Night People

by Barry Gifford

The author of Wild at Heart and The Wild Life of Sailor and Lula writes of what Tennessee Williams called “something wild in the country/that only the night people know.” He draws his characters from the shadows of the Deep South, where they confront the chaotic horror of the United States at the end of the twentieth century.

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Noir, Contemporary, Novels

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Barry Gifford is an American author, poet, and screenwriter known for his distinctive mix of American landscapes and film noir- and Beat Generation-influenced literary madness.

He is described by Patrick Beach as being "like if John Updike had an evil twin that grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and wrote funny..."He is best known for his series of novels about Sailor and Lula, two sex-driven, star-crossed protagonists on the road. The first of the series, Wild at Heart, was adapted by director David Lynch for the 1990 film of the same title. Gifford went on to write the screenplay for Lost Highway with Lynch. Much of Gifford's work is nonfiction.

Reviews

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A ballet of brutality and beauty".

I would agree with the hardcover description. The visceral and violent cover drew me in though both title and cover were kinda misleading . This wasn't what I was expecting to be honest. I was perhaps expecting the story to lean more on apocalyptic/ zombies 'ala walking dead' style but with two bad ass women as main protagonists. Not really disappointing just different from what I envisioned.

Pulpy and provocative. We follow an uneasy cast of wanted men and women, cartel-killers and lost souls through four interlocking tales. Highlights abusive behaviour of men against women and emphasis on feminine rights - and turning the tables and having women take their revenge and then some. This was interesting enough for me and I'd probably read the novel version sometime soon to know more about the characters and their back-stories.


Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the arc. 🖤

3✨

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Issue 1: 3 Stars
Good start. Liked the gore.

Issue 2: 1 star
The nakedness triggered me and in general I felt that this part was just weird.

Issue 3: 4 stars
I really liked the story of Earl and how he said that his down there is bigger than his brain, that was funny. And the ending was so shocking.

Issue 4: 2 stars
Overall the whole teenage rebellion was cool and how the mother of the girl already told us indirectly how bad the father actually is. I reduced one star due to the ending triggering me.

Everything put together I would give this book a 3 star rating. I generally don't rate books too high that triggered me, but I really liked the whole idea. Also, the whole thing about how each issue was planned and such was cool to read too! I generally like when books show how they were made.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read comics, especially ones that are mainly about murder and body horror.

———————————————————————————
Thank you Oni Press, for the advanced reader copy of Night People by Barry Gifford and Chris Condon

StoryGraph review + content warnings
Blog review

Started the book: 18. October 2024
Finished the book: 18. October 2024
Wrote the review: 18. October 2024

[Dani Morell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Els personatges de Gifford no els voldries pas d'amics. Rednecks alcoholitzats, prostitutes violentes, pervertits sexuals, motards desheretats, delinqüents d'estar per casa... Un descens episòdic i aparentment aleatori a la part més fosca del Deep South americà. Tones d'humor negre, provocació, sexe hilarant, sectarisme religiós, subtrames tancades amb absurds deus ex machina i una violència inherent impossible de defugir. This is America! És un autèntic pecat que no tinguem res de Gifford (Perdita Durango, Wild Heart, Lost highway) traduït al català.

'La vida té alguna cosa de salvatge que només la gent de la nit coneix...'
(Tennessee Williams).

[B.J. Swann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an age in which the average book is a bloated mess that's about 50% too long, we need Gifford's lean, mean storytelling more than ever. Fast-paced interwoven tales of weirdoes, lowlives, criminals, killers, and wonderful human beings.

[AC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun. Certainly a nice break from what I’ve been reading..

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into Gifford's novels, and I certainly enjoyed it. I've come to them from The Roy Stories, and though completely different, some of their appeal is evident here also.

These are four interwoven novellas, all set in Florida, and told with a Crews-esque southern gothic style, and full of colourful characters with improbable names.

In the first tale, Big Betty Stalcup and Miss Cutie Early, two lesbian ex-convicts, with a mission. They hit the road, canoodling and smooching until they find a corrupt black lawyer recovering from a heart bypass, and add to his tattoos with a razor. But are they the serial killers responsible for all the recent decapitations, or is that Wapiti Touche, the Irish-Seminole-French Canadian-Dutch prostitute from Egypt City...

