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University
Reluctantly returning for another semester at UC, campus editor Jim Parker and library assistant Faith Pullen are alarmed by a series of bloody accidents that seem to be linked to an eerie and sinister force.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
58 people are currently reading
1454 people want to read
About the author
Bentley Little
135 books2,565 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 108 reviews
August 21, 2022
Rapey Times at Ridgemont High.
It's Bentley Little time again, so, you know what that means - Rape. Lots of rape! Also:- Shiny dicks, rubber dicks, ceramic dicks, giant dicks, honey-covered dicks, magic dicks, murderous dicks, ant-covered dicks, aggressive teenage rapists (Not just men!),"dwarf-tossing", and that's just off the top of my head.
The book reads like a horny teenager typed it out one-handed. It's no way near as bad as some of the other books that I've read -in terms of depravity- but...Little has a special way of writing really awkward, bizarre sex scenes, that only he could write. Cringey as hell. With that being said, It was quite a fun read.
3.5 Stars.
It's Bentley Little time again, so, you know what that means - Rape. Lots of rape! Also:- Shiny dicks, rubber dicks, ceramic dicks, giant dicks, honey-covered dicks, magic dicks, murderous dicks, ant-covered dicks, aggressive teenage rapists (Not just men!),"dwarf-tossing", and that's just off the top of my head.
The book reads like a horny teenager typed it out one-handed. It's no way near as bad as some of the other books that I've read -in terms of depravity- but...Little has a special way of writing really awkward, bizarre sex scenes, that only he could write. Cringey as hell. With that being said, It was quite a fun read.
3.5 Stars.
March 5, 2013
Bentley Little: subverter of iconic institutions. while other authors with equally prolific tendencies are often content to jump from creature to creature, Little not only re-visits both well-known and more obscure threats (in addition to haunted houses and vampires, his topics include maenads and an invisible man)... but he will often make a point of satirically locating many of his horrors in the most everyday of places. other subversions have included department stores, resorts, the postal service, and the insurance industry. this book's banal locus of evil is Higher Education.
University posits a reality where universities are actually sentient beings, with each student and staff member acting as just one cell of a greater organism. unfortunately for the novel's cast, the particular organism that they're a part of is deeply psychotic. the idea is an interesting one and creates many democratic opportunities for both horror and irony, as the mindlessly reactionary, the complacently liberal, the tediously conformist, and the superficially rebellious are all enjoyably skewered throughout the novel.
characterizations are shallow but sympathetic and the narrative is built on a sometimes too-wide canvas. as always with the author, sex - whether as an act of love, lust, or horror - is presented in such a matter-of-fact way (far removed from the gloating, juvenile lasciviousness of Edward Lee or Richard Laymon), that the act itself carries about as much mystery and complexity as eating or sleeping. it is a surprising and refreshing point of view, particularly given the conspicuously high amount of sex present throughout the author's works.
overall, another worthy entry in the author's on-going mission: Take Down The Establishment, One Institution At A Time. go get 'em, Bentley!
University posits a reality where universities are actually sentient beings, with each student and staff member acting as just one cell of a greater organism. unfortunately for the novel's cast, the particular organism that they're a part of is deeply psychotic. the idea is an interesting one and creates many democratic opportunities for both horror and irony, as the mindlessly reactionary, the complacently liberal, the tediously conformist, and the superficially rebellious are all enjoyably skewered throughout the novel.
characterizations are shallow but sympathetic and the narrative is built on a sometimes too-wide canvas. as always with the author, sex - whether as an act of love, lust, or horror - is presented in such a matter-of-fact way (far removed from the gloating, juvenile lasciviousness of Edward Lee or Richard Laymon), that the act itself carries about as much mystery and complexity as eating or sleeping. it is a surprising and refreshing point of view, particularly given the conspicuously high amount of sex present throughout the author's works.
overall, another worthy entry in the author's on-going mission: Take Down The Establishment, One Institution At A Time. go get 'em, Bentley!
November 5, 2018
We have to kill the university. Before it kills us.
Bentley Little seems to be a beloved author among horror fans, though this book left me scratching my head as to why.
