, has been so hard to find.
Recently it has been released for Kindle, so I was pretty quick to grab it.
23% in I had to stop.
As I've said in other reviews, I don't care how depraved things can get. In fact, the more depraved, the better! What I can't stand, though, are writers who defy human nature in their characters.
Even though this happens 23% in, I'll still protect this as a spoiler to that point.
If you can accept that as how a character would react, then sure, give The Store a try. You'll probably love it. I may have loved it when I was twelve.
But I have no time for authors that are so out of touch with what people would logically do.
I have been meaning to read Bentley Little for well over twenty years, but his aguably best, The Store, has been so hard to find.
Recently it has been released for Kindle, so I was pretty quick to grab it.
23% in I had to stop.
As I've said in other reviews, I don't care how depraved things can get. In fact, the more depraved, the better! What I can't stand, though, are writers who defy human nature in their characters.
Even though this happens 23% in, I'll still protect this as a spoiler to that point.
If you can accept that as how a character would react, then sure, give The Store a try. You'll probably love it. I may have loved it when I was twelve.
But I have no time for authors that are so out of touch with what people would logically do.
December 9, 2024
❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️
Social Horror is one of my favorite subgenres of Horror.
For me, it's a safe way to explore and consider a lot of pressing issues plaguing society. It feels safer than being out in the real world anyway.
Clever authors are able to create stories that reflect society back to us, making the issues maybe more in your face than a quieter, more literary-style narrative would.
The issues are exaggerated, but not to an extent that lessens their significance, it's done more in a way that says, how ridiculous is this that this happens?
I feel like in the past few years, Social Horror has had a real heyday. Rightly, as there's a lot of oppressive societal issues that deserve this spotlight and attention.
The Store, published in 1996, explores a major topic that was of very serious concern at that time, which was the expansion of certain retailers in small town markets.
Reading this I was transported back in time. I graduated high school in 1996, and the circumstance set-up brilliantly in this story by Little, actually happened in my hometown of Oxford, Maine.
If you grew up in small town America, and are around the same age as me, let's just say Gen X, you may find this book as horrifyingly relatable as I did, and I would definitely recommend it. Who doesn't love a terrifying trip down memory lane?
Before Wal-Mart came to town, our area was populated with family-run businesses. You know the kind where you know the owners and their kids go to school with you.
After the Wal-Mart announcement, like why are they coming to some random town in the mountains of Maine, now we all know, but at that time, it was a puzzler, I remember the adults in my life were not happy.
They tried to put up a fight, as did many others, but all to no avail. A piece of real estate was purchased, previously home to nothing but trees and wildlife, this was stripped and the largest building, by far, in our area was erected.
Within a few years, when I would go home to visit, after leaving for college, most small businesses had closed. Now when I go back to the area, it's hardly recognizable as the place I once knew and called home. You would be very hard pressed to find a family-run business now.
Bentley Little beautifully captured this unique period of time in such a brilliant way. I feel like, after scanning some other reviews, this story would be most appreciated by those of us who may have shared in this type of experience.
I think for those who watched this scenario play out, it's very easy to get into the mindset of these characters and to understand their motivations and the types of pressures they were experiencing.
I love how Little told this story as well. You get snippets from numerous characters that help to build out the town and the events occuring with the coming of The Store.
For many Readers, you can think of it as a sort of Stephen King style, ala Salem's Lot or Needful Things, where you get a piece here and there from characters all over town to create a sense of place and building drama. I love that style, as it really allows you to dig into what makes these places tick.
Our main focus however is Bill, his wife, Ginny, and their two teenage daughters, Samantha and Shannon. Their involvement with The Store provided me with all I needed to keep me absolutely glued to the pages.
This is a truly unsettling story. I loved the Horror elements, the uncomfortability I felt while reading it, it was no joke. Little definitely didn't hold back on the horrors of The Store.
Overall, I was really impressed with this. I've heard so much about Bentley Little, and even own a few of his books, but this is the first one I have picked up. I am definitely interested in getting to more from this author.
If they are anything like this one, I'm in for a good time!
Social Horror is one of my favorite subgenres of Horror.
For me, it's a safe way to explore and consider a lot of pressing issues plaguing society. It feels safer than being out in the real world anyway.
Clever authors are able to create stories that reflect society back to us, making the issues maybe more in your face than a quieter, more literary-style narrative would.
The issues are exaggerated, but not to an extent that lessens their significance, it's done more in a way that says, how ridiculous is this that this happens?
I feel like in the past few years, Social Horror has had a real heyday. Rightly, as there's a lot of oppressive societal issues that deserve this spotlight and attention.
The Store, published in 1996, explores a major topic that was of very serious concern at that time, which was the expansion of certain retailers in small town markets.
Reading this I was transported back in time. I graduated high school in 1996, and the circumstance set-up brilliantly in this story by Little, actually happened in my hometown of Oxford, Maine.
If you grew up in small town America, and are around the same age as me, let's just say Gen X, you may find this book as horrifyingly relatable as I did, and I would definitely recommend it. Who doesn't love a terrifying trip down memory lane?
Before Wal-Mart came to town, our area was populated with family-run businesses. You know the kind where you know the owners and their kids go to school with you.
After the Wal-Mart announcement, like why are they coming to some random town in the mountains of Maine, now we all know, but at that time, it was a puzzler, I remember the adults in my life were not happy.
They tried to put up a fight, as did many others, but all to no avail. A piece of real estate was purchased, previously home to nothing but trees and wildlife, this was stripped and the largest building, by far, in our area was erected.
Within a few years, when I would go home to visit, after leaving for college, most small businesses had closed. Now when I go back to the area, it's hardly recognizable as the place I once knew and called home. You would be very hard pressed to find a family-run business now.
Bentley Little beautifully captured this unique period of time in such a brilliant way. I feel like, after scanning some other reviews, this story would be most appreciated by those of us who may have shared in this type of experience.
I think for those who watched this scenario play out, it's very easy to get into the mindset of these characters and to understand their motivations and the types of pressures they were experiencing.
I love how Little told this story as well. You get snippets from numerous characters that help to build out the town and the events occuring with the coming of The Store.
For many Readers, you can think of it as a sort of Stephen King style, ala Salem's Lot or Needful Things, where you get a piece here and there from characters all over town to create a sense of place and building drama. I love that style, as it really allows you to dig into what makes these places tick.
Our main focus however is Bill, his wife, Ginny, and their two teenage daughters, Samantha and Shannon. Their involvement with The Store provided me with all I needed to keep me absolutely glued to the pages.
This is a truly unsettling story. I loved the Horror elements, the uncomfortability I felt while reading it, it was no joke. Little definitely didn't hold back on the horrors of The Store.
