Bronson Blind Rage

by Philip Rawls

An incredibly vicious tale from the 1975 of a sociopathic vigilante who is out for revenge. The real author is unknown, and the name of the titular character and the cover illustration were obviously inspired by Charles Bronson in Death Wish.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[S. Zahler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bronson: Blind Rage is an incredibly vicious tale from 1975 of a man who is out for revenge, but very, very quickly reveals himself to the reader as a cold-blooded sociopath. The name of the titular character and the cover illustration were obviously inspired by Charles Bronson in Death Wish, though that was clearly just a marketing gimmick. This book makes that classic revenge movie seem like family entertainment and is amongst the nastiest few novels that I've ever read.

The highly detailed and incredibly gory violence at times reminded me of American Psycho, though where that book was satirical (and hard for me to ever take seriously), Bronson: Blind Rage is an immoral, hateful, brutal tale of godless seventies nihilism. On a related note, Philip Rawls is a pseudonym, and the real author of this work is currently unknown. There are many, many passages in this thing that might be the reason why nobody has owned up to writing this book (unlike the latter Bronson books, the authors of which are known).

Certainly, a lot of readers will have zero sympathy for this particular Bronson once he shows himself, even despite his troubled past. If you want to root for a likable, sympathetic protagonist who is balancing the scale of justice, look elsewhere. This Bronson is a guy with a disorder who should be witnessed from a safe distance during his "quest for justice" (aka psychotic manifestations). At time overly dense, this ugly book is a tour through a sleazy, ruined society and has a disenfranchised, polemic quality, which brings to might the least pleasant aspects of Martin Scorsese's masterpiece, Taxi Driver (which this book predates).

Bronson: Blind Rage is a dense hunk of very uncomfortable reading and a top example of seventies nihilism at its least apologetic.

[oddo · Rating 5 out of 5]

quick thoughts: immensely entertaining, second to none in terms of savagery within its genre. Blind Rage is an amazingly cruel story of a "vigilante," but let's be real, Bronson is one of the most morally depraved characters I've read in fiction. Check your sensitivity at the door before diving into this one.

[Duncan McCurdie]

A deeply unpleasant revenge novel that is peak 70s nihilism. For those that thought Death Wish was too wishy washy.