Early on, one of the characters mentions that it's possible to become inured to violence and horror. Then Little sets out to prove it by cranking out scene after scene of vile activity for no other reason than to shock and titillate. Something happens on almost every page - in addition to orgies on the lawn, we have a professor who invites his party guests to partake of his amazingly flexible wife's charms, a couple swims in a pool of blood, there are race riots, murders, suicides, and I lost count of all the rapes . . . There's so much that indeed, I did become inured. And bored. Yup - another page, another atrocity. By the time we get to the author's BIG AWFUL THING - - I was saying, "Yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
It's really hard to be moved by and concerned about someone's death when that character was introduced only a few sentences earlier. Say "Hi!" to Betsy everyone! And now we're removing her skin. Seriously. The whole book is like that. There's not a lot of rhyme or reason here. On the one hand, you've got the university inside the heads of kids who are already unstable, making them do all sorts of disgusting things to, and with their fellow students. Then you've also got killer vines and attacking squirrels. Uh-huh.
Squirrels.
It's a shame, because there are some genuinely creepy moments to be had. If Little had chosen suspense over gore (and gotten rid of the marauding squirrels), who knows what kind of book this might have been.
I was curious enough to want to see how it ended - , and that's the only reason it gets two stars instead of one. The good thing about reading a book like this is that it will make the next one seem that much better.
Plus, no dogs were raped.
So, there's that.
I guess.
Bentley Little seems to be a beloved author among horror fans, though this book left me scratching my head as to why.
Early on, one of the characters mentions that it's possible to become inured to violence and horror. Then Little sets out to prove it by cranking out scene after scene of vile activity for no other reason than to shock and titillate. Something happens on almost every page - in addition to orgies on the lawn, we have a professor who invites his party guests to partake of his amazingly flexible wife's charms, a couple swims in a pool of blood, there are race riots, murders, suicides, and I lost count of all the rapes . . . There's so much that indeed, I did become inured. And bored. Yup - another page, another atrocity. By the time we get to the author's BIG AWFUL THING - - I was saying, "Yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
It's really hard to be moved by and concerned about someone's death when that character was introduced only a few sentences earlier. Say "Hi!" to Betsy everyone! And now we're removing her skin. Seriously. The whole book is like that. There's not a lot of rhyme or reason here. On the one hand, you've got the university inside the heads of kids who are already unstable, making them do all sorts of disgusting things to, and with their fellow students. Then you've also got killer vines and attacking squirrels. Uh-huh.
Squirrels.
It's a shame, because there are some genuinely creepy moments to be had. If Little had chosen suspense over gore (and gotten rid of the marauding squirrels), who knows what kind of book this might have been.
I was curious enough to want to see how it ended - , and that's the only reason it gets two stars instead of one. The good thing about reading a book like this is that it will make the next one seem that much better.
Plus, no dogs were raped.
So, there's that.
I guess.
May 10, 2017
4.5 STARS
Until I discovered Bentley Little, Stephen King used to be my be-all-and-end-all when it came to horror. This guy can write, which is why the very Stephen King dubbed him ‘The Horror Poet-Laureate’.
What I discovered with Little is that he does not hold back. Gone were the days when I thought in terms of ‘limits’ to what can happen to the main characters in a story.
This is a writer you have to try when you want to push the boundaries of your imagination. Be warned, if you want to have the cockles of your heart warmed, you are heading down the wrong path.
Until I discovered Bentley Little, Stephen King used to be my be-all-and-end-all when it came to horror. This guy can write, which is why the very Stephen King dubbed him ‘The Horror Poet-Laureate’.
What I discovered with Little is that he does not hold back. Gone were the days when I thought in terms of ‘limits’ to what can happen to the main characters in a story.
This is a writer you have to try when you want to push the boundaries of your imagination. Be warned, if you want to have the cockles of your heart warmed, you are heading down the wrong path.
May 20, 2023
This is an extreme horror novel with a lot of violence and rape and abuse of various kinds, more along the lines of Edward Lee or Jack Ketchum or Richard Laymon than King or Koontz or McCammon. Underneath all of the triggery offensive content there's a really good and interesting story about an evil institution and some fine characters, so keep both of those things in mind when considering it. If you've never read Little before, this might not be the place to start.
July 3, 2011
I read a short story collection of Little's recently and though I found them less than well-written, I thought I would give one of his novels a try.