Overall, I was really impressed with this. I've heard so much about Bentley Little, and even own a few of his books, but this is the first one I have picked up. I am definitely interested in getting to more from this author.
If they are anything like this one, I'm in for a good time!
March 16, 2021
3.5*
"Se suponía que la capacidad del ser humano de adaptarse a casi todo era una de sus mayores virtudes, pero también era una de sus mayores debilidades. Lo volvía sumiso, vulnerable a ser explotado."
<"Consumidor". No se había percatado nunca de lo agresiva que era esa palabra. Le evocaba la imagen de un monstruo insaciable que lo devoraba todo a su paso y cuyo único objetivo, cuya única razón de existir era consumir todo lo que pudiera.
"Codicia". Ése es el impulso que nos mueve. No es el sexo, el amor ni el deseo de ayudar a los demás, sino el deseo de adquirir, la necesidad de poseer. El amor y el sexo surgen de este impulso. Las relaciones son una forma de posesión…—Si la gente no lo quiere, nosotros logramos que lo quiera. Nos aseguramos de que todos cuantos la rodean lo tengan y que se sienta excluida por carecer de ello. Usamos la presión de los demás en beneficio propio.>
Es una novela totalmente alegórica, simbólica y critica...
Lo que son los monopolios y el pesar de los pequeños comercios, las prácticas comerciales ilegales, los sobornos , la intimidación, la mugre política y burocrática en general,l a manipulación, la codicia, la sociedad de consumo y la explotación... todas estas cosas las lleva a otro nivel: Un nivel de"Entidad" con un trasfondo turbio, misterioso y sobrenatural.
Utiliza a esta cadena de supermercados "el Almacén" como un organismo, como un monstruo monolítico. que
solo se instala en pequeñas poblaciones,alejadas, que no tienen acceso a determinadas cosas,o bien las personas tienen que ir a las ciudades mas cercanas para adquirirlas. Y todos saben que algo anda mal en torno a este, pero lo asimilan y actúan de diferentes formas.
La premisa funciona para mi y cuando va al hueso realmente es genial y muy original. Pero por momentos, cuando le da vueltas al asunto Innecesariamente pierde efecto ,da la sensación de que le sobran algunas paginas(principalmente promediando el libro) y que sufre de cierto problema en la continuidad.
Tuve problema con algunas bromas fuera de lugar,incoherencias y detalles, en los que no voy a indagar, pero me sacaron un poco de la lectura.
"Se suponía que la capacidad del ser humano de adaptarse a casi todo era una de sus mayores virtudes, pero también era una de sus mayores debilidades. Lo volvía sumiso, vulnerable a ser explotado."
<"Consumidor". No se había percatado nunca de lo agresiva que era esa palabra. Le evocaba la imagen de un monstruo insaciable que lo devoraba todo a su paso y cuyo único objetivo, cuya única razón de existir era consumir todo lo que pudiera.
"Codicia". Ése es el impulso que nos mueve. No es el sexo, el amor ni el deseo de ayudar a los demás, sino el deseo de adquirir, la necesidad de poseer. El amor y el sexo surgen de este impulso. Las relaciones son una forma de posesión…—Si la gente no lo quiere, nosotros logramos que lo quiera. Nos aseguramos de que todos cuantos la rodean lo tengan y que se sienta excluida por carecer de ello. Usamos la presión de los demás en beneficio propio.>
Es una novela totalmente alegórica, simbólica y critica...
Lo que son los monopolios y el pesar de los pequeños comercios, las prácticas comerciales ilegales, los sobornos , la intimidación, la mugre política y burocrática en general,l a manipulación, la codicia, la sociedad de consumo y la explotación... todas estas cosas las lleva a otro nivel: Un nivel de"Entidad" con un trasfondo turbio, misterioso y sobrenatural.
Utiliza a esta cadena de supermercados "el Almacén" como un organismo, como un monstruo monolítico. que
solo se instala en pequeñas poblaciones,alejadas, que no tienen acceso a determinadas cosas,o bien las personas tienen que ir a las ciudades mas cercanas para adquirirlas. Y todos saben que algo anda mal en torno a este, pero lo asimilan y actúan de diferentes formas.
La premisa funciona para mi y cuando va al hueso realmente es genial y muy original. Pero por momentos, cuando le da vueltas al asunto Innecesariamente pierde efecto ,da la sensación de que le sobran algunas paginas(principalmente promediando el libro) y que sufre de cierto problema en la continuidad.
Tuve problema con algunas bromas fuera de lugar,incoherencias y detalles, en los que no voy a indagar, pero me sacaron un poco de la lectura.
July 24, 2011
Bentley Little established himself as the premier expert of institutional deconstruction with The Store. This is a smart and fast-paced novel, and its attack on consumer culture is so obvious yet so smoothly encapsulated within the traditional horror genre, that the genuinely sharp critique - the entire reason for this novel's existence - may pass almost unnoticed by the frequent and possibly jaded horror reader.
If the western is the most conservative of genres, then horror is surely the most reactionary. Both genres leave themselves open for regular deconstruction, but for some reason the western has gained acceptance as a serious genre, while horror still struggles. On the one hand, it is hard to see why: both genres have their critically respected authors who sell a lot of books (Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King) and both genres have thousands of paperback examples of dross that is easily available in all chain outlets – so why is the western seen as classic, while horror is seen as disreputable, an embarrassment? But on the other hand, it is very easy to see why. Horror is not a respected genre when viewing it as the embodiment of reactionary tendencies within human nature. These are tendencies that are in some ways shameful – a fear of sex, so sexuality is made horrific; a fear of violence and the unknown, so violence becomes both a threat and an object of fetishization. It is somehow less embarrassing to discuss the embodiment of conservative values in the traditional western or the deconstruction of those values in the atypical western, than it is to discuss the straight-up enjoyment of things that no supposedly healthy person should be considering for too long. Themes such as "Sex As A Threatening Disease" or "Violence As A Passion Akin To Sex"... are perhaps rather awkward to discuss for the person who has a vested interest in not appearing to be rather creepy.
Bentley Little is that rare example of the horror writer who doesn’t exist within the typical fear-of-sex, fear-of-violence continuum of most within the genre (King & Straub being his far more famous brothers with similar perspectives). I don’t know if the man is a liberal or a progressive or a libertarian, and I don’t really care. What I find to be completely refreshing is that his fears appear to be primarily based not around the potential of violence visited upon the traditional family unit (although it is there, to a point) or around fear of sex/fear of the body (although that is there as well, but understated and certainly not fetishized)... Bentley's horror explores the discomfort of comforting institutions like the chain store, the university, the post office.
