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Dispatch
Jason has a gift for writing — and his talent has its rewards. His first letter results in free meals at a fast-food chain; another yields passes to an amusement park. As he goes through life, writing letters makes things go his way — opening doors to colleges, connecting him with the President — and Jason feels the might of his own power. But there's a dark side to his machinations — and someone knows it. Threatening letters in the mail fuel his nightmares... until opportunity knocks and a company hires Jason to write for them. But this "dream job" is about to consume his mind — and reach for his very soul.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2005
58 people are currently reading
1524 people want to read
About the author
Bentley Little
54 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 124 reviews
June 30, 2025
3.5 stars.
July 20, 2023
Dispatch is one of Little's better dark fantasy novels. (It seems weird to have a Little title that's one noun -without- "The" in front of it!) It's a first-person coming-of-age story about a young man who finds that letters he writes have a strange power and influence. The characterization is very strong, and the supernatural slant is innovative, creepy, and interesting. Many of Little's books have a weak ending, but this one kept me guessing and then surprised me. I was impressed by a cute marketing ploy on my paperback edition, a guarantee that the reader will think it's a great read or they can send it back to the publisher for a refund. I kept my copy despite not thinking it was really great, but (for our purposes here, several years later) it's a good read!
March 27, 2015
Dispatch started off as a coming of age story, as only Bentley Little could possibly pen one. I enjoyed the first half much more than the second, but still found the last half quite engaging. I would have marked this one as one of my top five Little books, but it seemed to me that the second half of it was sort of a rehash of several other of his novels that I liked better. I will say that it could be the fact that I have read five or six of Little's books in the last several months that might color my overall rating.
One of my favorite parts of Dispatch was that it was written in first person, which Little does not do very often. When he does choose to employ this technique, it works very well. I really liked the narrator's voice, even though he was pretty much an evil bastard that didn't give two shits about anyone else in his life but himself.
Jason Hanson is in elementary school when he begins to realize that there is something special about him. He has a horrible family; his mother, father and brother are the epitome of shitty relatives. Jason has a crush on his Asian teacher, and when she tells the class that she is instituting a pen-pal program, Jason decides to take part in it.
At first, he doesn't want anyone else to know, especially because he wants to be pen-pals with a girl, which is embarrassing at his age.
He chooses an oriental girl to correspond with because he is so infatuated with his teacher, he figures if he makes friends with someone of the same nationality, eventually his teacher will take note, and more than likely, fall deeply in love with him.
As he goes along, he does some great things, and also some terribly evil ones as well. Jason's letters really get results.
We follow Jason's story as he grows up and realizes his talent in life seems to be writing letters.
As he enters junior high and high school, he begins writing letters to restaurants and other merchants, claiming he has had terrible experiences, securing free meals, free tickets to amusement parks, etc.
Then he begins to understand that he can do pretty much whatever he wants due to the power of his written missives, and he commits some acts that make him even more unlikeable.
At college, Jason meets Vicki, falls in love, and ends up becoming a father. Everything goes great until he gets caught writing letters by Vicki, who thinks that Jason has stopped writing them.
Over the years, Jason's letter writing proves time and again to produce results, good or bad.
Another thing I enjoyed was when Jason described the bands and albums he really enjoyed. He had tastes like mine! I noticed this in other books by Little, as well. He seems to have great musical taste.
The book really takes a drastic turn after the midway point. At this point, I will stop giving details, because I hate giving or receiving spoilers. Suffice it to say, the book takes a turn for the bizarre, yet it does not seem very original. There are elements from several of Little's other books that are explored again here - i.e. The Mailman, The Store, and The Ignored - which is probably my favorite so far, besides The Association).
Although it did tread through familiar Little territory, I was unable to guess the end of this one.
The end is pretty damn good, just so that you know.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different.
One of my favorite parts of Dispatch was that it was written in first person, which Little does not do very often. When he does choose to employ this technique, it works very well. I really liked the narrator's voice, even though he was pretty much an evil bastard that didn't give two shits about anyone else in his life but himself.
Jason Hanson is in elementary school when he begins to realize that there is something special about him. He has a horrible family; his mother, father and brother are the epitome of shitty relatives. Jason has a crush on his Asian teacher, and when she tells the class that she is instituting a pen-pal program, Jason decides to take part in it.
At first, he doesn't want anyone else to know, especially because he wants to be pen-pals with a girl, which is embarrassing at his age.
He chooses an oriental girl to correspond with because he is so infatuated with his teacher, he figures if he makes friends with someone of the same nationality, eventually his teacher will take note, and more than likely, fall deeply in love with him.
As he goes along, he does some great things, and also some terribly evil ones as well. Jason's letters really get results.
We follow Jason's story as he grows up and realizes his talent in life seems to be writing letters.
As he enters junior high and high school, he begins writing letters to restaurants and other merchants, claiming he has had terrible experiences, securing free meals, free tickets to amusement parks, etc.
Then he begins to understand that he can do pretty much whatever he wants due to the power of his written missives, and he commits some acts that make him even more unlikeable.
At college, Jason meets Vicki, falls in love, and ends up becoming a father. Everything goes great until he gets caught writing letters by Vicki, who thinks that Jason has stopped writing them.
Over the years, Jason's letter writing proves time and again to produce results, good or bad.
Another thing I enjoyed was when Jason described the bands and albums he really enjoyed. He had tastes like mine! I noticed this in other books by Little, as well. He seems to have great musical taste.