I was not impressed. It seems Little relies almost entirely on shock value to disturb readers. I'm not the sort of person who is easily disturbed, and I will admit this subject matter did not disturb me (I've read worse in accounts of actual crimes) - that is not where my problems lie. What was disturbing, however, was that it seemed to me that this novel was a series of vignettes intended to make the reader squirm and think how disgusting or awful or perverse it was. All I could think was that there were more of these various 'shocking' scenarios than there was of the story - and they weren't even that shocking to me, so my hopes for a well-structured novel were dashed by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book.
I realize horror stories are a lot about shock, but I thought this was trying too hard. If Little wanted to disturb his readers, he could write better instead of writing about yet another I didn't even consider it a relevant part of the story: it was just frustrating.
The characters were shallow, two-dimensional people that seemed all too aware of their own existence as stereotypes , and yet not self-aware in the way that can be rather amusing instead of incredibly annoying.
The dialogue was mediocre at best. I consider character dialogue good if I can tell who is speaking without reading their name. The problem here was that every character sounded the same, with the exception of an extremely minor character late in the book - and only because he used a few foreign phrases.
The writing itself (grammatically and otherwise) was not very good - this I can forgive, but only for the simple reasons that I did not expect it to be and that after a point the lack of involvement in the plot was more worrying than the lack of respect Little gives to proper grammar.
I brought this home from the library for light reading, but even as extremely light reading goes, this was not worthwhile.
I was not impressed. It seems Little relies almost entirely on shock value to disturb readers. I'm not the sort of person who is easily disturbed, and I will admit this subject matter did not disturb me (I've read worse in accounts of actual crimes) - that is not where my problems lie. What was disturbing, however, was that it seemed to me that this novel was a series of vignettes intended to make the reader squirm and think how disgusting or awful or perverse it was. All I could think was that there were more of these various 'shocking' scenarios than there was of the story - and they weren't even that shocking to me, so my hopes for a well-structured novel were dashed by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book.
I realize horror stories are a lot about shock, but I thought this was trying too hard. If Little wanted to disturb his readers, he could write better instead of writing about yet another I didn't even consider it a relevant part of the story: it was just frustrating.
The characters were shallow, two-dimensional people that seemed all too aware of their own existence as stereotypes , and yet not self-aware in the way that can be rather amusing instead of incredibly annoying.
The dialogue was mediocre at best. I consider character dialogue good if I can tell who is speaking without reading their name. The problem here was that every character sounded the same, with the exception of an extremely minor character late in the book - and only because he used a few foreign phrases.
The writing itself (grammatically and otherwise) was not very good - this I can forgive, but only for the simple reasons that I did not expect it to be and that after a point the lack of involvement in the plot was more worrying than the lack of respect Little gives to proper grammar.
I brought this home from the library for light reading, but even as extremely light reading goes, this was not worthwhile.
January 7, 2009
The best pulp horror novel of all-time. It is gleefully horrific and moves from one brutal shock to another with no regard for the readers gag reflex or sanity. Little seems to care little for characterization or anything else of literary merit that can slow down a narrative of pure carnage. Pure brilliance.
January 21, 2025
Man, what a wild book.
September 3, 2021
I have a habit of giving most Bentley Little books four stars - not because I don’t love them (a four star is still a great book in my world), but because he has this habit of starting stories as straight horror but then ending them more in a fantasy genre. I’m not a big fan of fantasy types of books, so that usually turns me off.
University, however, had the same tone throughout the whole novel. It’s definitely a horror story, and it also has some fantasy, but in this particular case, it worked for me perfectly. Recommended only for hardcore horror fans and people with little-to-no triggers, I thought this book was fantastic from beginning to end.
There are a lot of characters in the book, but it’s set on a college campus, so that’s normal. There are a few main characters, including Jim, the university’s newspaper editor, and Faith, an assistant at the campus library. They are noticing that UC-Brea seems different when they come back for the year. Ominous. Dark. There’s a vibe that wasn’t there before, and it definitely doesn’t seem good.
One day, Professor Ian Emberson was teaching his Supernatural Literature class, when he notices someone sitting in the back of his class. This man doesn’t look like a student, and after class, the man introduces himself Gifford Stephens. Gifford has written a disturbing dissertation about universities that seem haunted, and he wants Ian’s help at UC-Brea. Though as he’s quick to point out, this isn’t Stephen King’s “The Shining”, and the school isn’t haunted - it’s ALIVE.