Beatifica Brown, a devout abortionist, is visited by the ghost of abolitionist John Brown, who implores her to adopt his methods in fighting the anti-abortion activists of Louisiana.

Dallas and Dilys Salt, brother and sister rival preachers and the parents of a child with Down's syndrome, preach their respectively pro-life and pro-choice messages from the Church on the One Hand and the Church on the Other Hand respectively.

But the best is last - Fourteen year old Marble Lesson, is the sole survivor of a lightning strike on a crowded bus, and subsequently to an attempted rape. She spells out her philosophy in letters to a Jesus she has been brought up to see as an icon of the Klan, in a white robe.

This is Gifford at his stongest; with passion, clarity and piercing brevity, diffusing these bizarre and sleazy episodes with engaging emotion.

[Amanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review of Night People

[Radwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

this realllly wasn't for me.

I felt so lost reading it, and even after researching it and finding out it's a graphic novel adaptation of a short story collection, it didn;t help a lot. i guess it's made for those who already read the book and would like to see it adapted. it's gory and horrific and uses religion in an eerie way, but wasn't really to my taste.

[Valerie Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

"you get where you're goin', you grow that mustache back"

this was just disconnected vulgarity and violence like I genuinely have no idea how any of it is supposed to tie together or have any sort of plot. Also, the art style is so boring compared to the cover and something I've seen so many times already

[Eddie Villanueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun little book by sometime David Lynch collaborator, Barry Gifford. It tells interconnected stories of "bad" stuff happening in the American South during the early 90's. I enjoyed it!

[Fen'Harel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but it really wasn't for me. At first, we're launched into the first story that has multiple main characters and a bit of a difficult grip to understanding the plot. By the time I understood what was going on, the story was over and I felt... nothing.
This was a mentality I kept throughout the entire book. I didn't really feel anything for the characters or any of the plots happening. The dialogue felt like it was lacking somewhat, and the constant writing in an accent made it difficult to read some pages. I felt myself slowing down to go over and over a line to figure out what the character is saying. Sometimes, a bit of accent can help an audience understand an accent (or some key words like g'day), but this was brutal and difficult to read sometimes.
The art was where it gained a couple of stars. It was interesting in its structure and unique to the story. I also felt like it matched the horror feel of the stories it was sharing with us.
Overall, the story was fine but the plot went no where and I didn't feel anything towards any of the characters or their stories. I would have liked to have seen a bit more from the author in regards to dialogue and plot, but it left me high and dry.
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four interconnected stories of convicts, lost souls, and human monsters journeying through a labyrinth of perversion, religious dogma, and murder in the Deep South.

Wow. Not what I was expecting at all. Horror comes in so many packages, lovers with a twisted idea of God, a preacher who signed more than his congregation ever could, a drifted who doesn't know how he signed just that he did, and a child who just wanted to give her father her love.

The artwork was amazing, the story strong as well as shocking. I was floored by this and think it will stay in my head for some time.

Recommended but be aware there should be trigger warnings attached.
Sex, violence, rape, and pedophilia.

Thanks to @netgalley and Oni Press for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Jodi Sh. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gifford was recommended because of my love of Harry Crews, as if Crews was a mere shadow of this guy. I'm not buying that. Harry Crews is in a class by himself and incredibly underappreciated, far and above anything Barry Gifford, or almost anyone else of this southern creepy character genre can write.

Night People, meanders through vignettes and silhouettes of tangentially connected folks, each and every one a certified "character" with a wacky Southern character name. There's Althea & Zelmo and their six children: Zenoria, Zelma, Zoroaster, Lana Turner, Pocohantas, and Rita Hayworth. The evangelical serial killer lesbians Big Bet & Cutie Early. The gun-toting abortionist, Beatifica Brown who has sex with the ghost of John Brown. The incestuous brother sister preachers, Dallas & Dilys Salt. And Jesus' pen pal, 14-year-old Marble Lesson and her father, Wesson Lesson.

This is really four novellas, and reading this straight through is a mistake akin to walking through a carnival side show after dropping a hit or three of acid. Taken one at a time, the characters and their stories are fascinating.