In The Store, his multi-pronged attack on consumer culture is clear and straightforward. The protagonist hates it and so does the author. I don’t usually expect that kind of lucid renunciation of capitalism from this most reactionary of genres.
As usual, his writing is straightforward, almost transparent. The plot moves quickly but inexorably, the characters are simply depicted and all the more real for it. And the attack on the potential of dehumanization within consumerism, within capitalism, is both vivid and furious.
If the western is the most conservative of genres, then horror is surely the most reactionary. Both genres leave themselves open for regular deconstruction, but for some reason the western has gained acceptance as a serious genre, while horror still struggles. On the one hand, it is hard to see why: both genres have their critically respected authors who sell a lot of books (Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King) and both genres have thousands of paperback examples of dross that is easily available in all chain outlets – so why is the western seen as classic, while horror is seen as disreputable, an embarrassment? But on the other hand, it is very easy to see why. Horror is not a respected genre when viewing it as the embodiment of reactionary tendencies within human nature. These are tendencies that are in some ways shameful – a fear of sex, so sexuality is made horrific; a fear of violence and the unknown, so violence becomes both a threat and an object of fetishization. It is somehow less embarrassing to discuss the embodiment of conservative values in the traditional western or the deconstruction of those values in the atypical western, than it is to discuss the straight-up enjoyment of things that no supposedly healthy person should be considering for too long. Themes such as "Sex As A Threatening Disease" or "Violence As A Passion Akin To Sex"... are perhaps rather awkward to discuss for the person who has a vested interest in not appearing to be rather creepy.
Bentley Little is that rare example of the horror writer who doesn’t exist within the typical fear-of-sex, fear-of-violence continuum of most within the genre (King & Straub being his far more famous brothers with similar perspectives). I don’t know if the man is a liberal or a progressive or a libertarian, and I don’t really care. What I find to be completely refreshing is that his fears appear to be primarily based not around the potential of violence visited upon the traditional family unit (although it is there, to a point) or around fear of sex/fear of the body (although that is there as well, but understated and certainly not fetishized)... Bentley's horror explores the discomfort of comforting institutions like the chain store, the university, the post office.
In The Store, his multi-pronged attack on consumer culture is clear and straightforward. The protagonist hates it and so does the author. I don’t usually expect that kind of lucid renunciation of capitalism from this most reactionary of genres.
As usual, his writing is straightforward, almost transparent. The plot moves quickly but inexorably, the characters are simply depicted and all the more real for it. And the attack on the potential of dehumanization within consumerism, within capitalism, is both vivid and furious.
March 25, 2013
Bentley has real charm and wit when it comes to picking random, ordinary objects and professions and twisting them to the point where the reader will walk away with a certain healthy degree of some new fear for something as mundane as a store, a house or even their own mailman...that said The Store was a lot of fun, it's a fast read that tackles an interesting subject, a seemingly innocent store ( part of a chain) that takes over the town, literally! The craziness that ensures as inhabitants starts to notice a shift of power, or rather diminishment of their freedoms, is quite entertaining and it's surprising how far they will let it go on until some truly unfortunate things start to happen.
A small, quiet town of Juniper, Arizona, falls pretty to a monster, one made of concrete, lots of gray concrete and villainous employees who will not only sell you that microwave but also tell you what to put into it, and if you cant pay, well, let's hope you didn't get too attached to that new baby, or some body part or what not.. payments must be made...this isn't a gross and gruesome read ( not on every page) and in fact is pretty realistic and has some humor to it, but it's very creepy and the whole time, from the very beginning when animals start to die around the building site of the new store, you just know that something is off.. the main characters were sympathetic enough to make me care, so when they started doing some very opposite to "yes I want to live" things I was cringing, but all in good fun.
- Kasia S.
A small, quiet town of Juniper, Arizona, falls pretty to a monster, one made of concrete, lots of gray concrete and villainous employees who will not only sell you that microwave but also tell you what to put into it, and if you cant pay, well, let's hope you didn't get too attached to that new baby, or some body part or what not.. payments must be made...this isn't a gross and gruesome read ( not on every page) and in fact is pretty realistic and has some humor to it, but it's very creepy and the whole time, from the very beginning when animals start to die around the building site of the new store, you just know that something is off.. the main characters were sympathetic enough to make me care, so when they started doing some very opposite to "yes I want to live" things I was cringing, but all in good fun.
- Kasia S.
October 23, 2022
Even though I’m a horror junkie and it takes a lot to make me raise my eyebrows, this is one of the most demented and depraved books I’ve ever read… and I LOVED IT!! Bentley Little’s mind is so warped, yet so beautiful and entertaining. How he comes up with such great horror stories about everyday things is beyond me.
Juniper, Arizona, is about to change when the corporate big-box chain “The Store” starts building in their small town. The Store is similar to Walmart, Target, etc. It sets up in small towns, then slowly drives all local business out so the entire town is forced to shop and/or work there. They have quite a business model, and the story is definitely an anti-corporate anthem.
This book reminded me of two things: Stephen King’s “Needful Things”, because of the umm…variety…of things they have to offer for special customers, and South Park’s Ray Bradbury-inspired episode “Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes”, when Randy quits his job and works there because he can’t resist the bargains, and the boys realize that the town and its people are changing for the worse.
The Store definitely changes Juniper for the worse, and as for the people who live there, there are divided groups. Some, like Bill Davis, are angry that The Store is putting his friends out of business and that his daughters have taken jobs there. Other Juniper residents are happy to have everything they need available in one place, whether that be shampoo, clothes, child pornography, sex toys or snuff films. (I did mention the variety in their inventory, right?)
The book focuses on Bill Davis and his family, which seems to be falling apart after his daughters started working at The Store. Their devotion to their jobs, the emptiness in their eyes, the bloody panties in the bathroom…something isn’t right here and Bill is determined to get to the bottom of it. Thus begins his fight against a corporate giant that doesn’t mind letting blood spill as long as it’s good for the bottom line.
As I mentioned, this book is depraved and not for the faint of heart (though I doubt you’d be reading Bentley Little if you are). It’s also a brilliant satire and commentary on corporate evil, just taken to the next (and next, and next) level. I was going to rate it a four with a caveat that it was closer to 4.5, but then the ending blew my mind so I had to change the rating to a solid five stars. This may be my favorite Little book to date, and that’s saying a lot.
The moral of the story? Shop local. Especially if a box store tries to make that difficult. You might save some lives, including your own. 😈
Juniper, Arizona, is about to change when the corporate big-box chain “The Store” starts building in their small town. The Store is similar to Walmart, Target, etc. It sets up in small towns, then slowly drives all local business out so the entire town is forced to shop and/or work there. They have quite a business model, and the story is definitely an anti-corporate anthem.