The rest of the book is filled with all of the horrific things that happen to staff and students alike. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Everyone is just trying to stay alive until graduation…but will they make it?
The ending was fantastic and though I don’t think there’s a “sequel” to this book, it kind left itself open for one, which certainly wouldn’t bother me. This was an excellent story that maintained the same tone throughout, had good characters and kept me engrossed the entire time. I absolutely loved it. A very happy five stars for this one.
University, however, had the same tone throughout the whole novel. It’s definitely a horror story, and it also has some fantasy, but in this particular case, it worked for me perfectly. Recommended only for hardcore horror fans and people with little-to-no triggers, I thought this book was fantastic from beginning to end.
There are a lot of characters in the book, but it’s set on a college campus, so that’s normal. There are a few main characters, including Jim, the university’s newspaper editor, and Faith, an assistant at the campus library. They are noticing that UC-Brea seems different when they come back for the year. Ominous. Dark. There’s a vibe that wasn’t there before, and it definitely doesn’t seem good.
One day, Professor Ian Emberson was teaching his Supernatural Literature class, when he notices someone sitting in the back of his class. This man doesn’t look like a student, and after class, the man introduces himself Gifford Stephens. Gifford has written a disturbing dissertation about universities that seem haunted, and he wants Ian’s help at UC-Brea. Though as he’s quick to point out, this isn’t Stephen King’s “The Shining”, and the school isn’t haunted - it’s ALIVE.
The rest of the book is filled with all of the horrific things that happen to staff and students alike. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Everyone is just trying to stay alive until graduation…but will they make it?
The ending was fantastic and though I don’t think there’s a “sequel” to this book, it kind left itself open for one, which certainly wouldn’t bother me. This was an excellent story that maintained the same tone throughout, had good characters and kept me engrossed the entire time. I absolutely loved it. A very happy five stars for this one.
August 9, 2016
3 1/2 stars
Without doubt the craziest book i have ever read and i have read a lot of Bentley Little.I'm serious there are parts of this book once read you can't unread.LOL!!!
I did enjoy it though and will definitely be reading more of him.
Without doubt the craziest book i have ever read and i have read a lot of Bentley Little.I'm serious there are parts of this book once read you can't unread.LOL!!!
I did enjoy it though and will definitely be reading more of him.
January 27, 2016
Bentley Little does it yet again with University...although unfortunately there are more flaws here than some of his other works.
Two students going to a college begin trapped in a desperate struggle to unwrap a mystery that's killing their fellow students and threatening their existence. I don't wish to give away more of the plot than that, as it may put a hamper on the story if you read it yourself.
The atmosphere is cold, dark, and depressing. Brutality is evident all around, and Little does not play around with subtlety's. Jim Parker is a great character. He's three dimensional and focused. It was interesting for me, an adult woman, to see through the eyes of a college student male. He appeared stable and reacted the way I figured most would. His life was interesting and that made it even more fun. He had his own classic sets of internal struggles.
Faith Pullen's life comes off a bit harsher but she has that strong sense of self that I admire. She's enjoyable to read about because, not only does she come across as genuine, she comes across as a survivor. Yucky about her mom and what the woman does with sodas!
The pace wasn't boring or uneven and it came across as well orchestrated overall. Again Bentley Little is dark. Except this time he's a bit too unbalanced for my tastes. Some the gore was a bit too excessive, the violence a little unnecessary -- to where they became the focal points more than the story itself.
University is worth a read but it's nothing as shattering as his other works. Many books leave a taste in my mouth when they are unpleasant -- and usually this is a good aftertaste. This one, however, didn't agree with my taste buds as well. It just came across a little too senseless and exploitative, not concentrating as much on story and shock factor.
Two students going to a college begin trapped in a desperate struggle to unwrap a mystery that's killing their fellow students and threatening their existence. I don't wish to give away more of the plot than that, as it may put a hamper on the story if you read it yourself.
