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Savage
"Whitechapel, November 1888: Jack the Ripper is committing his last known act of butchery in the one-room hovel occupied by the luckless harlot, Mary Kelly. And beneath the bed on which the fiend is cruelly and cheerfully eviscerating his victim cowers a fifteen-year-old boy....This is just the start of the extraordinary adventures of Trevor Bentley, a boy who embarked on an errand of mercy and ran into the most notorious serial killer in criminal history, a boy who became a man as he travelled on a quest of vengeance across a wild and untamed continent--a boy who brought the horrors of Jack the Ripper to the New World."--taken from back cover
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
148 people are currently reading
2460 people want to read
About the author
Richard Laymon
216 books2,281 followersRichard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and a report writer for a law firm, and was the author of more than thirty acclaimed novels.
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
February 20, 2017
From one of the all-time horror greats, comes Savage - a historical fiction / adventure / thriller / western. Huh? Not at all what I expected. And that wasn't a bad thing at all, just a different vibe from the usual Laymon bloodbath. Don’t worry, it still had the appropriate amounts of shredded flesh. There were also some great characterizations and plenty of serial killer tracking hijinks and general mayhem which made it read much faster than its 430+ pages. I do loves me some Laymon.
May 7, 2014
Quite a good adventure/horror romp for Laymon.
I put off reading this one for a while, after hearing it was one of his lesser efforts. I got invited to do a buddy read, though, and so I figured what the hell?
I really loved the beginning; it was fun (and often laughable) to read the story as written from a British fifteen year old boy's perspective. Everything was "bully" or gave the narrator the "fantods". Really, it was fun reading.
Then the adventures that ensued for young Trevor after running afoul of Jack the Ripper just gre more and more outlandish.
Trevor survives one brush with death after another as he stalks the ghoulish Ripper across the wilds of America, meeting up with a trove of interesting characters throughout his oddesy.
I read the majority of this one in one sitting, glad I didn't delay reading it any longer.
Though it reads more like an adventure tale, Laymon heaps on extra helpings of grisly atrocities to satisfy even the most jaded of gore hounds.
Hands down, Savage is so much better than I thought it would be. I sure do love it when I get an unexpected treat like this.
Would definitely read it again.
I put off reading this one for a while, after hearing it was one of his lesser efforts. I got invited to do a buddy read, though, and so I figured what the hell?
I really loved the beginning; it was fun (and often laughable) to read the story as written from a British fifteen year old boy's perspective. Everything was "bully" or gave the narrator the "fantods". Really, it was fun reading.
Then the adventures that ensued for young Trevor after running afoul of Jack the Ripper just gre more and more outlandish.
Trevor survives one brush with death after another as he stalks the ghoulish Ripper across the wilds of America, meeting up with a trove of interesting characters throughout his oddesy.
I read the majority of this one in one sitting, glad I didn't delay reading it any longer.
Though it reads more like an adventure tale, Laymon heaps on extra helpings of grisly atrocities to satisfy even the most jaded of gore hounds.
Hands down, Savage is so much better than I thought it would be. I sure do love it when I get an unexpected treat like this.
Would definitely read it again.
May 9, 2025
Laymon serves up here a tale of Jack the Ripper and the Old West in his typical style. This turned out to be a fun read, but not one of my favorites by him. Our protagonist, Trevor Bentley, age 15 or so, starts the novel in London. Jack the Ripper is making waves in Whitechapel there, and Laymon brings them together in a very unexpected way. Long story short, Jack essentially kidnaps Trevor on a ship, which they (along with two others) sail to the USA. Jack has big plans on heading out West to continue his debauchery, carving up women. The story hinges upon Trevor's quest to track Jack down and stop him personally...
Laymon novels typically have characters entering dubious quests employing less than compelling logic that this is here in spades. Of course, Laymon also typically has some female characters whom the males all ogle their jiggly bits and Trevor plays that role here. What is it with Laymon and boobs? Anyway, this tale takes some strange directions, but Laymon did not give this the funky twists he is known for. Perhaps the Western ambience made up for some of that; I never thought Laymon wrote any Westerns! Still, this it the wild west served up Laymon style. Probably a must for Laymon completists, but perhaps not the best place to start with his corpus. 3 six shooters!