This book reminded me of two things: Stephen King’s “Needful Things”, because of the umm…variety…of things they have to offer for special customers, and South Park’s Ray Bradbury-inspired episode “Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes”, when Randy quits his job and works there because he can’t resist the bargains, and the boys realize that the town and its people are changing for the worse.
The Store definitely changes Juniper for the worse, and as for the people who live there, there are divided groups. Some, like Bill Davis, are angry that The Store is putting his friends out of business and that his daughters have taken jobs there. Other Juniper residents are happy to have everything they need available in one place, whether that be shampoo, clothes, child pornography, sex toys or snuff films. (I did mention the variety in their inventory, right?)
The book focuses on Bill Davis and his family, which seems to be falling apart after his daughters started working at The Store. Their devotion to their jobs, the emptiness in their eyes, the bloody panties in the bathroom…something isn’t right here and Bill is determined to get to the bottom of it. Thus begins his fight against a corporate giant that doesn’t mind letting blood spill as long as it’s good for the bottom line.
As I mentioned, this book is depraved and not for the faint of heart (though I doubt you’d be reading Bentley Little if you are). It’s also a brilliant satire and commentary on corporate evil, just taken to the next (and next, and next) level. I was going to rate it a four with a caveat that it was closer to 4.5, but then the ending blew my mind so I had to change the rating to a solid five stars. This may be my favorite Little book to date, and that’s saying a lot.
The moral of the story? Shop local. Especially if a box store tries to make that difficult. You might save some lives, including your own. 😈
November 7, 2010
Uggghhh! This book had so many, many chances to become an excellent book!! A lot of the scenes it set up, it didn't follow through with! I feel like it was the generic version of Needful Things in a way. This was not a page turner for me because it kept me wanting more. I kept turning pages expecting/hoping for more and it fell very flat.
February 14, 2022
Readers of Little will see all the hallmarks of his fiction woven throughout: a small-town in the desert, a fight against bureaucracy, evil forces controlling things from behind the scenes, and a few really fucked up left-turn twists you probably aren't used to seeing in horror fiction. Having read about seven Little books before this, I felt satisfied, though I personally felt it didn't go quite as far or get quite as weird as some of my favorite books by him. Still a good time though. They always are.
September 6, 2020
This was a great spooky read!
What would you do if a new store opened in your town? Would you forget about the "mom and pop" shops around your area and flock to the new store?
A little backstory for you readers:
That is what happens in the small town of Juniper, Arizona as when the The Store is built it takes over the town and chokes out all the other stores leaving them like skeletons to wither away like dust in the wind. But the store is not what it seems and when things start happening within its walls is when things start to get really weird. Can the town survive and deal with The Store? No spoilers here as you will have to read the book!
Lots of twists and turns along with some bloodshed to add flavor to this horror story as the author has a way of grabbing the reader and taking them for a spin in the recesses of his mind! Five stars for this one!
What would you do if a new store opened in your town? Would you forget about the "mom and pop" shops around your area and flock to the new store?
A little backstory for you readers:
That is what happens in the small town of Juniper, Arizona as when the The Store is built it takes over the town and chokes out all the other stores leaving them like skeletons to wither away like dust in the wind. But the store is not what it seems and when things start happening within its walls is when things start to get really weird. Can the town survive and deal with The Store? No spoilers here as you will have to read the book!
Lots of twists and turns along with some bloodshed to add flavor to this horror story as the author has a way of grabbing the reader and taking them for a spin in the recesses of his mind! Five stars for this one!
March 13, 2024
I got this book under the best of circumstances; $40 burning a hole in my pocket and a 15% off coupon at Half Price Books. I had never heard of the author, which is strange since he has been publishing for a long time and has a pretty wide fan base. I decided to pick it up because it seemed like a straight-up horror story, and I’m always down for that.
The story starts out with a honeymooning couple traveling across the emptiness of the Texas flatlands. They come across a thoroughly modern and quizzically out-of-place department store that looks militaristic and threatening. The squat structure has no windows, only the glass doors of the entrance, and the surrounding landscape looks dead and leeched. The husband goes in to pick up some items and comes out dazed. The wife loses it when she thinks she sees the proprietor of the store as a demonic figure. They race off, feeling the malevolence from this odd store.
Then the story proper begins. There are really two stories running parallel; one involves Bill Davis, an everyman who has a wife and two daughters and lives in a small town in Arizona. The other revolves around his two daughters, one getting ready to graduate high school and the other getting ready to finish her junior year. It is announced that the store from the introduction (which has become a national chain that only operates in small towns with no retail competition) is opening a branch in town, a big change and source of excitement for the residents. Even as construction begins, things take a sinister turn. Despite this, the store seems to be a Godsend once it opens, offering new and hard-to-find products at unbelievable prices. At this point, the story seems to borrow some tropes from the old monster and disaster movies of the fifties and sixties. Evil and dangerous things begin to happen as the store becomes the focal point of the town’s existence and insinuates itself into every aspect of its infrastructure. For the most part, it’s the young people and the people on the fringes that seem to notice, while the adults and the “important” members of the community turn a blind eye to the strange happenings. Several times, I was reminded of movies where a group of teenagers try to tell the sheriff about the strange creature seen in the woods, only to be brushed off until the monster starts leaving body parts on the trails. This dynamic sets up what I liked the most about this book; while the store begins changing and influencing the town in horrific ways, the political establishment only gradually gets wise, while the kids and down-on-their-luck people who have been hired and indoctrinated by the store get the evil and insanity thrown in their faces. It was interesting to read several scenes where the town council coolly and civilly debates various propositions meant to strengthen the store’s grip, then flash to a new store employee being subjected to truly horrifying measures to get a job. The twisted factor in this book is pretty high, especially near the end.
The author blurb mentions that Little was a bureaucrat for a small city for many years. He brought this experience to bear in this book; the internal politics of the town play a big part in the story, and I liked that perspective. Not going to lie-there is some cheese in this book. It’s right at home among drive-in horror movies but has some very intelligent observations about politics, greed, and how far people can go when subsumed into an evil/fascist/authoritarian ideology.
The story starts out with a honeymooning couple traveling across the emptiness of the Texas flatlands. They come across a thoroughly modern and quizzically out-of-place department store that looks militaristic and threatening. The squat structure has no windows, only the glass doors of the entrance, and the surrounding landscape looks dead and leeched. The husband goes in to pick up some items and comes out dazed. The wife loses it when she thinks she sees the proprietor of the store as a demonic figure. They race off, feeling the malevolence from this odd store.