The atmosphere is cold, dark, and depressing. Brutality is evident all around, and Little does not play around with subtlety's. Jim Parker is a great character. He's three dimensional and focused. It was interesting for me, an adult woman, to see through the eyes of a college student male. He appeared stable and reacted the way I figured most would. His life was interesting and that made it even more fun. He had his own classic sets of internal struggles.
Faith Pullen's life comes off a bit harsher but she has that strong sense of self that I admire. She's enjoyable to read about because, not only does she come across as genuine, she comes across as a survivor. Yucky about her mom and what the woman does with sodas!
The pace wasn't boring or uneven and it came across as well orchestrated overall. Again Bentley Little is dark. Except this time he's a bit too unbalanced for my tastes. Some the gore was a bit too excessive, the violence a little unnecessary -- to where they became the focal points more than the story itself.
University is worth a read but it's nothing as shattering as his other works. Many books leave a taste in my mouth when they are unpleasant -- and usually this is a good aftertaste. This one, however, didn't agree with my taste buds as well. It just came across a little too senseless and exploitative, not concentrating as much on story and shock factor.
March 27, 2012
I don't give spoilers in my reviews, so if you haven't read this early novel of Little, you need to try it. When the local college turns evil (meaning the campus and buildings) and most of the students/faculty start acting out their inner pesonalities...campus life turns morbid...vicious and deadly. With that, it's a good gory horror tale.
February 26, 2013
I'm a big fan of Bentley Little, but I really did not like this book. It isn't suspenseful or scary or smart or funny, unlike many of his other books. I remain a fan, and I know that his stuff is really love it or hate it, and I happened to hate this one. I'll continue to read him, but this book stunk.
July 25, 2017
I like Bentley Little. He's a good horror writer. But I didn't like this one. Excessive use of violent rapes doesn't make for a good book. I get that a lot of older horror had sex themes. I get that the same older horror was written for little 16 year old boys who never leave their basements. This just didn't cut it for me and I was rather disappointed.
May 14, 2012
The first real horror I read as a teen... Freaky stuff.
June 20, 2012
Very graphic and wild. Good kick-ass style horror.
September 28, 2021
Another fun read from Bentley Little. Fans of his work will enjoy this one. Very much a kitchen sink approach here. A lot of different incidents loosely connected to each other because of the location. A lot of violence, sex, rape in this one, so if that is an issue for you I’d avoid it. The characters here were ok. Didn’t really care either way for them, which did disappoint me a bit reading this right after the Summoning, which had great characters in it. This is a 3.5 or a 4 stars, depending when you ask me. If you’ve never been a fan of the author, this one isn’t likely to sway you, but if you are, you’ll probably like it
April 5, 2025
This book is batshit insane. So many fucked up things happen in this book that it almost made me hesitate early on but I’m so glad I pushed on. The insanity is absolutely part of the charm and it’s so unique and original. Bentley Little is crazy, I’m so glad he wrote this and I’m even more glad I got to read it. It was such a blast.
April 16, 2025
Another excellent offering by little. I was in a 4 book DNF slump, this broke me free1
July 31, 2021
Warning!
What to say about this book? First, I will say that I am a great fan of horror. I love love Stephen King. This book is actually one of if not the first adult horror fiction book I ever read. I had been searching for it because I wanted to read it again with an adult perspective..my first thoughts after I'd read it for a bit was holy hell I can not believe I read this so young. It's been over 20 years I think since I first read it so I couldn't remember very much. So anyways, I will say that this book is NOT for the faint hearted ok? And this is coming from someone who loves horror, books and movies since childhood. There are parts of this book, one in particular, that was so awful I wouldn't repeat it out loud for even my husband. And for any hard core animal lovers like me, there is one part that you want to skip over..It's not long-just a page and a half and it's not pertinent to the story really so you can skip it. I can't remember the page but this particular part is written from the perspective of a female student going to her botany class. So..it was a good book I guess? It's weird, I'm not sure how to review it lol. It's well written and the story is interesting but just be prepared for a lot of horrific things..murder, gore, rape, really weird explicit sex stuff. I'm no wuss, or prude but dang, there is some pretty disturbing scenes in this book. Good luck!