Gifford also wrote Wild At Heart - a film with Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage, and of which nothing else is memorable except the title, and while I'm still not sure how I feel about Gifford, I did come away with the feeling that he's worth another taste. Much like an exotic food with such a specific taste, you need to time to figure out if you like it, or hate it.

[Mrn DaNi · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book drove me nuts..

it was sos anticlimactic to me. every story was a promise with no answer
not once did i get a satisfactory ending and maybe thats what the book was trying to accomplish but i couldn't get into it..

it was recommended to me and i read it in spanish. The weird names of the character probably suffer from bad translation soo i might eventually try and find it in its original language

one word for it "chaos". thats how i felt while reading it and i can't tell if it was good or a bad thing

[Brent Legault · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has all of the Barry Gifford hallmarks: plenty of pepper-hot dialogue, plenty of extravagant eccentrics, plenty of outree exoticism. Sometimes it's a bit too cute for my taste (for example, the outlandish character names: Cutie Early, Sister Dilys Salt, DuMont 'Du-Du' Dupree, Easy Earl, Boca Demente, ad vomitum) but it made me crave strange things, like Crown Royal and milk. And any novel that can worm its way into my fundament like that isn't all awful.

[Joseph plasan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to be a jerk, but since Barry Gifford appears to be somewhat successful I don't mind saying this is the STUPIDEST f***ing thing I have read in a long time. This book did NOT deserve publication. I paid $4 for this and all I got was a childish assault on my patience---The author just took a massive dump on a page---
Some things should not be published

[Jeff Swesky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do enjoy Gifford's Sailor and Lula stories, but I just couldn't get into this book. I found the characters flat, uninteresting (if not cliche',) and lacking emotion. And I found the plot to be disjointed. Gifford had lost my attention before the end of the first novella, I'm afraid.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m just not sure how I feel.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

A collection of unsettling short stories adapted as a comic. As I am not familiar with the original book this is based on some of the short stories left me a bit confused and wishing for more context. However, the art style is nice and I really liked the coloring. Since all the stories interlock you slowly get a bigger picture of this world and while I still wish for more context, I enjoyed this collection in the end. If you like stories exploring the American south and the darker aspects of the human psyche, check this comic collection out!
General trigger warnings for gore, violence, gun violence, torture and murder as that is something that happens in multiple stories.

Night People: This story follows two women, who found Jesus during their stay in prison. Except instead of prayer and church Miss Jesus has commanded them to rid the world of men. A fun, gorey romp, very Thelma and Luise. Unfortunately, since it is very short, I felt that the panels introducing side characters took too much space that I would have instead liked to learn more about Big Betty and Miss Cutie.

The Secret Life of Insects: In this story, we get to know Beatifica Brown, an abortionist, who is visited by the ghost of John Brown, the abolitionist. She spent some time in prison with Big Betty and Miss Cutie (just enough backstory to tie the stories together) and has now decided that if people won’t respect a pregnant person’s right to choose, she will force them to accept it. A bit tough to read due to very dark content, featuring one of the most unlikeable, abusive asshole characters, who as it turns out ties all the women in this story together. I enjoyed this one, but mind the trigger warnings for this one, it is not an easy story.
TW: sexual nudity, past incestuous abuse, sexual abuse, mass murder and some ableism in the implication that Down Syndrome is caused by being a child born from incest, transphobic language

The Ballad of Easy Earl: A man finds himself on the run after blacking out at a bar and coming to with a gun in his passenger seat and reports of a shot cop. Haunting and very enjoyable to read
TW: suicide, car crash

The Crime of Marble Lesson: Desperate to get back to her father, who she thinks cannot take care of himself, 14-year old Marble hitchhikes to see him. She gets lucky that time, but will she actually be any safer with her dad? Haunting, but also intriguing.
TW: domestic abuse, csa

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

(Please Note: This is a review for the graphic novel publication under this title due to be published on 11 February 2025 by Oni Press, NOT a review for the short story collection by the same principal author which I have NOT read)


A lush, lurid, tale sprawled across a nightmarish, Through Looking Glass version of America that seamlessly blends horror, mystery, and character study in one unforgettable story.