Then the story proper begins. There are really two stories running parallel; one involves Bill Davis, an everyman who has a wife and two daughters and lives in a small town in Arizona. The other revolves around his two daughters, one getting ready to graduate high school and the other getting ready to finish her junior year. It is announced that the store from the introduction (which has become a national chain that only operates in small towns with no retail competition) is opening a branch in town, a big change and source of excitement for the residents. Even as construction begins, things take a sinister turn. Despite this, the store seems to be a Godsend once it opens, offering new and hard-to-find products at unbelievable prices. At this point, the story seems to borrow some tropes from the old monster and disaster movies of the fifties and sixties. Evil and dangerous things begin to happen as the store becomes the focal point of the town’s existence and insinuates itself into every aspect of its infrastructure. For the most part, it’s the young people and the people on the fringes that seem to notice, while the adults and the “important” members of the community turn a blind eye to the strange happenings. Several times, I was reminded of movies where a group of teenagers try to tell the sheriff about the strange creature seen in the woods, only to be brushed off until the monster starts leaving body parts on the trails. This dynamic sets up what I liked the most about this book; while the store begins changing and influencing the town in horrific ways, the political establishment only gradually gets wise, while the kids and down-on-their-luck people who have been hired and indoctrinated by the store get the evil and insanity thrown in their faces. It was interesting to read several scenes where the town council coolly and civilly debates various propositions meant to strengthen the store’s grip, then flash to a new store employee being subjected to truly horrifying measures to get a job. The twisted factor in this book is pretty high, especially near the end.
The author blurb mentions that Little was a bureaucrat for a small city for many years. He brought this experience to bear in this book; the internal politics of the town play a big part in the story, and I liked that perspective. Not going to lie-there is some cheese in this book. It’s right at home among drive-in horror movies but has some very intelligent observations about politics, greed, and how far people can go when subsumed into an evil/fascist/authoritarian ideology.
May 1, 2018
As is the norm with Bentley Little’s brand of horror, The Store — a dark satirical stab at the state of commerce circa 1998 — wrings terror out of the ordinary. A corporate giant, The Store, moves to the small town of Juniper and soon becomes the locale’s main source of employment. Fairly mundane, right? Little takes this concept and twists it up, dices it into pieces, and the end result is a long scream of a novel: a nightmare the reader will not soon forget.
I like to think it takes a lot to shock me, but Bentley Little always manages to pull one (or three) over on this reader. Several passages — Hell, entire chapters — in this novel made my skin crawl, made my mouth fall open in surprise. That isn’t hyperbole; Little is the real deal, and this story is so terrifying because, though it could never real happen, it is an ingenious commentary on the brutality of modern American capitalism. And Little takes such a wide, all-encompassing theme as capitalism and brings it down to scale; he makes it approachable.
Despite the slow opening chapters and occasionally clunky prose, this is a terrifying book that I will not forget any time soon . . . especially when I’m browsing the vegetables at Wal-Mart and am asked by an employee if he, or she, can help me find what I’m looking for.
I like to think it takes a lot to shock me, but Bentley Little always manages to pull one (or three) over on this reader. Several passages — Hell, entire chapters — in this novel made my skin crawl, made my mouth fall open in surprise. That isn’t hyperbole; Little is the real deal, and this story is so terrifying because, though it could never real happen, it is an ingenious commentary on the brutality of modern American capitalism. And Little takes such a wide, all-encompassing theme as capitalism and brings it down to scale; he makes it approachable.
Despite the slow opening chapters and occasionally clunky prose, this is a terrifying book that I will not forget any time soon . . . especially when I’m browsing the vegetables at Wal-Mart and am asked by an employee if he, or she, can help me find what I’m looking for.
October 24, 2015
4 Stars
Now, that was fun.
Wal-mart on steroids; taking over a town near you.
I loved each and every character; some despicable and some just naive...and some, have a much darker side.
There is some hope, but very little. In the end our characters fight the good fight; but is it enough??
Come on in; they have everything you want or could ever need. (Think Needful Things on acid).
Now, that was fun.
Wal-mart on steroids; taking over a town near you.
I loved each and every character; some despicable and some just naive...and some, have a much darker side.
There is some hope, but very little. In the end our characters fight the good fight; but is it enough??
Come on in; they have everything you want or could ever need. (Think Needful Things on acid).
December 21, 2017
I really don't want to write this review! So many people love this book, and I was pulled in, but then somewhere in the middle things really slowed down, only to speed up for the final, repugnant, and dare I say mostly inexplicable last act. I have no idea how to rate this, and I'm still struggling with my feelings. So that's the best time to write a review, right?
Also, things are about to get super spoilery up in here, so if you are interested in reading The Store definitely stop right here. I'm going to have to talk about some big spoilers in order to explain why this book didn't quite work for me overall.
OK, so if you're still reading I'm going to assume you have either already read The Store, or you just don't care. I've read a number of reviews here on Goodreads, and I've heard people say good things about this book, and Little in general, so I was excited to read this one. It's also on a list I'm working through of the 50 Scariest Books of All Time. I can understand why this book made the list, even if it wasn't exactly one of my favorites. The concept of a discount retail chain slowly taking over America is definitely scary, but we'll get back to that in a moment.
The beginning had me hooked. Juniper Arizona is a small town where residents either shop from local businesses, or make a trip to visit the closest mall. There are no big businesses in Juniper, and that makes it perfect for The Store, a ridiculously named discount chain that only exists in tiny towns with no WalMart or other large retail presence. The Store has an agenda, and it starts with taking over small town America.
The citizens of Juniper are told that The Store coming to Juniper is a great opportunity for local jobs, even though the town makes a lot of concessions for the chain. The protagonist, Bill Davis, knows there is something not right with the store from very beginning, and he's correct. Unfortunately, his daughter wants to get a part time job there, and after a string of weird occurrences that reinforce his distaste for the retailer, he goes with his family to opening day, and suddenly realizes that there's a lot to like about the store, and maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to let his daughter work there.
The biggest complaint I'm seeing from readers is that none of the townspeople would actually do any of the things that The Store makes them do for a job there. I agree that no sane person would degrade themselves for a part-time job, but the impression I got very early in the novel was that once you are inside The Store you are under some sort of influence that essentially brainwashes you into doing things you know aren't right. Sam doesn't want to do any of the things the creepy manager demands of her during her interview, but she's powerless to get up and walk out because she's under The Store's control. It's likely that she didn't even make the decision to get a job there herself, and that she was already brainwashed before the interview.