What to say about this book? First, I will say that I am a great fan of horror. I love love Stephen King. This book is actually one of if not the first adult horror fiction book I ever read. I had been searching for it because I wanted to read it again with an adult perspective..my first thoughts after I'd read it for a bit was holy hell I can not believe I read this so young. It's been over 20 years I think since I first read it so I couldn't remember very much. So anyways, I will say that this book is NOT for the faint hearted ok? And this is coming from someone who loves horror, books and movies since childhood. There are parts of this book, one in particular, that was so awful I wouldn't repeat it out loud for even my husband. And for any hard core animal lovers like me, there is one part that you want to skip over..It's not long-just a page and a half and it's not pertinent to the story really so you can skip it. I can't remember the page but this particular part is written from the perspective of a female student going to her botany class. So..it was a good book I guess? It's weird, I'm not sure how to review it lol. It's well written and the story is interesting but just be prepared for a lot of horrific things..murder, gore, rape, really weird explicit sex stuff. I'm no wuss, or prude but dang, there is some pretty disturbing scenes in this book. Good luck!
August 21, 2017
UNIVERSITY
By Bentley Little
Genre: Horror
WOW!
Bentley Little’s story, University, is one heck of a ride.
Let me tell you what I liked about this book:
• It DEFINITELY has the spooky/creepy/scary vibe going!
• The main characters were 3-D-ish. In other words, they were relatable, empathy-worthy and real. ISH. I liked them all. However, some of the responses to stimuli were, for me, a little odd. But, just a little.
• The action hit quick and stayed amped-up through the whole book. Very few lagging or slow-paced scenes. I personally like that; I’m not a fan of roller coaster rides, especially in my fiction world. A quick breather now and again is okay... But, I don’t want the action to be delayed or stopped for a romantic interlude or deep thoughts moment. I want to keep that excitement going. Maybe that’s just me.
• Bentley Little has always been a favorite of mine. His horror stories are wild and out-there and totally NOT like anyone else’s.
Now, let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book.
• As state above, I love “out-there” story-lines. This one is just a little too OUT-THERE. Just a smidge. The basis for the whole story is this: The state University is alive! It has become a living, breathing, moving, sentient BEING, capable of acting in its own self-interest; and it’s capable of causing all kinds of mayhem. You see, not only have the buildings, and the land surrounding the campus all come to life like some freakish cartoon, it’s an EVIL freakish cartoon. The University, as it so happens, can cause the humans on campus to do evil and self-harming things. Violent murders, rapes, beatings, suicides and more…
• SOME of the violence depicted is a little too gory and just a tiny bit hyperbolized and maybe even unnecessary. Again, that may just be me, however.
• There is no real reason given for this series of unfortunate events. This University is alive. So is one in Arizona and Texas and so on and so on. It’s catching! But, author, Little never really explains why. It just is what it is.
Over-all, this is an entertaining and fun horror story. I read the whole thing in one late night binge. It kept me up for another hour, maybe, thinking about it. “What ifs” and “I wonders” abounded. I would recommend this book, UNIVERSITY, to any devoted fan of horror.
By Bentley Little
Genre: Horror
WOW!
Bentley Little’s story, University, is one heck of a ride.
Let me tell you what I liked about this book:
• It DEFINITELY has the spooky/creepy/scary vibe going!
• The main characters were 3-D-ish. In other words, they were relatable, empathy-worthy and real. ISH. I liked them all. However, some of the responses to stimuli were, for me, a little odd. But, just a little.
• The action hit quick and stayed amped-up through the whole book. Very few lagging or slow-paced scenes. I personally like that; I’m not a fan of roller coaster rides, especially in my fiction world. A quick breather now and again is okay... But, I don’t want the action to be delayed or stopped for a romantic interlude or deep thoughts moment. I want to keep that excitement going. Maybe that’s just me.
• Bentley Little has always been a favorite of mine. His horror stories are wild and out-there and totally NOT like anyone else’s.
Now, let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book.
• As state above, I love “out-there” story-lines. This one is just a little too OUT-THERE. Just a smidge. The basis for the whole story is this: The state University is alive! It has become a living, breathing, moving, sentient BEING, capable of acting in its own self-interest; and it’s capable of causing all kinds of mayhem. You see, not only have the buildings, and the land surrounding the campus all come to life like some freakish cartoon, it’s an EVIL freakish cartoon. The University, as it so happens, can cause the humans on campus to do evil and self-harming things. Violent murders, rapes, beatings, suicides and more…
• SOME of the violence depicted is a little too gory and just a tiny bit hyperbolized and maybe even unnecessary. Again, that may just be me, however.
• There is no real reason given for this series of unfortunate events. This University is alive. So is one in Arizona and Texas and so on and so on. It’s catching! But, author, Little never really explains why. It just is what it is.
Over-all, this is an entertaining and fun horror story. I read the whole thing in one late night binge. It kept me up for another hour, maybe, thinking about it. “What ifs” and “I wonders” abounded. I would recommend this book, UNIVERSITY, to any devoted fan of horror.
October 22, 2018
I've been working my way through Little's books the few few and have come surprisingly close to reading all of his novels. And each one has been a quick and delightful read Little's books usually take the form of a satire of a particular institution of American society like a homeowner's associate (or a resort chain, a store, a post office, business consulting). Most get pretty supernatural and things have a way of getting out of hand in pretty impressive ways.
University was one of a handful of ones that I hadn't read as I thought it had kind of seemed a little redundant. But it has to be one of his most action packed and supernatural ones. I had expected something more subtle where he satirizes a curriculum that gradually turn evil. But instead University is more about campus culture; petty conflicts, hate crimes, and toxic masculinity. Sexual violence is addressed pretty early on and the concept of campus rape culture is explored in a surreal and frightening manner.
It seems to also want to make a statement about how places where a lot of cruel attitudes can build into toxic environments as the main characters have to ask themselves how they have contributed and been affected.
It seems like it would in particular be a good read to college students. There's something off about the main characters which seemed a little different than some of his other books. There seems to be an extra effort put into visceral action. He goes for a wild climax in this one.
University was one of a handful of ones that I hadn't read as I thought it had kind of seemed a little redundant. But it has to be one of his most action packed and supernatural ones. I had expected something more subtle where he satirizes a curriculum that gradually turn evil. But instead University is more about campus culture; petty conflicts, hate crimes, and toxic masculinity. Sexual violence is addressed pretty early on and the concept of campus rape culture is explored in a surreal and frightening manner.
It seems to also want to make a statement about how places where a lot of cruel attitudes can build into toxic environments as the main characters have to ask themselves how they have contributed and been affected.
It seems like it would in particular be a good read to college students. There's something off about the main characters which seemed a little different than some of his other books. There seems to be an extra effort put into visceral action. He goes for a wild climax in this one.
February 20, 2017
A typical formulaic Bentley Little. A powerful entity has grown out of control and over-the-top bad weirdness and bloody mayhem ensue.......blah blah blah. A person should only read one Bentley Little book every five years to avoid redundancy.
My reason for reading this book was phenomena going on at a nearby university town. It is thankfully on the other side of our county line and there is a twenty mile buffer zone between here and there......but there just seems to be way too much violent crime in that community. For instance, our county just saw it's third murder in the last fifty years........the nearby university town can have 3 murders in six months. I also once did a comparison of statistics.....the University of Michigan is four times the size of our local, and had 0 murders in Ann Arbor during the same time frame in which our local university town had 5 murders. Interesting, too, because the locals are aware of it (they get all touchy if you bring it up) but prefer to pretend it isn't happening in their community.
I doubt that Bentley Little's solution is applicable, but still, you never know.
My reason for reading this book was phenomena going on at a nearby university town. It is thankfully on the other side of our county line and there is a twenty mile buffer zone between here and there......but there just seems to be way too much violent crime in that community. For instance, our county just saw it's third murder in the last fifty years........the nearby university town can have 3 murders in six months. I also once did a comparison of statistics.....the University of Michigan is four times the size of our local, and had 0 murders in Ann Arbor during the same time frame in which our local university town had 5 murders. Interesting, too, because the locals are aware of it (they get all touchy if you bring it up) but prefer to pretend it isn't happening in their community.
I doubt that Bentley Little's solution is applicable, but still, you never know.
July 8, 2019
Some places are evil, but can they become sentient? This is the basic premise of Bentley Little's University. I haven't read that many of Bentley Little's works - only The Summoning, The Resort, and now University. Having read some of his stuff before, I knew that there would be blood, gore, and violence, some of which would be sexual in nature. I did have an issue with the amount of sexual violence and sexual assault in this book. Rape and sexual assault is way to common in real life, and while I can understand why it was included in this book, I did feel that some of it was gratuitous. However, that's just my opinion. I did feel that this was a fully fleshed out novel - the ending was paced well, not rushed as I felt it was in The Resort. Also, I felt that the conclusion made sense for the characters involved. I would have given more stars to this book had I not been of the opinion that the sexual violence and assault was gratuitous. Overall, it was a unique idea and plot and I do respect Bentley Little's writing.
July 4, 2017
A horror masterpiece
Bentley Little has this amazing ability to take simple, ordinary, everyday things and turn them into horrifying things that we would never want to experience. This novel is impossible to put down from the very beginning. The story concerns a college, UC Brea, where bizarre things begin to happen from an increased number of rapes and murders to things decidedly more supernatural. And yet, Little presents it in a way that while utterly terrifying, seem realistic and possible. It's one of the things I admire most about the author. He fleshes out the characters and makes you care about them and their fates. He makes your heart race the closer you get to the end, eager to know how the evil is stopped, who will survive. And even when you finish reading the effects of the novel linger long after. If you want to read something that is original and different from what the horror genre typically pumps out, this book is for you.
Bentley Little has this amazing ability to take simple, ordinary, everyday things and turn them into horrifying things that we would never want to experience. This novel is impossible to put down from the very beginning. The story concerns a college, UC Brea, where bizarre things begin to happen from an increased number of rapes and murders to things decidedly more supernatural. And yet, Little presents it in a way that while utterly terrifying, seem realistic and possible. It's one of the things I admire most about the author. He fleshes out the characters and makes you care about them and their fates. He makes your heart race the closer you get to the end, eager to know how the evil is stopped, who will survive. And even when you finish reading the effects of the novel linger long after. If you want to read something that is original and different from what the horror genre typically pumps out, this book is for you.
February 1, 2019
I just completed reading Bentley Little's University, and, man, can this guy creep a reader out! What Stephen King did for cars and hotels, Little does to an entire university campus. When the students and staff of UC Brea fall victim to an inexplicable rash of violence, a few students and professors discover that the university itself is a malevolent force, causing the death and destruction around them.
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Having only discovered Bentley Little in the past year, every novel I read makes me more of a fan. His ability to turn the ordinary and make it into a force of evil is extraordinary. His storylines are always smoothly flowing, his characters are fun to follow (both protagonists and antagonists), and his entire premise will never allow me to look at the world the same way again. What IS lurking under the surface?
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My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
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Having only discovered Bentley Little in the past year, every novel I read makes me more of a fan. His ability to turn the ordinary and make it into a force of evil is extraordinary. His storylines are always smoothly flowing, his characters are fun to follow (both protagonists and antagonists), and his entire premise will never allow me to look at the world the same way again. What IS lurking under the surface?
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My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
February 24, 2020
I am conflicted on this review. Little is hit and miss with me. I love The Mailman and The Consultant. I also enjoyed The Store but soon tired of his repetitive politic rants. Little begins his stories at a normal/natural pace but gradually picks up speed until he has created a vision of frenzied chaos. He is consistently effective at this. The sexual deviancy and violence was too extreme in this one for me (yes even for a Little novel). So I guess my bottom line is that it was well written but not for me.
July 6, 2010
This is, hands down, the worst book I have ever read. I am definitely no prude, and no stranger to horror fiction, but I found the graphic sexual violence in this book excessive and disturbing. And the plot devolved into sheer stupidity. I have had this book on the shelf for several years and recently discovered it. I should have left it on the shelf or donated it to the library. Bentley Little is definitely not for me.
January 30, 2016
AKA 'The Night School' - This was a straight-down-the-line thriller with murder and horror and a slightly silly premise, but it was exactly what I wanted at the time (I had a long coach journey to get through). Written more for pace and accessibility, it wasn't the most literate, but it basically did the job.
January 8, 2021
This book is very wild and crazy. I really loved the the vibe and spookiness of this one. Be warned there is a lot of violent sexual assaults which will turn some people off. But for me the overall creepiness and wildness of The University keep me locked in from start to finish. I’m still thinking about this story. Good stuff!
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