Any summary of the Night People will fail to do it justice. But in the interest of giving a preview, let’s say it's an adeptly written story of violent, passionate, desperate, people and the sparks that fly as their narratives intersect. There are, first and foremost, feminist, religious fanatics, who have some good points but won’t let something as trivial as murder prevent them from spreading the good word. There’s a man on the run from his past who’s about to run right into something worse than anything he left in his rearview. There’s a shockingly observant little girl who might be even more than she appears, going on an ill advised journey and trying to save her broken father. When these characters find their paths crossing, the result is something rare and memorable, true lightning in a bottle type stuff.

Night People combines the best elements of classic pulp like Tales from The Crypt with its shocking violence and grisly storytelling, while also pausing long enough to make its characters fully fleshed out, tragic human beings. While reading I thought the world of the story was reminiscent of the grittiest elements of Sandman by Neil Gaiman and what would happen if someone were to adapt the show True Detective into expertly lined and colored graphic novel form. The aesthetic virtuosity on display here from the various artists deserves just as much praise as the brilliant narrative elements. Skill and care just seep out of every panel and no matter what’s happening in the story at any given time, the art is a joy to see. In conclusion, this was a gripping and immersive world that fascinates even as it repels, it demands your attention and compels you to finish in one sitting.

A shocking, compelling, pulpy trip, Night People is like a road trip from hell across the Deep South and I for one can’t wait to get on the road again.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up

Summary:

Love, life, and crime. They don’t always go together, but for some people, they do. Big Betty loves her girlfriend, Cutie Early, and all the trouble they can get into. Together, they are fresh out of prison and looking to get back into killing.

There’s another character who does illegal operations, but she has a reason for it. Then there’s the detective out for revenge. Finally, a cult of quasi-feminism and abuse. How do these stories connect? Read and find out.

Review:

Night People is a compelling and sometimes disjointed story about a collection of people. Every person in this story has a reason for committing crimes, from simply liking it to trying to survive. It makes for an interesting view of the human soul.

It's safe to say that Night People is not for the squeamish. This graphic novel is visceral and detailed. If you're not certain if it's for you, take a good look at the cover. It's a solid gauge for what is to come.

I really enjoyed how each story was disconnected yet had a central theme. It brought them all together but gave the creative team room to play with different stories and characters. It was a great decision to bring this novel to life.

Admittedly, I didn't end up enjoying Night People as much as I hoped. I don't think that's the graphic novel's fault, though! I think this is a case of a bad fit for the reader. Or maybe it's that this reader is a bad fit for the story. Either way.

Highlights:
Noir Graphic Novel
Crime Novel

Trigger Warnings:
Graphic Violence/Gore
Sexual Assault

Thanks to Oni Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[Allen Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a graphic novel based on the novel Night People by Barry Gifford. There are four interrelated stories that follow different characters experiencing the horrors of violence. This was graphic and violent (lots of shooting, death, murder). The style of illustration was unique and a highlight of the read for me. The characters' faces, in particular, were so interestingly drawn.

As far as the actual story, I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I felt like the stories were too short to really feel connected to. It took me several pages to orient myself in the story and figure out what was going on and by the time that happened, the story was almost over. I'm not sure how this compares to the original novel, as I haven't read it, but I think this could've benefited from having two volumes with the first two stories taking up the entire first volume.

There is an interview with the authors at the end that helped my understanding of the themes / intention of the stories. I'd actually recommend reading that before starting the actual story. I'd recommend this to fans of the original novel and fans of noir/crime/thriller graphic novels.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[AestheticFanatic · Rating 2 out of 5]

A crass and crude series of novellas woven with sharp, witty writing...in only the first of four stories told. I am sad to report that, unfortunately, Mr. Gifford does not quite keep up the intrigue and the game is dropped once you get used to his style. The wackiness recedes into annoyance rather quickly and you start to notice Gifford picking a fight with the Southerner in parts while presenting his so called "night people" as simultaneously the victims and villains of whatever issue he wants to take up (usually women). There is a consistent tone, certainly, but the character payoffs basically amount to: this character was bad therefore they die or this character was justified in their actions and will carry on into the next novella. Worse yet is that Gifford will reuse his more subtle jokes throughout the novel and rather than it feeling like a recurring gag it just feels tiresome. For such a short novel, I feel bad not recommending it, especially since the first story is quite a fun romp, but this book is just too long and unabashedly itself for me to find much room in recommending it.