The book really takes a drastic turn after the midway point. At this point, I will stop giving details, because I hate giving or receiving spoilers. Suffice it to say, the book takes a turn for the bizarre, yet it does not seem very original. There are elements from several of Little's other books that are explored again here - i.e. The Mailman, The Store, and The Ignored - which is probably my favorite so far, besides The Association).
Although it did tread through familiar Little territory, I was unable to guess the end of this one.
The end is pretty damn good, just so that you know.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different.
February 1, 2009
Chris
IP Address: 69.420.666.007
The Internet
Dear Goodreads,
Whasssup Dirty Dawgs! It’s been a while since I’ve been around, and I just wanted to say yo. Not much going on over here, I’ve just been reading and shit, you know the drill. So, since I’ve got nothing else to rap about, I might as well tell you about the last book that I read, seeing as that might pique your interest, you know, since you’re on goodreads and all…
I wish I had something positive to say about Dispatch, the first novel-length story I’ve read by the much-heralded Bentley Little, after all, I did neglect actual responsibilities in life to make time to read this drivel, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to find a new author that I like whose body of work will entertain me for years to come. Last year I read a book of Little’s short stories (The Collection) and wasn’t very impressed, but figured that maybe the guy just needed a little more time developing the story to produce an engaging work, so when I came across this used copy I figured I’d give him a second chance. And isn’t that what it’s all about; forgiveness and understanding? So I’m told; hell, I just got my driver’s license re-instated last week after 6 long years, in light of a varied record of alcohol-related arrests beginning at 15 and culminating with drunk driving and aggravated battery of an officer. So, shit, this is like my 14th chance, the least I can do is give Bentley Little a 2nd chance to sway me into declaring him a worthwhile storyteller, right? That’s called Paying It Forward folks, that’s how civic-minded people like myself operate.
Alas, there will be no recommendations from me encouraging you to waste your time in a similar manner; you’d be far better off spending your time inventing a language consisting strictly of tongue-rolls, hisses, and coos with which to communicate with your cats more effectively. This isn’t hyperbole; Dispatch is pretty piss-poor despite the “Guaranteed Great Read” offer from Signet advertised on the cover. Let’s face it, that’s a pretty low ploy to shill your wares, with the time spent mailing it back and the associated costs of doing so complete with a S.A.S.E. for them to refund your money (and then potential check-cashing fees) you’re not even close to breaking even. Of course, these guys know a lot more about marketing then I do, so I am going to steal that idea for my own diabolical ends when I feel so inclined.
As for the story at hand, it’s got its fair share of drawbacks. The protagonist, allegedly the character we’re supposed to shown concern for, Jason Hanford, is no more than a flimsy archetype; the generic, nondescript, faceless gen-x slacker made a social pariah by a hostile, drunken father and a bitchy, uncaring mother. Not only has this sort of character long-ceased amazing me, but I couldn’t pick him out of a line up, I couldn’t get any sort of visual idea of what he looked like. Perhaps Little didn’t provide a description of Jason to broaden future casting options when Lion’s Gate decides to make it into a blockbuster film, seeing as I sadly noticed some studio actually made a film adaptation of his unimpressive short story “The Washingtonians”. Anyway, it’s apparent that unless something significant happens, Jason is obviously destined to be ushered into the routine of a dead-end life, drearily plodding along the road to nowhere, and guess what, something does come along to spare him this lowly fate.
As a child, Jason had a Japanese penpal named Kyoko, and in his letters to her he decided to fib a little in regards to his life; his parents were successful, respected, and caring, and he himself was a fantastic athlete and the most popular boy in school. His ongoing bullshit eventually led to declarations of love from Kyoko and a naughty photograph of the girl, instilling Jason with the belief that his written words had power. However, Kyoko’s father eventually discovered the seedier side of their correspondence and made sure that shit came to a stop. It would be a while before Jason resumed crafting missives for his unscrupulous gains, which were generally harmless complaint letters to local businesses which were rewarded with free meals and tickets to movies and amusement parks. Eventually, he gets involved in a local rezoning debate, and when he somehow manages to turn public favor against the proposed gentrification, this confirms that he’s got a real gift, and the world is his to shape as he sees fit. While this sounds pretty solid, don’t be fooled; his unnerving talent serves as little more than transparent wish fulfillment on the author’s behalf; if Little was a smidgen as competent as his character, I would have liked the book. The writing itself is pretty crappy, both the book and Jason’s letters within, and that makes it somewhat hard to believe that his correspondence is taken seriously outside of an junior high debate.
While I speculated that Little might need more time to develop his story and characters based on his short story work, I certainly don’t think he utilized the benefit of 300 additional pages very well. Jason’s uncanny ability doesn’t need much elaboration and Little spends way too much time and writing on unnecessary examples of this power in action. The fact that his family is a bunch of assholes could have also been handled in half the time he took reiterating it. So with a dime-a-dozen character you can find in any story written by a 20something author and 120 pages detailing his woeful formative years, it’s time for Bentley Little to get into the thick of the story; blindly ripping motherfuckers off. Even though the story up to this point has been some half-assed paint-by-numbers shit, Little now moves into the shameless territory of borrowing generously from previous work and repackaging it as his own output.
Once Jason begins using his power to their fullest, Dispatch is basically a watered-down version Stephen King’s short story “Everything’s Eventual”, and the character isn’t really a whole hell of a lot different. This was somewhat bothersome, but Stephen King reuses enough of his own ideas that cats stealing his shit doesn’t offend me too much (at least not on principle). But that’s not the ultimate insult. Jason eventually joins the ranks of a nameless Company whose ultimate purpose is unknown, and now plies his craft at their behest along with countless other Letter Writers. Beginning with his first visit to the company, every element of his curious employment is completely stolen from the TV show “The Prisoner” (aka the best fucking thing ever aired). A few instances: after being drugged he wakes up in an exact replica of his room, the company is directed by an unknown, unseen, omniscient presence (Number 1, herein called The Ultimate), his neighborhood may or may not actually have people living in the homes, he has no idea if his co-workers have allegiances to himself of to the Company, and his first conversation with his boss steals lines directly from the Prisoner episode “Arrival”. Upon reading that part, I told my girlfriend that this was a total rip-off and she said it’s probably coincidence. Thirty three pages later my suspicious were confirmed when Jason is told by his pal Stan “You’ve got two choices: accept the status quo and live out your life as a letter-wrting drone or put on your Patrick McGoohan Number Six face and try to find out what the hell is behind all this.”
Dispatch is little more than what I’d imagine if Stephen King had written an episode of “The Prisoner”. But with a really bad ending, and I mean REALLY fucking bad.
Anyway, I hope this letter finds you well and in good health, and I’ll talk to you later. And it probably wouldn’t kill y’all to drop me a line either once in a while. Bastards.
Kind Regards,
Chris
Special Offer: This is a “Guaranteed Great Review”. I am so confident that you will like this review I am offering an 80% Time-Back Guarantee! If you are not 100% satisfied with this review, I will refund your time spent reading it. Please post your request below, along with proof of reading the review, and a brief explanation of why you found it lacking and I’ll hammer out the details with Father Time to ensure you receive a 2 minute extension to your lifetime. Please include a naked photo of yourself for identity verification. Offer eligible through Sept. 1st, 1974.
IP Address: 69.420.666.007
The Internet
Dear Goodreads,
Whasssup Dirty Dawgs! It’s been a while since I’ve been around, and I just wanted to say yo. Not much going on over here, I’ve just been reading and shit, you know the drill. So, since I’ve got nothing else to rap about, I might as well tell you about the last book that I read, seeing as that might pique your interest, you know, since you’re on goodreads and all…
I wish I had something positive to say about Dispatch, the first novel-length story I’ve read by the much-heralded Bentley Little, after all, I did neglect actual responsibilities in life to make time to read this drivel, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to find a new author that I like whose body of work will entertain me for years to come. Last year I read a book of Little’s short stories (The Collection) and wasn’t very impressed, but figured that maybe the guy just needed a little more time developing the story to produce an engaging work, so when I came across this used copy I figured I’d give him a second chance. And isn’t that what it’s all about; forgiveness and understanding? So I’m told; hell, I just got my driver’s license re-instated last week after 6 long years, in light of a varied record of alcohol-related arrests beginning at 15 and culminating with drunk driving and aggravated battery of an officer. So, shit, this is like my 14th chance, the least I can do is give Bentley Little a 2nd chance to sway me into declaring him a worthwhile storyteller, right? That’s called Paying It Forward folks, that’s how civic-minded people like myself operate.
Alas, there will be no recommendations from me encouraging you to waste your time in a similar manner; you’d be far better off spending your time inventing a language consisting strictly of tongue-rolls, hisses, and coos with which to communicate with your cats more effectively. This isn’t hyperbole; Dispatch is pretty piss-poor despite the “Guaranteed Great Read” offer from Signet advertised on the cover. Let’s face it, that’s a pretty low ploy to shill your wares, with the time spent mailing it back and the associated costs of doing so complete with a S.A.S.E. for them to refund your money (and then potential check-cashing fees) you’re not even close to breaking even. Of course, these guys know a lot more about marketing then I do, so I am going to steal that idea for my own diabolical ends when I feel so inclined.
As for the story at hand, it’s got its fair share of drawbacks. The protagonist, allegedly the character we’re supposed to shown concern for, Jason Hanford, is no more than a flimsy archetype; the generic, nondescript, faceless gen-x slacker made a social pariah by a hostile, drunken father and a bitchy, uncaring mother. Not only has this sort of character long-ceased amazing me, but I couldn’t pick him out of a line up, I couldn’t get any sort of visual idea of what he looked like. Perhaps Little didn’t provide a description of Jason to broaden future casting options when Lion’s Gate decides to make it into a blockbuster film, seeing as I sadly noticed some studio actually made a film adaptation of his unimpressive short story “The Washingtonians”. Anyway, it’s apparent that unless something significant happens, Jason is obviously destined to be ushered into the routine of a dead-end life, drearily plodding along the road to nowhere, and guess what, something does come along to spare him this lowly fate.
As a child, Jason had a Japanese penpal named Kyoko, and in his letters to her he decided to fib a little in regards to his life; his parents were successful, respected, and caring, and he himself was a fantastic athlete and the most popular boy in school. His ongoing bullshit eventually led to declarations of love from Kyoko and a naughty photograph of the girl, instilling Jason with the belief that his written words had power. However, Kyoko’s father eventually discovered the seedier side of their correspondence and made sure that shit came to a stop. It would be a while before Jason resumed crafting missives for his unscrupulous gains, which were generally harmless complaint letters to local businesses which were rewarded with free meals and tickets to movies and amusement parks. Eventually, he gets involved in a local rezoning debate, and when he somehow manages to turn public favor against the proposed gentrification, this confirms that he’s got a real gift, and the world is his to shape as he sees fit. While this sounds pretty solid, don’t be fooled; his unnerving talent serves as little more than transparent wish fulfillment on the author’s behalf; if Little was a smidgen as competent as his character, I would have liked the book. The writing itself is pretty crappy, both the book and Jason’s letters within, and that makes it somewhat hard to believe that his correspondence is taken seriously outside of an junior high debate.
While I speculated that Little might need more time to develop his story and characters based on his short story work, I certainly don’t think he utilized the benefit of 300 additional pages very well. Jason’s uncanny ability doesn’t need much elaboration and Little spends way too much time and writing on unnecessary examples of this power in action. The fact that his family is a bunch of assholes could have also been handled in half the time he took reiterating it. So with a dime-a-dozen character you can find in any story written by a 20something author and 120 pages detailing his woeful formative years, it’s time for Bentley Little to get into the thick of the story; blindly ripping motherfuckers off. Even though the story up to this point has been some half-assed paint-by-numbers shit, Little now moves into the shameless territory of borrowing generously from previous work and repackaging it as his own output.
Once Jason begins using his power to their fullest, Dispatch is basically a watered-down version Stephen King’s short story “Everything’s Eventual”, and the character isn’t really a whole hell of a lot different. This was somewhat bothersome, but Stephen King reuses enough of his own ideas that cats stealing his shit doesn’t offend me too much (at least not on principle). But that’s not the ultimate insult. Jason eventually joins the ranks of a nameless Company whose ultimate purpose is unknown, and now plies his craft at their behest along with countless other Letter Writers. Beginning with his first visit to the company, every element of his curious employment is completely stolen from the TV show “The Prisoner” (aka the best fucking thing ever aired). A few instances: after being drugged he wakes up in an exact replica of his room, the company is directed by an unknown, unseen, omniscient presence (Number 1, herein called The Ultimate), his neighborhood may or may not actually have people living in the homes, he has no idea if his co-workers have allegiances to himself of to the Company, and his first conversation with his boss steals lines directly from the Prisoner episode “Arrival”. Upon reading that part, I told my girlfriend that this was a total rip-off and she said it’s probably coincidence. Thirty three pages later my suspicious were confirmed when Jason is told by his pal Stan “You’ve got two choices: accept the status quo and live out your life as a letter-wrting drone or put on your Patrick McGoohan Number Six face and try to find out what the hell is behind all this.”
Dispatch is little more than what I’d imagine if Stephen King had written an episode of “The Prisoner”. But with a really bad ending, and I mean REALLY fucking bad.
Anyway, I hope this letter finds you well and in good health, and I’ll talk to you later. And it probably wouldn’t kill y’all to drop me a line either once in a while. Bastards.
Kind Regards,
Chris
Special Offer: This is a “Guaranteed Great Review”. I am so confident that you will like this review I am offering an 80% Time-Back Guarantee! If you are not 100% satisfied with this review, I will refund your time spent reading it. Please post your request below, along with proof of reading the review, and a brief explanation of why you found it lacking and I’ll hammer out the details with Father Time to ensure you receive a 2 minute extension to your lifetime. Please include a naked photo of yourself for identity verification. Offer eligible through Sept. 1st, 1974.
July 13, 2018
very up to date satire on paid comments industry... devoured that book, great modern horror with a great ending!
January 29, 2024
What if you could make just about anything happen, just by writing a simple letter? Not a text, not an email, but a real letter, written with pen, on paper. It’s a fascinating concept and I love what Bentley Little did with the idea!
Jason is a pretty ordinary kid, despite his family life. His father is an abusive alcoholic, his mother is neglectful and his older brother is a jerk, but Jason was good at staying out of their way. He went to school, had good friends and did all of the normal things that teenagers do … with one addition. He liked to write letters.
It started with a Japanese pen pal, but that quickly went awry and Jason stopped writing letters…until he wrote a note to a restaurant that had changed its french fries, and he got certificates for free meals. He wrote a letter to an amusement park, and got free tickets. His friends started writing letters too, but they didn’t get any freebies. Soon, Jason realizes that HIS letters make things happen. Good things, bad things - all he had to do was write and he got whatever he wanted.
He continues this as he grows up, and one day, he receives a letter from a company offering him a job as a Letter Writer. He finds out there are more people like him, who could make things happen with a simple letter. Lives could be made better, or ruined. Businesses could rise up, or collapse and fall. If you can imagine it, letters can make it. The power all comes from the Letter Writers, and soon Jason realizes that he’s not sure he wants to be a part of this…but is it too late?
This is a four star rating from me…as many of Bentley Little’s books, it ended in more of a fantasy world and that’s not my favorite genre. It was a great book though - the premise is exactly right (write?) and I recommend it for horror fans, thriller fans and letter writers alike!
Jason is a pretty ordinary kid, despite his family life. His father is an abusive alcoholic, his mother is neglectful and his older brother is a jerk, but Jason was good at staying out of their way. He went to school, had good friends and did all of the normal things that teenagers do … with one addition. He liked to write letters.
It started with a Japanese pen pal, but that quickly went awry and Jason stopped writing letters…until he wrote a note to a restaurant that had changed its french fries, and he got certificates for free meals. He wrote a letter to an amusement park, and got free tickets. His friends started writing letters too, but they didn’t get any freebies. Soon, Jason realizes that HIS letters make things happen. Good things, bad things - all he had to do was write and he got whatever he wanted.
He continues this as he grows up, and one day, he receives a letter from a company offering him a job as a Letter Writer. He finds out there are more people like him, who could make things happen with a simple letter. Lives could be made better, or ruined. Businesses could rise up, or collapse and fall. If you can imagine it, letters can make it. The power all comes from the Letter Writers, and soon Jason realizes that he’s not sure he wants to be a part of this…but is it too late?
This is a four star rating from me…as many of Bentley Little’s books, it ended in more of a fantasy world and that’s not my favorite genre. It was a great book though - the premise is exactly right (write?) and I recommend it for horror fans, thriller fans and letter writers alike!
June 28, 2011
In the style of Bentley Little's earlier work, THE IGNORED, this refreshingly original novel is not really a work of horror as much as a creepy and ingeniously crafted supernatural tale. If you buy into the premise, you'll have a great time. Bentley's main character is fantastically real -- flaws and all. The story is clever, bizarre, and mysterious. This is definitely a contender for this year's Bram Stoker award. DISPATCH has all the ingredients of a great novel. If you want something a little (pardon the pun) different out of your horror novels, give this a read.
July 17, 2021
Dark fantasy/horror novel about a man who has the gift of writing letters that have supernatural power and influence. This gift can be used for good or evil. Eventually he is offered a job by a secretive Company, which plans to use his letter-writing gift for their own purposes. But who are they, and why does he feel he's being controlled by them?
This was well-written and character-centric, with alot of the main character's background shown from childhood to adulthood. Some readers might find it a bit long, but events and people from his past do play a part later in the story. It also helped me to see him as a real person and care about him. I started reading this thinking it'd be light trashy horror, but was pleasantly surprised.
This was well-written and character-centric, with alot of the main character's background shown from childhood to adulthood. Some readers might find it a bit long, but events and people from his past do play a part later in the story. It also helped me to see him as a real person and care about him. I started reading this thinking it'd be light trashy horror, but was pleasantly surprised.
December 9, 2020
I really wasn't sure how to categorize this book. It's a little horror, conspiracy, fiction, ..... It was also too long & a little boring. Jason is a guy who likes to write letters. Starting at a young age he is a master craftsman for writing letters. Throughout his life he wrote to a pen pal, complaints so he could get free stuff, threatening letters to get politicians & policies changed, letters to get people removed from job, movie reviews, music reviews, etc. We go on a journey with him & his letter writing that lands him a job with a nameless company that eventually all he does it write letters day in & day out BUT there is something amiss. The book was bizarre after that and really not worth the read
March 22, 2017
Loved this book! Although, I don't think that the main character got his "just desserts." Then again, maybe he did..............
October 15, 2020
Ahh Bentley Little.
Having read several of his books I believe this is my favourite horror writer. IT's not stephen King or Richard Laymon but Little. I don't even read so many of books in one go because I don't want this to end.
I've read The Store; The Association (my favourite); The House; The Mailman; The Collection; The Resort; The Town; The Revelation; The Walking.
I have to read His Father's Son; Death Instinct; The Burning; The Disappearence; The Vanishing; University; The Return; The Summoning; Dominion; Guests; The Policy; The Academy; The Ignored and the Haunted.
Some of the newer ones I never had them because they are too expensive like The HandyMan; The Influence; The Consultant; The Circle; The Bank - but lets be real, I will buy them probably.
So, this one follows the same trope as the previous I've read and it's the only writer I know that does this.. We follow Jason who discovers that he has some real artistic valour at writing letters. He finds out that as he writes letters they are heard and good things happen. As times passes on he understands that he has some kind of power and some of actions have really impact, not like previous where he received some free food or something like that.
The story itself it's written in first perspective and it was interesting to see that he is a unreliable character and sometimes do or say something that he goes against what he previous said.
Most novel (at least 2/3) are about this power and about the consequences of his actions. But all of this time, and from time to time he receives enigmatic letters that come into reality and change his life. He starts writing not because of pleasure or need but because it's a job and at the same time an addiction.
The "evil" entity turns out like the evil that exists in the book The Store or The Association. It's within us, it's no one, it's everyone, it's a bit lovecraftian. It's very difficult to fully tell who the enemy is.
But it's Jason a good character? Not at all. He is a evil character on his own after all in his teens he makes a girl get dressed, through some letters and even sent a picture. His sex life it's all about him and he even kill his own father - true to be told - his father his not the best father with frequent beatings. His mother is no better and he continually torment her with letters. He is self-centered and as I said obsessed with writing and the power that comes with it.
I've enjoyed it. I've read it 4 days which to me it's pretty good. Advisable but to newcomers I would advise starting with either the Store or the association.
Having read several of his books I believe this is my favourite horror writer. IT's not stephen King or Richard Laymon but Little. I don't even read so many of books in one go because I don't want this to end.
I've read The Store; The Association (my favourite); The House; The Mailman; The Collection; The Resort; The Town; The Revelation; The Walking.
I have to read His Father's Son; Death Instinct; The Burning; The Disappearence; The Vanishing; University; The Return; The Summoning; Dominion; Guests; The Policy; The Academy; The Ignored and the Haunted.
Some of the newer ones I never had them because they are too expensive like The HandyMan; The Influence; The Consultant; The Circle; The Bank - but lets be real, I will buy them probably.
So, this one follows the same trope as the previous I've read and it's the only writer I know that does this.. We follow Jason who discovers that he has some real artistic valour at writing letters. He finds out that as he writes letters they are heard and good things happen. As times passes on he understands that he has some kind of power and some of actions have really impact, not like previous where he received some free food or something like that.
The story itself it's written in first perspective and it was interesting to see that he is a unreliable character and sometimes do or say something that he goes against what he previous said.
Most novel (at least 2/3) are about this power and about the consequences of his actions. But all of this time, and from time to time he receives enigmatic letters that come into reality and change his life. He starts writing not because of pleasure or need but because it's a job and at the same time an addiction.
The "evil" entity turns out like the evil that exists in the book The Store or The Association. It's within us, it's no one, it's everyone, it's a bit lovecraftian. It's very difficult to fully tell who the enemy is.
But it's Jason a good character? Not at all. He is a evil character on his own after all in his teens he makes a girl get dressed, through some letters and even sent a picture. His sex life it's all about him and he even kill his own father - true to be told - his father his not the best father with frequent beatings. His mother is no better and he continually torment her with letters. He is self-centered and as I said obsessed with writing and the power that comes with it.
I've enjoyed it. I've read it 4 days which to me it's pretty good. Advisable but to newcomers I would advise starting with either the Store or the association.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2020
Another one I've read but didn't remember, so giving it 3 stars.
April 26, 2017
Puerile junk. How does this guy even get published? Any teenage American slacker could write this. It's amoral and vacuous. The central character kills his father and a harmless girl without remorse and remains unpunished. Not a good role model for our youth today. Guns should not be banned. This book should. It sends a clear message to the Christless generation of young American slobs of today that it's okay to kill people who annoy you. No wonder they voted twice for that evil idiot Obama. Truly this author reflects and glorifies his evil generation.
Though the first half of the book builds interestingly, it suddenly changes, and the second half is pure 'make-it-up-as-you-go' fantasy. During the first half, I thought the author would intelligently develop the theme of contentious letter-writing in the 1980's and 90's and take it into the present internet age where trends and events in politics and culture are now steered by online flaming and social media, the logical extension of the central character's paper and ink 'Letter Writing' of twenty years ago. But the author misses this opportunity, and it seems clear that he ran out of inspiration and interest in his own novel at the halfway point and sought to save it by changing it into an aimless fantasy story instead. I only read this because I live abroad, and books in English here are rare, but be sure I will not be reading any other Bentley Little novel.
Though the first half of the book builds interestingly, it suddenly changes, and the second half is pure 'make-it-up-as-you-go' fantasy. During the first half, I thought the author would intelligently develop the theme of contentious letter-writing in the 1980's and 90's and take it into the present internet age where trends and events in politics and culture are now steered by online flaming and social media, the logical extension of the central character's paper and ink 'Letter Writing' of twenty years ago. But the author misses this opportunity, and it seems clear that he ran out of inspiration and interest in his own novel at the halfway point and sought to save it by changing it into an aimless fantasy story instead. I only read this because I live abroad, and books in English here are rare, but be sure I will not be reading any other Bentley Little novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2019
It's a horrendous book.
The main character is completely unlikeable. Nothing redeems his selfishness, cruelty and sexist attitudes. The book is over written with zero atmosphere added to make it creepy and enjoyable. There's a hell of a lot of dithering thoughts the protagonist (I use that word lightly) has that bloats the book horribly. The author often undercuts what the protagonist is saying or thinking. Main character reads like wish fulfillment for sad little men. It's a very slow read.
What really ticks me off is the recycling of ideas. Recently, I picked up a handful of Little's books for cheap from a used bookstore. Read The Association last week and there's a hell of a lot of boring ass parallels in the book. The association there and the company in this book. The bullshit ending of the main character avoiding a true fight - quoting laws in the other book, cutting up letters in this book. Ray and Stan might as well be the same characters. It's such a complete waste of time. I'm not even going to get into how arrogant the author comes across in this book.
Hoping the next Little I read will a more successful read for me.
The main character is completely unlikeable. Nothing redeems his selfishness, cruelty and sexist attitudes. The book is over written with zero atmosphere added to make it creepy and enjoyable. There's a hell of a lot of dithering thoughts the protagonist (I use that word lightly) has that bloats the book horribly. The author often undercuts what the protagonist is saying or thinking. Main character reads like wish fulfillment for sad little men. It's a very slow read.
What really ticks me off is the recycling of ideas. Recently, I picked up a handful of Little's books for cheap from a used bookstore. Read The Association last week and there's a hell of a lot of boring ass parallels in the book. The association there and the company in this book. The bullshit ending of the main character avoiding a true fight - quoting laws in the other book, cutting up letters in this book. Ray and Stan might as well be the same characters. It's such a complete waste of time. I'm not even going to get into how arrogant the author comes across in this book.
Hoping the next Little I read will a more successful read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2014
I found this book to be very fast paced and easy to get into. This is probably the fastest I've read one of Little's books (except maybe Dominion which is one of my favs)and it only took me about 3-4 days to read it b/c I wanted to know what was going to happen. Like most of Little's books he takes something as everyday as writing letters and turns it into the plot of a sinister, weird tale. Jason is a Letter Writer (yes with capitals) who with the power of his letters get free food, entertainment, better jobs, school scholarships and even causes a few deaths along the way. When Jason is offered a job that opens his eyes to the fact that he is not the only Letter Writer, the story gets even more bizarre. Like many of the books I've read of Little, his build up is sometimes better than the conclusion, but overall it's still one of his more interesting books. Probably one of his weirdest novels, and goes well with The Mailman, which both make letters and mail frightening!
March 20, 2012
I appreciate this Bentley Little book every bit as much as Stephen King. This is my first taste of his work and I will read more from him.
I enjoyed the main character's development. Starting out in youth, laying the foundation of madness, to the last reaches of adult insanity, he reminds me of our tenuous hold on our own justifications, our excuses for our behavior.
I enjoyed the main character's development. Starting out in youth, laying the foundation of madness, to the last reaches of adult insanity, he reminds me of our tenuous hold on our own justifications, our excuses for our behavior.
August 10, 2010
This guy is great at can't-look-away horror! He's sick, twisted and facinating! Dispatch is a good read, keeps you interested, and actually pretty mild for Little.
March 26, 2020
Very very very good! This was my first Bentley Little book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The pacing was excellent, the main character's story had me hooked from the beginning, despite him not being a very nice person, the sense of foreboding was very well done, and ! I had a great time reading this, and am looking forward to trying more of Little's work!
December 19, 2015
‘Dispatch’ weaves an engaging story about Jason Handford who has a special gift whereby he can achieve results by writing letters. Soon, he becomes obsessed with writing letters or rather, he feels like he has no control over his desire to write and in the process, he realizes there’s a bigger force out there and what lies ahead is dark and unknown.
First of all, I was very interested in the storyline and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint (for the most part). It’s great that Little kicks off the story with Jason as a ten-year-old before proceeding to his teenage and adult years. This helped to give a great insight into Jason’s background such as his unstable home life, what drew him to write and how things gradually but eventually spiralled out of control. It’s evident that even at a young age, he was already aware of what girls in general found attractive, knew how to lie and had some sort of psychological grasp on things. Basically he was smart, not necessarily academically but he knew how to get what he wanted.
Jason isn’t a particularly likeable character. He enjoys writing complaint letters merely to get a reaction and especially receive free stuff – meals, tickets etc. He abuses his uncanny ability to get what he wants. He’s selfish and doesn’t care about the implications of his actions. Besides that, he has no qualms when it comes to getting rid of people that he dislikes or is unable to tolerate. In a nutshell, he’s cruel, cold and calculative. Oddly enough, I couldn’t dislike him. I found him to be a great writer as well as someone who’s calm, detached and again, smart.
Little’s writing style appealed to me as he got straight to the point yet he knew how to provide descriptions. As a result, you can imagine the places and people, you can feel the atmosphere in different situations and at the same time, it’s a very breezy, enjoyable read. The book wasn’t exactly scary though there were moments where if you think carefully about what was happening, they were sort of scary. What was fantastic was the build-up to the point where Jason got caught up with the mysterious company that’s recruiting him. There were also some unexpectedly funny bits especially the ones about some of his dreams.
Somewhere around the last third of the book though, the story took a slight nosedive due to the terribly disappointing . It was over too quickly and the whole seemed too easy especially as the one he’s up against is supposedly powerful. I think it would have been better not to have a and instead make it such that he becomes consumed by writing to the point where he loses any trace of personality he has, or something along those lines. Something that’s horrifying without being too in-your-face about it.
Overall, ‘Dispatch’ was a very fun read despite the letdown as stated earlier. Great storyline, intricate details and thought-provoking content.
First of all, I was very interested in the storyline and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint (for the most part). It’s great that Little kicks off the story with Jason as a ten-year-old before proceeding to his teenage and adult years. This helped to give a great insight into Jason’s background such as his unstable home life, what drew him to write and how things gradually but eventually spiralled out of control. It’s evident that even at a young age, he was already aware of what girls in general found attractive, knew how to lie and had some sort of psychological grasp on things. Basically he was smart, not necessarily academically but he knew how to get what he wanted.
Jason isn’t a particularly likeable character. He enjoys writing complaint letters merely to get a reaction and especially receive free stuff – meals, tickets etc. He abuses his uncanny ability to get what he wants. He’s selfish and doesn’t care about the implications of his actions. Besides that, he has no qualms when it comes to getting rid of people that he dislikes or is unable to tolerate. In a nutshell, he’s cruel, cold and calculative. Oddly enough, I couldn’t dislike him. I found him to be a great writer as well as someone who’s calm, detached and again, smart.
Little’s writing style appealed to me as he got straight to the point yet he knew how to provide descriptions. As a result, you can imagine the places and people, you can feel the atmosphere in different situations and at the same time, it’s a very breezy, enjoyable read. The book wasn’t exactly scary though there were moments where if you think carefully about what was happening, they were sort of scary. What was fantastic was the build-up to the point where Jason got caught up with the mysterious company that’s recruiting him. There were also some unexpectedly funny bits especially the ones about some of his dreams.
Somewhere around the last third of the book though, the story took a slight nosedive due to the terribly disappointing . It was over too quickly and the whole seemed too easy especially as the one he’s up against is supposedly powerful. I think it would have been better not to have a and instead make it such that he becomes consumed by writing to the point where he loses any trace of personality he has, or something along those lines. Something that’s horrifying without being too in-your-face about it.
Overall, ‘Dispatch’ was a very fun read despite the letdown as stated earlier. Great storyline, intricate details and thought-provoking content.
February 28, 2012
A book that would've worked twice as well if it had been half the size, Bentley Little's "Dispatch" gives us a glimpse into the weird world of Jason Hanford, a man who discovers at an early age that he has an affinity and talent for writing letters. He writes them in staggering quantities, and the results they get are equally staggering. It's almost as if they possess a certain indescribable power -- governmental policies change, people die, lives are altered. Perhaps its just a gift ...
It's an intriguing premise, but not an intriguing novel. Never mind the redundant descriptions of Hanford's letters, never mind the almost comical (and hardly creepy) twist the novel takes 2/3rds of the way through, and never mind the glaringly obvious plot elements (half of which turn into holes). The weakest spot in this novel is, in fact, the central character himself, a man so despicable that it is hard to care about anything that happens to him, scary or not. The novel treats us to a healthy dose of his horrific childhood, so it's not hard to imagine how he became the man he is, but that's not enough to make him a sympathetic character, let alone an interesting one.
The novel's premise, however, IS interesting enough to make you wonder where it's headed, to keep you reading through the stalls and the padding, and the writing is deft enough to make the trip go quickly. The final destination, unfortunately, succumbs to too much silliness and is, ultimately, nothing to write home about.
It's an intriguing premise, but not an intriguing novel. Never mind the redundant descriptions of Hanford's letters, never mind the almost comical (and hardly creepy) twist the novel takes 2/3rds of the way through, and never mind the glaringly obvious plot elements (half of which turn into holes). The weakest spot in this novel is, in fact, the central character himself, a man so despicable that it is hard to care about anything that happens to him, scary or not. The novel treats us to a healthy dose of his horrific childhood, so it's not hard to imagine how he became the man he is, but that's not enough to make him a sympathetic character, let alone an interesting one.
The novel's premise, however, IS interesting enough to make you wonder where it's headed, to keep you reading through the stalls and the padding, and the writing is deft enough to make the trip go quickly. The final destination, unfortunately, succumbs to too much silliness and is, ultimately, nothing to write home about.
June 2, 2018
It was great book. I really enjoyed it all the way though. The ending really disappointed me though, I really wanted it to end differently then it did but that doesn't effect the rating I gave it, I was just upset by the way it ended.
It had a very slow start and nothing really happened until like page 100 and normally if something don't happen in 50 or less pages I drop it faster than a hot potato but there was something about the book that made me want to continue reading to see what would or if any thing would happen. And the book did not let me down.
It had a very slow start and nothing really happened until like page 100 and normally if something don't happen in 50 or less pages I drop it faster than a hot potato but there was something about the book that made me want to continue reading to see what would or if any thing would happen. And the book did not let me down.
April 17, 2010
This is the kind of Bentley Little novel i like. Dispatch starts out with a kid in elementary school who joins a pen pal organization for extra credit. He begins writing to a Japanese girl and lies to her to make himself seem cool to her. Things get slightly out of control when he convinces her to send him a picture of herself naked. As things progress in the novel, and as the character gets older, he realizes he has a talent for writing complaint letters and getting back free things when others get nothing. It is pretty obvious that bad things are going to happen in this book because of the way the main character abuses his power. Like most of Little's novels, the story expands and expands, making you wonder just how far he will go with it. In most of Little's novels, I love that I have absolutely no clue how he is going to close the story and Dispatch is no exception. It is a brilliant novel that is mostly suspense and I can't think of any way it could be better.
Want to read
September 1, 2011Stephen King recommended author and book. He 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."
King blurb about this novel: "Little is the horror poet of ordinary things. In this surreal novel, a lonely young man discovers his letters to the editor — and to the famous — bring actual results. Of course he eventually finds out he's working in Satan's own office pool, but that's the fun of the damned thing."
1/10/06 Lilja's Library Stephen's Picks.
King blurb about this novel: "Little is the horror poet of ordinary things. In this surreal novel, a lonely young man discovers his letters to the editor — and to the famous — bring actual results. Of course he eventually finds out he's working in Satan's own office pool, but that's the fun of the damned thing."
1/10/06 Lilja's Library Stephen's Picks.
November 11, 2020
I love Bentley Little. When I want a twisted tale his are the books I pick up. Dispatch was no different in level of weirdness and unsettling creepiness. As a letter writer myself, delving into the pages of a book about a character who finds he has a certain power with writing letters and the way it corrupts his world, it makes me think twice about picking up a pen! Definitely a good read, one I recommend to anyone who likes Bentley Little or horror in general.
November 4, 2011
This book felt a lot like Little's 'The Ignored', mostly by the narrative, I think, but overall a more satisfying read, IMO. 'Dispatch' follows Little's normal tendency of real world, mundane things going wildly, vividly, fantastically, and horrifically out of control. This is what places Little firmly near the head of the class when it comes to good, fun, deviant horror.
Few writers can go from a typical, normal moment to jaw-dropping, shiver inducing anxiety quicker.
Few writers can go from a typical, normal moment to jaw-dropping, shiver inducing anxiety quicker.
August 8, 2014
I read this book after reading the policy and even though I liked them both, it was this one I enjoyed the most. It was an interesting story about the power of letters. Bentley takes on the idea that the main character has the ability to influence people and events through letters, as usual in his story evil influences are always close by and this book has some deliciously crazy moments. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it any horror fan.
February 2, 2015
Pretty good horror novel in the typical Little fashion. Seems like most reviewers preferred either the first half or the second half. I feel all of the books I've read by Little are strong in the beginning and tail off near the end. This one is no exception. I must say I really enjoyed the concept which was pretty unique compared to any other horror story I've ever read. Nicely done Bentley...on to the next....
February 12, 2018
Creepy take on the art of letter writing with a supernatural twist. Jason begins his letter writing in fifth grade, during a pen pal assignment and learns to manipulate situations that gain him and his friends free fast foods and movie tickets. This quickly warps into affecting the lives of others and eventually current world events. A bit slow in parts, but overall a fantastic read. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2018
Hook, line and sinker, I was eating this book up like a fat kid in a cake shop. It was a slow burn and nothing really happened until the midpoint of the novel and yet I could not put the book down. Once the action starts there was no letting up or break to catch my breath and it was so Bentley Little, the absolute bizarre and nightmarish. I also loved the Easter eggs. Jason was a great character. I loved to hate him. Excellent writing as always.
October 3, 2009
Surprisingly good. It reads like a well written memoir of a Letter Writer until it gets...odd. At turns funny and scary with a protagonist that you can both identify with and are horrified by. This makes me want to search out more by the same author.
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