The reason all of this can happen is that the owner and CEO of The Store, Newman King, isn't human. We never learn exactly what he is, (he seems a bit like a vampire to me, which make sense, because The Store sucks the life out of every town it enters), but it's clear that his influence affects the townspeople in every town that has The Store, which is essentially how he is able to slowly take over every aspect of the town. All of the local businesses or forced to close, and then The Store's presence expands to full control of the town. The Store eventually earns control of the city council, the police department, fire department, and even the school system. Newman King sucks the lifeblood out of these small towns, and then controls them fully.
At some point Bill starts to realize that The Store has gone too far, and he does everything he can to get his daughters to stop working there. The Store has an ironclad contract though, and after a bit of research Bill realizes he's going to have to go higher up if he wants to stop The Store and save his family. Eventually he pesters Newman King with enough emails that the man invites him to use his private jet for a personal interview at his corporate office. Bill has always been the main person in town to really fight the arrival of The Store, so he feels confident that he can stand up to Newman King.
Of course, since King is a brainwashing vampire, he immediately offers Bill a manager position at any store location, and tells him that once he becomes a store manager he can do whatever he wants to run it. Bill immediately thinks this is a great idea, although the tiny sane part of him that still exists knows that in reality it's terrible. He's powerless though, and eventually goes through a long training process that totally breaks him down, and then gives him every luxury he could ever want. By the end of training Bill is at the top of the class, and he goes home to Juniper to run the store. (Only first, he commits an act that he can never take back, and when he learns the truth about that act, it has horrifying repercussions.)
I feel like I'm taking to long to get to the point. The point is, if everyone in Juniper is under mind control, that sort of discounts the entire ending of the book. Because as acting store manager, Bill makes the decision to undermine Newman King, and band together with the other managers across the country to take him down. And he comes up with this plan INSIDE THE STORE. Why is Bill the only person in the country to finally break the brainwashing effect, and then convince hundreds of other brainwashed managers to follow along with his plan? It's never explained, and though Newman King declares on more than one occasion that he IS The Store, he's killed in one of his own buildings. Just because his employee's decided to start to defy him.
On a side note, I'm not going to say exactly what Bill does on his last night of training, but when he finds out the truth, I can't believe that it doesn't completely ruin his life or cause him to utterly give up. It's that appalling, and I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't see it coming, because as soon as Newman King reveals what Bill has done, it's obvious that it's the best way for King to control him. Instead, Bill's terrible act causes him to construct his elaborate plan, and for some reason it's hard for me to buy that. Clearly Bill is no longer under the influence of mind control, so why doesn't his indiscretion haunt him more? I think Little assumes that this act enrages him enough to want to do anything to bring down King, but I can't imagine any man being able to ever get over something like that and just continue on with his life.
So, structurally I have problems. I can buy into the idea that Newman King can brainwash an entire town, but it's hard for me to reconcile how Bill and his second daughter are able to fight it. (I didn't mention it earlier, but Bill's other daughter ends up working at The Store, and she does things to help her dad that go completely against the concept of her being brainwashed. How can you only be brainwashed part of the time?)
OK, so I feel like I've rambled enough. I'm going to read back through this and try to decide on my rating for The Store. There are some truly disturbing things that happen in this novel, but I think the pacing is off in places, and characters do things that can't really be explained. I would say the scariest part of this book is consumerism, and the idea that a corporation could actually gain the kind of control that The Store eventually does in towns all across America. This country does have an intense love for WalMart and Target. Unfortunately, that type of brainwashing is all too real.
Also, things are about to get super spoilery up in here, so if you are interested in reading The Store definitely stop right here. I'm going to have to talk about some big spoilers in order to explain why this book didn't quite work for me overall.
OK, so if you're still reading I'm going to assume you have either already read The Store, or you just don't care. I've read a number of reviews here on Goodreads, and I've heard people say good things about this book, and Little in general, so I was excited to read this one. It's also on a list I'm working through of the 50 Scariest Books of All Time. I can understand why this book made the list, even if it wasn't exactly one of my favorites. The concept of a discount retail chain slowly taking over America is definitely scary, but we'll get back to that in a moment.
The beginning had me hooked. Juniper Arizona is a small town where residents either shop from local businesses, or make a trip to visit the closest mall. There are no big businesses in Juniper, and that makes it perfect for The Store, a ridiculously named discount chain that only exists in tiny towns with no WalMart or other large retail presence. The Store has an agenda, and it starts with taking over small town America.
The citizens of Juniper are told that The Store coming to Juniper is a great opportunity for local jobs, even though the town makes a lot of concessions for the chain. The protagonist, Bill Davis, knows there is something not right with the store from very beginning, and he's correct. Unfortunately, his daughter wants to get a part time job there, and after a string of weird occurrences that reinforce his distaste for the retailer, he goes with his family to opening day, and suddenly realizes that there's a lot to like about the store, and maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to let his daughter work there.
The biggest complaint I'm seeing from readers is that none of the townspeople would actually do any of the things that The Store makes them do for a job there. I agree that no sane person would degrade themselves for a part-time job, but the impression I got very early in the novel was that once you are inside The Store you are under some sort of influence that essentially brainwashes you into doing things you know aren't right. Sam doesn't want to do any of the things the creepy manager demands of her during her interview, but she's powerless to get up and walk out because she's under The Store's control. It's likely that she didn't even make the decision to get a job there herself, and that she was already brainwashed before the interview.
The reason all of this can happen is that the owner and CEO of The Store, Newman King, isn't human. We never learn exactly what he is, (he seems a bit like a vampire to me, which make sense, because The Store sucks the life out of every town it enters), but it's clear that his influence affects the townspeople in every town that has The Store, which is essentially how he is able to slowly take over every aspect of the town. All of the local businesses or forced to close, and then The Store's presence expands to full control of the town. The Store eventually earns control of the city council, the police department, fire department, and even the school system. Newman King sucks the lifeblood out of these small towns, and then controls them fully.
At some point Bill starts to realize that The Store has gone too far, and he does everything he can to get his daughters to stop working there. The Store has an ironclad contract though, and after a bit of research Bill realizes he's going to have to go higher up if he wants to stop The Store and save his family. Eventually he pesters Newman King with enough emails that the man invites him to use his private jet for a personal interview at his corporate office. Bill has always been the main person in town to really fight the arrival of The Store, so he feels confident that he can stand up to Newman King.
Of course, since King is a brainwashing vampire, he immediately offers Bill a manager position at any store location, and tells him that once he becomes a store manager he can do whatever he wants to run it. Bill immediately thinks this is a great idea, although the tiny sane part of him that still exists knows that in reality it's terrible. He's powerless though, and eventually goes through a long training process that totally breaks him down, and then gives him every luxury he could ever want. By the end of training Bill is at the top of the class, and he goes home to Juniper to run the store. (Only first, he commits an act that he can never take back, and when he learns the truth about that act, it has horrifying repercussions.)
I feel like I'm taking to long to get to the point. The point is, if everyone in Juniper is under mind control, that sort of discounts the entire ending of the book. Because as acting store manager, Bill makes the decision to undermine Newman King, and band together with the other managers across the country to take him down. And he comes up with this plan INSIDE THE STORE. Why is Bill the only person in the country to finally break the brainwashing effect, and then convince hundreds of other brainwashed managers to follow along with his plan? It's never explained, and though Newman King declares on more than one occasion that he IS The Store, he's killed in one of his own buildings. Just because his employee's decided to start to defy him.
On a side note, I'm not going to say exactly what Bill does on his last night of training, but when he finds out the truth, I can't believe that it doesn't completely ruin his life or cause him to utterly give up. It's that appalling, and I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't see it coming, because as soon as Newman King reveals what Bill has done, it's obvious that it's the best way for King to control him. Instead, Bill's terrible act causes him to construct his elaborate plan, and for some reason it's hard for me to buy that. Clearly Bill is no longer under the influence of mind control, so why doesn't his indiscretion haunt him more? I think Little assumes that this act enrages him enough to want to do anything to bring down King, but I can't imagine any man being able to ever get over something like that and just continue on with his life.
So, structurally I have problems. I can buy into the idea that Newman King can brainwash an entire town, but it's hard for me to reconcile how Bill and his second daughter are able to fight it. (I didn't mention it earlier, but Bill's other daughter ends up working at The Store, and she does things to help her dad that go completely against the concept of her being brainwashed. How can you only be brainwashed part of the time?)
OK, so I feel like I've rambled enough. I'm going to read back through this and try to decide on my rating for The Store. There are some truly disturbing things that happen in this novel, but I think the pacing is off in places, and characters do things that can't really be explained. I would say the scariest part of this book is consumerism, and the idea that a corporation could actually gain the kind of control that The Store eventually does in towns all across America. This country does have an intense love for WalMart and Target. Unfortunately, that type of brainwashing is all too real.
October 1, 2023
Drawing from mankind's worst nightmares of today—capitalism and small town politics—Bentley Little demonstrates for us how far and low unchecked corporate power could go. Unfortunately, I didn't buy into it.
I was still entertained by the book; I just wish there was more character depth to the antagonist to make things make sense.
I was still entertained by the book; I just wish there was more character depth to the antagonist to make things make sense.
August 24, 2018
Another amazing one from the craziness that is Bentley Little's mind! This story was captivating and harrowing. Holy crap this one had its claws in me! I ended up reading this in AZ staying at my sisters between Phoenix and Tuscon, boy was that a fitting environment! The store moves into lovely Juniper AZ and the shenanigans ensue! I truly loved the characters in this one, Bill was written in a way that I could understand his plight AS WELL AS he response for almost the whole novel. That's a rarity imo, but somehow Little pulled it off. The Store and its complete take over was frighteningly real and full of twists and turns that left me guessing and pressed me to keep reading. Very good read, well written, and horrifyingly real. Makes me second guess my Costco membership......
Lol.
Lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2025
I don’t write reviews.
And I don’t like the idea of The Store. It’s not too far off from our world: everything owned and controlled by a creepy cabal of evil cultists, who answer to no one, but each other. I hope the answer to fixing everything is as easy it is in this story. (Honestly, he’s not far off on this one either). Sure we’re gonna all be hideously scarred, both emotionally and physically, but we may make it out of the tunnel yet. Spoiler (in life and in the story) - no one is coming to save you.
Insofar as Little goes, this is not his strongest offering. There are more plotholes than usual, which means they were plentiful and/or large enough to draw my attention. When Little is at his best, I hardly notice.
Book 10 - Just a Little Bit More: Reading Through the Bentley Little Catalog
And I don’t like the idea of The Store. It’s not too far off from our world: everything owned and controlled by a creepy cabal of evil cultists, who answer to no one, but each other. I hope the answer to fixing everything is as easy it is in this story. (Honestly, he’s not far off on this one either). Sure we’re gonna all be hideously scarred, both emotionally and physically, but we may make it out of the tunnel yet. Spoiler (in life and in the story) - no one is coming to save you.
Insofar as Little goes, this is not his strongest offering. There are more plotholes than usual, which means they were plentiful and/or large enough to draw my attention. When Little is at his best, I hardly notice.
Book 10 - Just a Little Bit More: Reading Through the Bentley Little Catalog
July 5, 2014
Shop At Death-Mart
This book escalates brilliantly. At first, The Store is just like any other chain retail store. Scummy, yes, but evil? The evil comes out slowly, logically and a way that is totally terrifying. I was doubly shocked. There was the initial shock coming from the book. Then there was the secondary shock when I realized I was actually being shocked by a book about an evil chain store. A lot of that comes from the fact that I'm personally guilty of some of the rationalizations used by the characters in supporting a soulless chain store instead of local businesses, and I could see myself going those few steps further if put in the character's positions. Furthermore, the way this book demonstrates scale, subtly showing that this is not just an issue in Juniper, where the story takes place, but in small towns across the country, is pretty fantastic. This has quickly become one of my favorite books.
This book escalates brilliantly. At first, The Store is just like any other chain retail store. Scummy, yes, but evil? The evil comes out slowly, logically and a way that is totally terrifying. I was doubly shocked. There was the initial shock coming from the book. Then there was the secondary shock when I realized I was actually being shocked by a book about an evil chain store. A lot of that comes from the fact that I'm personally guilty of some of the rationalizations used by the characters in supporting a soulless chain store instead of local businesses, and I could see myself going those few steps further if put in the character's positions. Furthermore, the way this book demonstrates scale, subtly showing that this is not just an issue in Juniper, where the story takes place, but in small towns across the country, is pretty fantastic. This has quickly become one of my favorite books.
August 27, 2024
This is Little's way, taking something that makes you angry, and beating the hell out of it. A lot of us hate those stores too; the ones that sell guns down the aisle from all the cheap plastic crap and processed foods that makes Johnny fat.
March 17, 2014
I wish this book were a drinking game and every time they said "The Store" you drank. Of course, then we would all die of alcohol poisoning - which would be better then having to finish the book.
June 24, 2012
This book was just so all over the place, that I just don't know what to rate it. 2? 2,5? 3? I think I'll settle with a 2, just because it had such a disappointing ending (but I was ready to rate it a 3 or 4 at the start).
Which takes me to...
The start - actually about the first half of the book was quite alright. It was slow paced which might alienate some, but I found I enjoyed the writing style, and it had several creepy scenes that built up suspense and made me wonder what was going on with/in The Store. I can't say I loved the characters, they were all pretty bland in my opinion, but I could overlook that because the suspense it built.
If you will, it was mostly showing, not so much telling.
And then, somewhere between halfway or so and onward, it became... awful.
On the last 2-3 chapters, it was completely telling, and showing almost nothing.
The ending amounted to nothing, , and in my opinion made very little sense and was awfully silly. Corny? Cheesy? Something like that.
So in all, the ending ruined it for me, a real shame considering I was quite enjoying it at first.
Which takes me to...
The start - actually about the first half of the book was quite alright. It was slow paced which might alienate some, but I found I enjoyed the writing style, and it had several creepy scenes that built up suspense and made me wonder what was going on with/in The Store. I can't say I loved the characters, they were all pretty bland in my opinion, but I could overlook that because the suspense it built.
If you will, it was mostly showing, not so much telling.
And then, somewhere between halfway or so and onward, it became... awful.
On the last 2-3 chapters, it was completely telling, and showing almost nothing.
The ending amounted to nothing, , and in my opinion made very little sense and was awfully silly. Corny? Cheesy? Something like that.
So in all, the ending ruined it for me, a real shame considering I was quite enjoying it at first.
December 19, 2008
I've already shared my opinion on Bentley Little as an author - he's an evil genius of bad dreams, and takes the "ewww-factor" to a new level with his writing. I'm not seeking out his books anymore (my stomach's not as strong as it used to be before I had my kids) but I did enjoy "The Store."
Imagine if Wal-mart was evil. Not evil like they are now... but really, actually evil. When a new branch of The Store opens up, birds drop dead from the sky in the parking lot. Customers find wares for sale you wouldn't traditionally find in a general big-box store. And then there's the night staff....
This book had a great premise, and I applaud Little for always pushing the envelope and finding new things in society to make scary. "The Store" is pretty horrifying in a number of scenes, but its like a train wreck - even though you know you should, you just can't look away.
Imagine if Wal-mart was evil. Not evil like they are now... but really, actually evil. When a new branch of The Store opens up, birds drop dead from the sky in the parking lot. Customers find wares for sale you wouldn't traditionally find in a general big-box store. And then there's the night staff....
This book had a great premise, and I applaud Little for always pushing the envelope and finding new things in society to make scary. "The Store" is pretty horrifying in a number of scenes, but its like a train wreck - even though you know you should, you just can't look away.
November 21, 2014
Very entertaining and engrossing story about a chain of retail department stores, generically named The Store. When one of them opens in a small town, everything goes to hell as it gains more and more control over the town.
A friend asked me if reading this right after Little's superb The Association due to the similar theme, and I can't say it did. However, I will say that The Association was the better of the two.
Still, this book was high entertainment with a wicked black humor and plenty of satire and creeping dread typical of Bentley Little at the top of his game.
A friend asked me if reading this right after Little's superb The Association due to the similar theme, and I can't say it did. However, I will say that The Association was the better of the two.
Still, this book was high entertainment with a wicked black humor and plenty of satire and creeping dread typical of Bentley Little at the top of his game.
November 9, 2017
Little starts with what is truly a 5-Star premise: taking the idea of a store that is similar to Wal-Mart and turning it's arrival to a small town into a horror story. A lot of the book was great and worthy of reading for multiple reasons. The only part that detracted for me was Little's combination of ghoulish and supernatural horror elements with very realistic unfavorable elements (tax breaks for the store, etc.). They worked separately but there were times when the combination of the two seemed silly. Other than that, a great addition to the genre.
August 14, 2012
Stephen King recommended author and book. King says: "BEST OUTRIGHT HORROR NOVELIST. Bentley Little, in a walk. Don't know Bentley Little? You're not alone. He's probably the genre's best-kept secret, but at least 10 of his novels are available in paperback; you can pick up three for the price of that flashy new hardcover you've got your eye on. The best thing about Little is that he can go from zero to surreal in 6.0 seconds. My favorites are The Store (think Wal-Mart run by SAYYY-tan) and Dispatch, in which a young fellow discovers that his letters to the editor actually get things done. Bad things.
8/14/12 This was my first Bentley Little book and won't be my last. Some pretty shocking stuff goes on in this book and things look grim for our heroes. Kept me turning pages quickly and not wanting to put it down.
8/14/12 This was my first Bentley Little book and won't be my last. Some pretty shocking stuff goes on in this book and things look grim for our heroes. Kept me turning pages quickly and not wanting to put it down.
September 24, 2012
This was a GREAT read. I was glued to this book folks! Now take any little town, like mine, population under 500, now bring in a HUGE chain store called nothing other than "The Store". This store takes out all the competing stores in this little town. You lose your daughters to this new store, your best friend, and you know you need to stop it, but how? This is what Bill Davis, his wife Ginny, and a select few were faced with. How do you fight pure evil when everyone is against you? This is a definate MUST read!
July 15, 2023
The Store is one of Little's satiric if-this-goes-on novels, this time focusing on the national transition from small, independent retail businesses to huge, faceless corporations running every aspect of communities and economies. Ironically, it had pretty much already happened by the time the novel appeared and has mostly only continued in the intervening quarter century. Parts of the book are a bit too far over-the-top (the characters seem to cooperate in their own degradation without question), and there's quite a bit of senseless sexual content, but despite some changes in technology (Amazon for Wal-Mart) it still works well as sly social satire. I think it's one of Little's best; it's especially recommended for people who've worked at a Store or have witnessed one take over their community.
April 14, 2022
Un thriller totalmente distinto a los que suele leerse, uno o varias personas como protagonistas. Para este caso, la atención se centra en el Almacén, en la organización que llega con una supuesta idea de progreso local, y lo que esconde tras de sí es el monopolio, intrigas, seducciones, asesinato, secuestro, patrullaje, reclutamiento etc.
Creí que iba a estar tedioso leer estos comportamientos que sabemos a las claras son cotidianas en el mundo de los grandes negocios, principalmente en esas grandes franquicias, pero no fue así. Una lectura diferente eso sí, pero lo mejor está reservado para el último cuarto del libro, con un final distinto.
Creí que iba a estar tedioso leer estos comportamientos que sabemos a las claras son cotidianas en el mundo de los grandes negocios, principalmente en esas grandes franquicias, pero no fue así. Una lectura diferente eso sí, pero lo mejor está reservado para el último cuarto del libro, con un final distinto.
January 3, 2020
Lo leí hace bastante tiempo, pero aún recuerdo que me resultó muy inquietante. Del estilo de King, un pasapáginas híper adictivo. ;)
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