Laymon novels typically have characters entering dubious quests employing less than compelling logic that this is here in spades. Of course, Laymon also typically has some female characters whom the males all ogle their jiggly bits and Trevor plays that role here. What is it with Laymon and boobs? Anyway, this tale takes some strange directions, but Laymon did not give this the funky twists he is known for. Perhaps the Western ambience made up for some of that; I never thought Laymon wrote any Westerns! Still, this it the wild west served up Laymon style. Probably a must for Laymon completists, but perhaps not the best place to start with his corpus. 3 six shooters!
February 25, 2025
Laymon gets literary. Savage is not the book I expected it to be. What does Jack the Ripper have to do with it? It jumps into the time period of the 1880s and proceeds to give us the author's version of a teen boy's coming-of-age novel. Two parts Dickens and Jack London pastiche, and one part splatterpunk sex comedy. This is a teen adventure about a young man who chases Jack the Ripper to America and has a grand Wild West adventure. Consistently exciting and well-written, it proposes a strong hero and villain with a pulp serial structure. He meets several women who he tries to help, and in typical Laymon style, things get unbelievably horny and terrifyingly bloody. This is a good book about sexual psychology actually, one of his more successful takes on his themes out of the ones I've read. It's still very lurid and softcore, but it's an interesting take.
November 25, 2021
This was not what I was expecting from Richard Laymon. I like Laymon's works but this was pretty much a straight western with little in the way of horror. Maybe I'm alone in this but I was getting some serious Little Big Man vibes while reading this.
May 9, 2018
I have ever wonder why Jack the Ripper was never caught ? Here it is the answer brutal horrible & fantastic this really something special .
I found this one of the best books on what could have happened.
This a Chase across the Wild West about pure evil with twists & turns that you don't expect if love horror you love this. But Richard Laymon is famous for horror I often thought he was better than Stephen King but they be no more as he has passed the mortal Vail
I found this one of the best books on what could have happened.
This a Chase across the Wild West about pure evil with twists & turns that you don't expect if love horror you love this. But Richard Laymon is famous for horror I often thought he was better than Stephen King but they be no more as he has passed the mortal Vail
December 1, 2023
Review to come after its discussed in the Richard Laymon Book Club. 3.5 stars down to 3 for GR.
February 25, 2022
Absolutely epic! It was nothing like I expected, but in a good way. Savage had everything I crave in a horror novel and it took me on such a journey! This book goes right to the top of my list of favorites ever read, it's that good.. 5/5 skulls 💀
September 2, 2011
in my mind richard laymon is a genius, but man, he wrote some shitty books.
September 10, 2008
Trevor just won't give up... first he's off to fetch his uncle who's a Constable, to take care of a minor domestic dispute... along the way he's attacked, then runs smack into Jack the Ripper... doing what any good 15 year old would do he confronts the mysterious Ripper to save the girl... and ends up in a cross global adventure that puts Tom Sawyer on crack to shame.
When reading this I knew what Laymon was doing right from the beginning... he was writing his version of Tom Sawyer. Unfortunately for Laymon, he is no Twain. The opening of this book shows a lot of promise, we have the tension of the Ripper, the claustrophobia of London at the time, his mother in peril and then we have a lengthy sea voyage that will have you biting you nails to the quick... But then we come to a screeching halt and spend a lot of time in domestic life, riding trains, learning to shoot, traveling with brigands, meeting a few girls and eventually getting back to the story of the Ripper though it take about 300 pages to get there.
This is one of Laymon's longer works, clocking in at just under 500 pages. The biggest annoyance with this book isn't the concept, the idea itself is pretty nifty... some unfortunate soul knows the identity of the Ripper and chases him to the new world... this book should have absolutley ROCKED... but it didn't. First of all there is far less gore in this book than most of his others... which is strange since it is about Jack the freakin Ripper. Also the sex is toned WAY down. What is ratcheted way up however is really bad dialogue and terrible attempts at writing colloquialisms. If I had to read the words Chap, or Passel one more time I was going to slap someone... then when we got to the west everyone said things like shucks, pardner, and russel. But not just once, they repeated the same few key words over and over again. Then by the time we got to the end, Laymon forgot who was British and who was Western when the girl from Texas suddenly busts out in British slang.
If he had just stuck to hunting the Ripper this could have been a wonderful book.. he was doing so well with that part... but the Tom Sawyer adventure failed miserably due to phony, one dimensional characters and uninspiring dialogue. If you have not read any Laymon before, this is not a good place to start, as it really doesn't gel with most of his literary cannon and may give you the wrong impression as to what he writes. Start instead with "In the Dark," "Traveling Vampire Show," or the Beast House series.
When reading this I knew what Laymon was doing right from the beginning... he was writing his version of Tom Sawyer. Unfortunately for Laymon, he is no Twain. The opening of this book shows a lot of promise, we have the tension of the Ripper, the claustrophobia of London at the time, his mother in peril and then we have a lengthy sea voyage that will have you biting you nails to the quick... But then we come to a screeching halt and spend a lot of time in domestic life, riding trains, learning to shoot, traveling with brigands, meeting a few girls and eventually getting back to the story of the Ripper though it take about 300 pages to get there.
This is one of Laymon's longer works, clocking in at just under 500 pages. The biggest annoyance with this book isn't the concept, the idea itself is pretty nifty... some unfortunate soul knows the identity of the Ripper and chases him to the new world... this book should have absolutley ROCKED... but it didn't. First of all there is far less gore in this book than most of his others... which is strange since it is about Jack the freakin Ripper. Also the sex is toned WAY down. What is ratcheted way up however is really bad dialogue and terrible attempts at writing colloquialisms. If I had to read the words Chap, or Passel one more time I was going to slap someone... then when we got to the west everyone said things like shucks, pardner, and russel. But not just once, they repeated the same few key words over and over again. Then by the time we got to the end, Laymon forgot who was British and who was Western when the girl from Texas suddenly busts out in British slang.
If he had just stuck to hunting the Ripper this could have been a wonderful book.. he was doing so well with that part... but the Tom Sawyer adventure failed miserably due to phony, one dimensional characters and uninspiring dialogue. If you have not read any Laymon before, this is not a good place to start, as it really doesn't gel with most of his literary cannon and may give you the wrong impression as to what he writes. Start instead with "In the Dark," "Traveling Vampire Show," or the Beast House series.
August 24, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ rounded down because this did take me a little bit of time to get into but the plot has a quest, traveling adventure sorta vibe to it and once Trevor was on the road the book was a blast for me! I REALLY had a great time reading this. The main character Trevor was really enjoyable to read from, as were a lot of the side characters. 450 pages went by very fast! Loved the ending as well!
July 13, 2019
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com
Richard Laymon seems to be going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment, as the new wave of horror fans seeks out late 20th century tales of terror beyond the immediate comfort zone of King and Koontz. I read a tonne of Laymon in my teens and twenties and remembered him as being somewhere between early Koontz and UK splatter-meister Shaun Hutson. His books are certainly full-blooded, but my lasting impression was that of his treatment of female characters, which often leaves a lot to be desired. In particular, my memory of his 1995 novel ‘Island’ was that it was basically a morally dubious, adolescent rape fantasy.
‘Savage’ was one book I remembered fondly though. There’s an immediately obvious difference from his other work, in that it’s set in the 19th rather than the 20th century. I also recalled it being a gripping ride, and enjoyably original. It’s a twist on the Jack the Ripper story, with the killer interrupted during his final documented killing by an adolescent boy. The boy, Trevor, attempts to avenge the death of the Ripper’s last victim and, through a somewhat unlikely series of events, they end up together on a boat to America.
There’s an extended, and tense, portion of the book covering their trans-Atlantic voyage. The bulk of it though, is a kind of Boy’s Own adventure which sees Trevor tracking Jack across the USA in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed.
The beginning and end of the book are full of the kind of graphic gore that Laymon was renowned for, but the longer middle section is a gently enjoyable western quest. Trevor encounters natural disasters, snake oil salesmen, teenage outlaws, and the archetypal girl dressed as a boy. It’s all very linear, but the coming of age elements are well handle for the most part. Most of all, it’s packed with incident, and Trevor is a very likeable protagonist.
Laymon never quite escapes his fascination with the female anatomy. In one bizarre scene, Trevor identifies a female corpse by the colour of the pubic hair and the size of the breasts. At least this time he has the excuse of an adolescent narrator though. Surprisingly, Jack ends up being a rather dull character. He’s an effective villain, but incredibly one dimensional compared to Trevor.
For me that’s missing the point though. ‘Savage’ is a horror novel, but like Robert McCammon’s ‘Boy’s Life’ it’s really about what it’s like to be a teenage boy. It’s a genuinely fun and, at times, charming book. It’s funny, romantic and thrilling, with a sense of adventure that’s infectious. I can’t help wishing that more of Laymon’s books had been like this.
Richard Laymon seems to be going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment, as the new wave of horror fans seeks out late 20th century tales of terror beyond the immediate comfort zone of King and Koontz. I read a tonne of Laymon in my teens and twenties and remembered him as being somewhere between early Koontz and UK splatter-meister Shaun Hutson. His books are certainly full-blooded, but my lasting impression was that of his treatment of female characters, which often leaves a lot to be desired. In particular, my memory of his 1995 novel ‘Island’ was that it was basically a morally dubious, adolescent rape fantasy.
‘Savage’ was one book I remembered fondly though. There’s an immediately obvious difference from his other work, in that it’s set in the 19th rather than the 20th century. I also recalled it being a gripping ride, and enjoyably original. It’s a twist on the Jack the Ripper story, with the killer interrupted during his final documented killing by an adolescent boy. The boy, Trevor, attempts to avenge the death of the Ripper’s last victim and, through a somewhat unlikely series of events, they end up together on a boat to America.
There’s an extended, and tense, portion of the book covering their trans-Atlantic voyage. The bulk of it though, is a kind of Boy’s Own adventure which sees Trevor tracking Jack across the USA in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed.
The beginning and end of the book are full of the kind of graphic gore that Laymon was renowned for, but the longer middle section is a gently enjoyable western quest. Trevor encounters natural disasters, snake oil salesmen, teenage outlaws, and the archetypal girl dressed as a boy. It’s all very linear, but the coming of age elements are well handle for the most part. Most of all, it’s packed with incident, and Trevor is a very likeable protagonist.
Laymon never quite escapes his fascination with the female anatomy. In one bizarre scene, Trevor identifies a female corpse by the colour of the pubic hair and the size of the breasts. At least this time he has the excuse of an adolescent narrator though. Surprisingly, Jack ends up being a rather dull character. He’s an effective villain, but incredibly one dimensional compared to Trevor.
For me that’s missing the point though. ‘Savage’ is a horror novel, but like Robert McCammon’s ‘Boy’s Life’ it’s really about what it’s like to be a teenage boy. It’s a genuinely fun and, at times, charming book. It’s funny, romantic and thrilling, with a sense of adventure that’s infectious. I can’t help wishing that more of Laymon’s books had been like this.
May 16, 2016
You would think a book about Jack the Ripper meets the old west would be great. Um..no..not so much. The idea of this was great. The execution not so much. This was such a mediocre book for me. Oh well... I did finish it and I think that was only because there were some exciting parts interspersed throughout, but not enough to give it more than 2 stars. It also had this whole picaresque romance novel aspect to it which was very off putting. The narrator was also very annoying and the ending even more so. A two star book for me and probably will avoid this author in the future.
July 29, 2021
This was my first Richard Laymon book, and I really liked it, I found it easy to read, I like the characters, even the evil maniac.
March 17, 2011
I picked this up for $1.99 in a book bin. While the original premise seemed promising, the story is too long. This might have made a good teen read if not for the sex and violence. As it is written, it is not appropriate for young readers, and rather tedious for adult readers. This struck me as an idea for a screen play that did not sell. I got tired of young Trevor halfway across the Atlantic.
July 18, 2021
My new favorite Richard Laymon book. And I've read just about all of his published work. This is an unusual novel for him, combining several genres including historical thriller, adventure, horror and western. It still has plenty of horrific Laymon-style bloody flesh ripping but the focus is much more on the adventures involved with chasing Jack the Ripper from London to New York and on into the wild west. The first person POV of 15-year old Trevor Bentley is like Huck Finn in his bright-eyed innocent view of the world, forced to grow up fast than he should due to the circumstances in which he finds himself. Color me pleasantly surprised.
September 12, 2012
This is the first book by Richard Laymon I have read. I am on the lookout for more. I stumbled across this title in a search for historical fiction about Jack the Ripper. Jack certainly plays a key role in the story but the protagonist and main character, Trevor Wellington Bentley, stole my heart.
Trevor is a 15-year old living in London with his mother when his path crosses with the Ripper. In his attempt to escape the Ripper's knife, he jumps into the Thames and swims to a yacht anchored nearby. The captain of the ship knocks Trevor unconscious. When he wakes, the captain is dead and Jack has joined the crew. Knowing the heat is on in London, the murderer decides to take advantage of the situation and sails the group to America. Throughout the voyage, Trevor struggles with his desire to keep the couple aboard safe and the urge to kill the monster. All the while, he also knows there is a good chance the ocean will swallow them all.
Without spoiling the story, let me just say, Trevor must continue his struggle to save his own hide, to save innocents from the hands of the Ripper and to end the Ripper's killing spree in a journey through adolescence and the American frontier. It was a great romp filled with interesting characters and tough decisions. As Trevor would say, this story was bully!
Trevor is a 15-year old living in London with his mother when his path crosses with the Ripper. In his attempt to escape the Ripper's knife, he jumps into the Thames and swims to a yacht anchored nearby. The captain of the ship knocks Trevor unconscious. When he wakes, the captain is dead and Jack has joined the crew. Knowing the heat is on in London, the murderer decides to take advantage of the situation and sails the group to America. Throughout the voyage, Trevor struggles with his desire to keep the couple aboard safe and the urge to kill the monster. All the while, he also knows there is a good chance the ocean will swallow them all.
Without spoiling the story, let me just say, Trevor must continue his struggle to save his own hide, to save innocents from the hands of the Ripper and to end the Ripper's killing spree in a journey through adolescence and the American frontier. It was a great romp filled with interesting characters and tough decisions. As Trevor would say, this story was bully!
November 16, 2023
A Laymon like no other.
November 25, 2019
Подобно на Лансдейл и неговата "Бряг край мътни води" тук Леймън е видшал Марк Твен и е издишал чист приключенски роман. Комбинацията между стила на Леймън (леко потиснат), Джак изкормвача и голямо американско приключение се е получила бомбастична.
Тревор е 15 годишен хлапак от добро английско семейство. Баща му е загинал в индийските крамоли, а майка му преподава уроци по виола. Една вечер войникът от полка на таткото, който почти са осиновили, се прибира пиян и посяга на майката. Тревор отива да обади на чичо си, който е полицай, но това се случва в нощта на последното убийство на Изкормвача. Лондон е полудял и Тревор успява да стане свидетел на кървавото разфасоване на Мери. С младежко безразсъдство се опитва да неутрализира убиеца, но обстоятелствата го поставят на яхта, пътуваща за Америка, заедно с психопата.
Приключенията са епични. Презокеанско пътуване с извратеняк, спокоен живот в семейството на пенсиониран южняшки генерал, приключения с банда десперадоси, пътешествие с измамници доктори, престрелка в Тумбстоун. И всичко, само за да може Тревор да успокои съвестта си и да пречука злото, което е докарал на новия континент.
Като цяло книгата носи духа на Твен, но имаше сцени, а леле мале, типично по чичо Дик, които успяват да ти обърнат стомаха, все пак главен антагонист е Джак и мога да кажа, че е доста по брутален психопат от тези на Елисън и Блох.
Тревор е 15 годишен хлапак от добро английско семейство. Баща му е загинал в индийските крамоли, а майка му преподава уроци по виола. Една вечер войникът от полка на таткото, който почти са осиновили, се прибира пиян и посяга на майката. Тревор отива да обади на чичо си, който е полицай, но това се случва в нощта на последното убийство на Изкормвача. Лондон е полудял и Тревор успява да стане свидетел на кървавото разфасоване на Мери. С младежко безразсъдство се опитва да неутрализира убиеца, но обстоятелствата го поставят на яхта, пътуваща за Америка, заедно с психопата.
Приключенията са епични. Презокеанско пътуване с извратеняк, спокоен живот в семейството на пенсиониран южняшки генерал, приключения с банда десперадоси, пътешествие с измамници доктори, престрелка в Тумбстоун. И всичко, само за да може Тревор да успокои съвестта си и да пречука злото, което е докарал на новия континент.
Като цяло книгата носи духа на Твен, но имаше сцени, а леле мале, типично по чичо Дик, които успяват да ти обърнат стомаха, все пак главен антагонист е Джак и мога да кажа, че е доста по брутален психопат от тези на Елисън и Блох.
October 29, 2022
I always found Richard Laymon to be a bit hit and miss, but this saga about Trevor Bentley, a young man man whose encounter with Jack The Ripper leads to an ocean spanning pursuit, was actually really good. A chance encounter on a dark London night results in Trevor being hauled aboard an Atlantic bound cruiser.
It is an event that will forever change Trevor's life, and places in jeopardy everyone he meets from then on. A good story, and an interesting take on the Ripper legend.
It is an event that will forever change Trevor's life, and places in jeopardy everyone he meets from then on. A good story, and an interesting take on the Ripper legend.
June 20, 2018
Wow, fun read! It's a Jack the Ripper alternative history set in the wild West. Enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.
December 23, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up for GR. One of Richard Laymon's best books!
June 26, 2018
I'm not a fan of Laymon by any stretch of the imagination. I hated Blood Games and Bite but THIS was EPIC!
A sprawling, violent, sexual adventure that spans countries, leaving multiple mutilated unfortunates in it's wake. Using the character of Jack the Ripper was actually inspired and it worked to the story's advantage. The main character of young Trevor Bentley is apparently so charming, every girl (or woman, oh yes) immediately seems to want to sleep with him, and they do, in fairly graphic fashion. Quite arousing for yours truly, reading this at far too impressionable an age.
Basically, the book is fun. It's pace is fast, the action vivid and intense and the sex is, well, hot. If you can get past the muddied combination of severed body parts that follows almost each and every titillating scene.
A sprawling, violent, sexual adventure that spans countries, leaving multiple mutilated unfortunates in it's wake. Using the character of Jack the Ripper was actually inspired and it worked to the story's advantage. The main character of young Trevor Bentley is apparently so charming, every girl (or woman, oh yes) immediately seems to want to sleep with him, and they do, in fairly graphic fashion. Quite arousing for yours truly, reading this at far too impressionable an age.
Basically, the book is fun. It's pace is fast, the action vivid and intense and the sex is, well, hot. If you can get past the muddied combination of severed body parts that follows almost each and every titillating scene.
November 11, 2010
Richard Laymon has an unmistakable style and it's not for those whose delicate sensibilities are easily offended. But if you like your horror fun and sexy and super fast paced, his books are a must. Savage is historical fiction and as such is a bit of a departure for the author, but it is definitely a Laymon book. It's an adventure about a 16 year old boy tracking down a certain English serial killer across two continents and an ocean. Ripping good time...mwaahahhhahha
December 11, 2010
rubbish
May 19, 2019
3.5 stars
I enjoy reading Richard Laymon. He is my comfort food read, like I would eat at Burger King until I stopped eating from fast food restaurants of that nature in 2014. As far as Savage is concerned, there are several faults that should bump this rating down to 2 or 2.5 stars, but I enjoyed following Trevor Bentley on his adventure and this is why I bump it up to 3.5 stars and give it my marginal approval. Oh yeah, and Trevor Bentley's goal is to kill Jack the Ripper during the late 19th century. This novel strays away from the horror that Laymon is known most, but it does fit in the category that he places himself into with the crime genre. There are also elements of historical fiction and the western genre, as the west portrayed in this genre reflects the myth. At the same time, there is in-depth information about insane methods that took place and would attract nutjobs like Jack the Ripper.
In 1888, Trevor Bentley is 15 years old and lives in Whitechapel, UK with his mother, whom he watches out for as his father died in combat when Trevor was very young. His mother brings home an abusive man that Trevor has to confront and restrain before bringing his Uncle William, a law enforcement officer. On his way, he is cornered by a prostitute, jumped, and eventually makes his way into a woman's house, where he vaguely oversees the murder of a prostitute by Jack the Ripper. At this very moment does it become Trevor's fascination to follow and kill Jack the Ripper. During his adventure, he makes his way to the United States, making stops here and there, but keeping his eye on his target.
This is perhaps the greatest example of fast food literature: very entertaining, but its fault are so evident. I liked Trevor Bentley and how he was a character that I could understand. He did not seeing people getting abused, especially women. He questioned cluelessly and stupidity the same way I did as a reader and as far as observations were concerned, Trevor definitely assured us that we had a point to think the way he did. Laymon relies on many of his themes such as sexual encounters/sex scenes, nudity, and blood and gore, but that is expected in the splatterpunk genre. There is an entire part that almost strays away from the major action in this novel that I can certainly say will annoy readers that like concentrated works. There are plenty of detours within this text and the ending is strange, but for someone like Laymon, that should be expected.
I had myself a time reading this. I enjoyed following Trevor along on his mission to kill Jack the Ripper and really admired his train of thought and what inspired him to go about his mission, but this is clearly a casual read for an audience that is looking for just that. I liked it because I like reading horror and Richard Laymon. I was engaged in this book, but I can see where this may not be his greatest feat. Historical fiction can be a challenge to get right, but I was entertained by this story about Jack the Ripper, a figure I am not too familiar with, but will now be intrigued to learn about some more.
An engaging read for me, even with its obvious moments of filler that assure that Laymon fulfills his checklist of sex and nudity.
I enjoy reading Richard Laymon. He is my comfort food read, like I would eat at Burger King until I stopped eating from fast food restaurants of that nature in 2014. As far as Savage is concerned, there are several faults that should bump this rating down to 2 or 2.5 stars, but I enjoyed following Trevor Bentley on his adventure and this is why I bump it up to 3.5 stars and give it my marginal approval. Oh yeah, and Trevor Bentley's goal is to kill Jack the Ripper during the late 19th century. This novel strays away from the horror that Laymon is known most, but it does fit in the category that he places himself into with the crime genre. There are also elements of historical fiction and the western genre, as the west portrayed in this genre reflects the myth. At the same time, there is in-depth information about insane methods that took place and would attract nutjobs like Jack the Ripper.
In 1888, Trevor Bentley is 15 years old and lives in Whitechapel, UK with his mother, whom he watches out for as his father died in combat when Trevor was very young. His mother brings home an abusive man that Trevor has to confront and restrain before bringing his Uncle William, a law enforcement officer. On his way, he is cornered by a prostitute, jumped, and eventually makes his way into a woman's house, where he vaguely oversees the murder of a prostitute by Jack the Ripper. At this very moment does it become Trevor's fascination to follow and kill Jack the Ripper. During his adventure, he makes his way to the United States, making stops here and there, but keeping his eye on his target.
This is perhaps the greatest example of fast food literature: very entertaining, but its fault are so evident. I liked Trevor Bentley and how he was a character that I could understand. He did not seeing people getting abused, especially women. He questioned cluelessly and stupidity the same way I did as a reader and as far as observations were concerned, Trevor definitely assured us that we had a point to think the way he did. Laymon relies on many of his themes such as sexual encounters/sex scenes, nudity, and blood and gore, but that is expected in the splatterpunk genre. There is an entire part that almost strays away from the major action in this novel that I can certainly say will annoy readers that like concentrated works. There are plenty of detours within this text and the ending is strange, but for someone like Laymon, that should be expected.
I had myself a time reading this. I enjoyed following Trevor along on his mission to kill Jack the Ripper and really admired his train of thought and what inspired him to go about his mission, but this is clearly a casual read for an audience that is looking for just that. I liked it because I like reading horror and Richard Laymon. I was engaged in this book, but I can see where this may not be his greatest feat. Historical fiction can be a challenge to get right, but I was entertained by this story about Jack the Ripper, a figure I am not too familiar with, but will now be intrigued to learn about some more.
An engaging read for me, even with its obvious moments of filler that assure that Laymon fulfills his checklist of sex and nudity.
February 15, 2019
"London's East End was rather a dicey place, but that's where I found myself, a fifteen-year-old youngster with more sand than sense, on the night of 8 November, 1888. That was some twenty years back, so it's high time I put pen to my story before I commence to forget the particulars, or get snakebit."
In Savage, the young Englishman Trevor Bentley tells the wild, adventurous tale of his run-in with the serial killer Jack the Ripper in London, a meeting which changes Trevor's life forever. After being shanghaied to America, Trevor determines to find and bring the Ripper to justice before more victims, this time American, fall to his blade. A hefty task for anyone, let alone a teenager with "more sand than sense."
Savage was a book that I would not normally pick up and was suggested by my book club. After starting it, it quickly became apparent that Savage wasn't for me. Much like The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, I found myself frustrated and irritated by a story in which I had very little interest. While Jack the Ripper features heavily at the bookends of the story, the bulk of Savage is a boy's adventure story taking place in the American West. It felt like if Mark Twain had been obsessed with the West but had insisted on telling the story via stereotypes. This is not to say that Savage is all bad. Laymon is quite good at describing action and gruesome details and I think anyone who enjoys the classic, pulpy, boy's adventure tales on which it's clearly based will enjoy it. As a word of warning, this is apparently one of Laymon's least gruesome stories but the sections with Jack the Ripper were almost at my gore limit.
It's certainly not the worst book I've ever read and at points, the adventure had me intrigued. Ultimately, Savage just didn't hold my interest and might be enjoyed more by people who like books like the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island.
In Savage, the young Englishman Trevor Bentley tells the wild, adventurous tale of his run-in with the serial killer Jack the Ripper in London, a meeting which changes Trevor's life forever. After being shanghaied to America, Trevor determines to find and bring the Ripper to justice before more victims, this time American, fall to his blade. A hefty task for anyone, let alone a teenager with "more sand than sense."
Savage was a book that I would not normally pick up and was suggested by my book club. After starting it, it quickly became apparent that Savage wasn't for me. Much like The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, I found myself frustrated and irritated by a story in which I had very little interest. While Jack the Ripper features heavily at the bookends of the story, the bulk of Savage is a boy's adventure story taking place in the American West. It felt like if Mark Twain had been obsessed with the West but had insisted on telling the story via stereotypes. This is not to say that Savage is all bad. Laymon is quite good at describing action and gruesome details and I think anyone who enjoys the classic, pulpy, boy's adventure tales on which it's clearly based will enjoy it. As a word of warning, this is apparently one of Laymon's least gruesome stories but the sections with Jack the Ripper were almost at my gore limit.
It's certainly not the worst book I've ever read and at points, the adventure had me intrigued. Ultimately, Savage just didn't hold my interest and might be enjoyed more by people who like books like the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island.
February 11, 2023
Ok, so far I’ve come across 2 Laymon books that I legitimately think need to be made into movies, Funland and now, Savage. Such an ambitious book, but it lives up. So much action, the characters are almost all interesting in their own unique ways. And the chase across the world then across America in the late 19th century give it a unique spin not present in your typical Laymon work. This was a well-done book. Plenty of descriptive gore for the horror fan, but this one offers much more in the form of story, setting, and characterization. Would highly recommend and would love to see the highly unlikely event of this making its way to the screen.
April 19, 2017
The bulk of this book was excellent! An adventurous tale starring a 16 year old British kid named Trevor who accidentally bumps into Jack the Ripper and follows him from London all the way to the wild wild west. I wasn't expecting this to transition into a western of sorts, but it did and was very well done. Lots of action & adventure mixed with a little romance and add the Ripper for the madman and this all comes nicely together. The ending lacked a bit for me, but other than that no complaints. 4 1/2 stars rounded down to 4
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