[Thurston Hunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mess of southern-fried violence, I would have enjoyed more back when I was reading Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. The book this drawn from was written after that circa 1992 by Gifford, who connects to David Lynch for "Wild at Heart" ( a Gifford story) and then "The Lost Highway."

Honestly as opposed to Moore/Lynch, this reminded me more of Oliver Stone/Tarantino collaboration - "Natural Born Killers."

Still a nice score for Onipress and Chris Condon, bringing them if not street cred then bloody back alley cred. And Gifford has a chance to connect with a younger audience. Besides the pulp killing/torture, there's a side order of sex and religion, which I reckon you could find anywhere in the world, but heated up round the Florida panhandle adds to the seasoning.

The stories loosely intertwine, Earl dodging bullets, bondage and maybe fate. Or maybe not. The hard-boiled pulp is really more the point than plot imho. Not sure about the original book, graphic novel compressing things down to 132 pages could be a factor too.

Anyways if you don't want to deal with the grime, don't spend the time on this.

[Pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impresionante. En un principio me costó un poco leerla pues no estoy acostumbrada a leer textos explícitos, pero me ha terminado gustando bastante esta vuelta de moneda.
Tantas historias que reflejan la normalidad de la crudeza humana, tantas historias que pisan nuestro mundo. La libertad amenazante del hombre, hablando tanto del ser humano como del sexo, es el protagonista de cada una de las páginas. También el desamparo, la esperanza y desesperanza hacen su juego.
Estretenido y de rápida lectura. El encuentro de historias y nombres es lo más llamativo. Lo único que se me ha dificultado ha sido la mención de los lugares y calles, pues contiene mucho detalle, y para mí que no provengo de Estados Unidos ha sido difícil leer tantos nombres y encima distintos.

[Brittany ✨Bookishlyyoursforever✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

The stories in this graphic novel were interesting and I enjoyed the art style, BUT I am not the biggest fan of gore so I did have to squint through some of the parts and hope I wasn't missing anything too important. I've been on a horror kick lately so that made me keep reading in spite of the less enjoyable parts, personally I wanted to rate this a 2.5 but rounded up to a 3 because there really is a lot more the this graphic novel than just those gory parts. It did make it a little hard to feel any personal connection to the characters, but is still worth the read if you enjoy horror graphic novels.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finally back in my novel swing! I took a year to focus on nonfiction, which was fine, but there ain't nothin' like a good novel.

This novel was mentioned in a book I read about David Lynch, and about how it inspired his films. He later made a movie of this same author's Wild at Heart.

I liked this a lot. Four sections with several three-to-four page chapters, each one usually jumping from one character to another, sometimes killing off or abandoning characters along the way until one remains in the end. Bunch of seedy people in seedy situations.

Recommended for fans of Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night People: A Gripping Tale That Will Keep You Up All Night!

This exceptional story unfolds across four captivating chapters, each one diving deep into the life of a unique character. As their paths intertwine, the suspense builds, leaving you breathless. I was completely engrossed, and by the end, I had my jaw on the floor!

But beware—this isn’t a tale for the faint of heart. It’s dark, disturbing, and definitely worth checking trigger warnings before diving in. With masterful storytelling and stunning illustrations, Night People is a must-read for anyone seeking a thrilling experience. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable journey!

[Ben James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of dark and murderous stories about people on the fringes of society. I feel like comic issues are too short for an anthology series like this: we barely get to spend any time with any of the characters before jumping into the next story. So this volume feels like it reads at breakneck pace, which is unfortunate when so much nasty, horrible stuff is happening. The art here is okay but I felt it could have been a bit cleaner. Definitely something people of the original book would get a lot more out of than me.

[Emory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly 3 star read. The issues weren't long enough to explore the characters and it wasn't made clear that the original book was a set of short stories, so it was confusing to read as someone unfamiliar with the original. I think I would enjoy the original book but this fell short owing to a lack of contextualisation and an assumption that the reader had even heard of Night People. The art was great though, particularly the colouring with the sensitive and beautiful lighting employed throughout

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC