Jim Thompson: Sleep with the Devil

by Michael J. McCauley

Traces the life of the American writer, and discusses the influence of his unloving father and alcoholism on his fiction

Genres: Biography

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owe this a much longer review but am saving that for the re-read as this was my first dive into Thompson's biography and I really had no idea what I was in for. My first take on what McCauley does here his that he maybe infers too much autobiography from Thompson's novels. Don't know. He does dig deep on the literary analysis, though, so not just a pure biography. Compelling read.

[Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few Thompson books, and I like to dip into this book every now and then.
This book works for me as it's mostly concerned with Thompson's books rather than dwelling on his life overall.

Having said that, I do like the SAVAGE ART bio as well.

[Nate Haynos]

FUCking wow

[Patrick Bair · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are not a fan of Jim Thompson's writing, you probably won't get much from this book. However, if you are a fan, this book offers lots of insight into his life and his writing.

[Lee Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great parts, some meh parts. I tend to like the great parts quite a bit.