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Gloria
Considering she had just attended her mother's funeral, Gloria Jaymes never expected to see the woman again, but then her dead mom shows up at her house.
Gloria's mom is... different. She's younger than when she died, dressed in clothes from the 1980s. And nobody else in Gloria's family seems to recognize her.
As Gloria tries to figure out the reason for her mother's reappearance — and the odd behaviors the woman begins to exhibit — other bizarre events occur. The changes to Gloria's world are small and subtle, at first... then they become much more startling.
The freaky situation might just be connected to a mysterious shed in a small California town. The strangers who gather around the shed seem to know Gloria's name... and maybe they aren't strangers after all.
With Gloria, Bentley Little presents one of his most complex and compelling novels — one that is certain to surprise readers on every page.
Gloria's mom is... different. She's younger than when she died, dressed in clothes from the 1980s. And nobody else in Gloria's family seems to recognize her.
As Gloria tries to figure out the reason for her mother's reappearance — and the odd behaviors the woman begins to exhibit — other bizarre events occur. The changes to Gloria's world are small and subtle, at first... then they become much more startling.
The freaky situation might just be connected to a mysterious shed in a small California town. The strangers who gather around the shed seem to know Gloria's name... and maybe they aren't strangers after all.
With Gloria, Bentley Little presents one of his most complex and compelling novels — one that is certain to surprise readers on every page.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2021
48 people are currently reading
549 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 82 reviews
January 27, 2022
Bentley, you brilliant bastard! For the past three days, you’ve had my mind twisted, turned, rearranged, removed and replaced again. Just when I think I finally have a read on your brain, you go and change everything. I think the lesson is, I will never understand how Bentley Little’s genius works, but I’m happy to just get glimpses.
I somehow forgot that Bentley usually drops a book each year around Halloween, so I’m a little late to this one, his newest release. (In fact, I have about a half dozen of his books still sitting in my physical reading pile, but I wanted this one first.) The synopsis sounded so intriguing - a woman goes to her mom’s funeral, then comes home to her mom, the way she looked in the 1980s. Soon, more strange things start happening, and they all seem to relate to a tiny shed in northern California.
I can’t explain it any better than the synopsis does. In fact, I can’t explain it much at all. It’s a ride … you just jump in and go, and enjoy the scenery along the way. The closest thing I can relate this to is “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” - not in plot at all, but in feeling. We are talking possible astral planes, alternative timelines, vague memories that you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know they are there, and they are real.
Bentley Little is a horror writer with that wry sense of humor, who maybe dips into fantasy a bit much for my taste, but I don’t think I’d put this in the fantasy genre. This is also a love story, but I definitely wouldn’t call it a romance. This has some science-fiction tones, maybe some religious tones, definitely some Twilight Zone tones, but the overall tone is fear. And I loved it.
This doesn’t follow the author’s usual formula of taking everyday things and making them horrific … if you’ve read his book “His Father’s Son”, it’s more along the lines of that, where this world - whatever you deem that to be - is just a minor blip on the line of time. Maybe there are linear lines. Maybe there are other dimensions. Maybe some people just know things the rest of us aren’t meant to know.
With this book, you can take your pick and interpret it any way you wish, but be warned: you WILL be trying to interpret it. I’m going to keep thinking about this one for awhile, and that is why Bentley is second only to the GOAT (Stephen King) in my list of favorite writers. Five stars for scrambling my brain to pieces … I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I somehow forgot that Bentley usually drops a book each year around Halloween, so I’m a little late to this one, his newest release. (In fact, I have about a half dozen of his books still sitting in my physical reading pile, but I wanted this one first.) The synopsis sounded so intriguing - a woman goes to her mom’s funeral, then comes home to her mom, the way she looked in the 1980s. Soon, more strange things start happening, and they all seem to relate to a tiny shed in northern California.
I can’t explain it any better than the synopsis does. In fact, I can’t explain it much at all. It’s a ride … you just jump in and go, and enjoy the scenery along the way. The closest thing I can relate this to is “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” - not in plot at all, but in feeling. We are talking possible astral planes, alternative timelines, vague memories that you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know they are there, and they are real.
Bentley Little is a horror writer with that wry sense of humor, who maybe dips into fantasy a bit much for my taste, but I don’t think I’d put this in the fantasy genre. This is also a love story, but I definitely wouldn’t call it a romance. This has some science-fiction tones, maybe some religious tones, definitely some Twilight Zone tones, but the overall tone is fear. And I loved it.
This doesn’t follow the author’s usual formula of taking everyday things and making them horrific … if you’ve read his book “His Father’s Son”, it’s more along the lines of that, where this world - whatever you deem that to be - is just a minor blip on the line of time. Maybe there are linear lines. Maybe there are other dimensions. Maybe some people just know things the rest of us aren’t meant to know.
With this book, you can take your pick and interpret it any way you wish, but be warned: you WILL be trying to interpret it. I’m going to keep thinking about this one for awhile, and that is why Bentley is second only to the GOAT (Stephen King) in my list of favorite writers. Five stars for scrambling my brain to pieces … I wouldn’t have it any other way!
February 10, 2022
This is a tough one to review. As a long time fan of Bentley Little I have read everything he has ever written. Generally he has a formula that he sticks to and those books are all recognizable by the word "THE" in the title. The Store, The Resort, The Consultant. The Bank, etc. all follow this formula. Occasionally he steps away from that, and those books can be recognized by lack of "The" such as "His Father's son" and "Death Instinct" and now "Gloria"
What all of his books have in common is over the top bizarre situations, but Gloria really takes the cake here. I didn't know what to make of it at first. It seemed like a big dose of crazy "what if's."
What if your life was different? what if you had children? What if you didn't have children? What if you had a different job? What if your mom died? What if your mom lived? What if you had multiple siblings, no siblings, were wealthier, poorer, a stay at home parent. What if all of your what ifs sucked and no matter how your life was different that was always the same. Always the grief and the suffering and the loss as if it were predestined no matter what you chose. Like a big case of do overs on ground hogs day. That is what I thought for over the first 150 pages and that's around the time I started getting fed up with it. It wasn't until around page 200 that these constant do-overs were explained but that made it no less crazy. The explanation is weak, and vague, and is never made any clearer.
At the beginning of the book I was all in on this. It was strange and creepy and some of these really bizarre scenes gave me chills. Unfortunately there is always that pesky little too much of a good thing, and I reached that point before the halfway mark. It was just too much, and no longer enjoyable or unexpected. It started to feel like walking through a Halloween attraction and the way the first couple of times someone jumps out at you it's fun and scary, but by the tenth time it's expected and gone on for too long. There were also random acts of animal cruelty that were pointless. I think this was the author's attempt at a love story but by the end I wanted a divorce.
What all of his books have in common is over the top bizarre situations, but Gloria really takes the cake here. I didn't know what to make of it at first. It seemed like a big dose of crazy "what if's."
What if your life was different? what if you had children? What if you didn't have children? What if you had a different job? What if your mom died? What if your mom lived? What if you had multiple siblings, no siblings, were wealthier, poorer, a stay at home parent. What if all of your what ifs sucked and no matter how your life was different that was always the same. Always the grief and the suffering and the loss as if it were predestined no matter what you chose. Like a big case of do overs on ground hogs day. That is what I thought for over the first 150 pages and that's around the time I started getting fed up with it. It wasn't until around page 200 that these constant do-overs were explained but that made it no less crazy. The explanation is weak, and vague, and is never made any clearer.
At the beginning of the book I was all in on this. It was strange and creepy and some of these really bizarre scenes gave me chills. Unfortunately there is always that pesky little too much of a good thing, and I reached that point before the halfway mark. It was just too much, and no longer enjoyable or unexpected. It started to feel like walking through a Halloween attraction and the way the first couple of times someone jumps out at you it's fun and scary, but by the tenth time it's expected and gone on for too long. There were also random acts of animal cruelty that were pointless. I think this was the author's attempt at a love story but by the end I wanted a divorce.
March 20, 2025
Little gets cosmic in Gloria, one of his more experimental books in recent memory. At first glance, it’s almost an extension of His Father’s Son, but a mother/daughter. But as the story evolves, the notions of memory and sentimentality, the idea of wishing a person back, takes on a unique and creepy connotation.
It spirals and repeats itself a little bit but stays pretty engaging. There are some really creepy moments, and plenty of them. But what sticks with me here is an emotional through line that has a very adult perspective on grief and love. There are ideas about nostalgia and the reality that maybe your idea of someone who has passed might be different from who they really were. There’s some interesting thoughts about the subconscious “haunting” of our parents as well. A bit shapeless but thoughtful and creepy.
His books always make me want to eat Mexican food, too. The way he describes those fajitas, mouth watering.
It spirals and repeats itself a little bit but stays pretty engaging. There are some really creepy moments, and plenty of them. But what sticks with me here is an emotional through line that has a very adult perspective on grief and love. There are ideas about nostalgia and the reality that maybe your idea of someone who has passed might be different from who they really were. There’s some interesting thoughts about the subconscious “haunting” of our parents as well. A bit shapeless but thoughtful and creepy.
His books always make me want to eat Mexican food, too. The way he describes those fajitas, mouth watering.
October 9, 2022
1,5 Sterne
October 27, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
Thanks to Richard Chizmar at Cemetery Dance for the ARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
One of my most anticipated books of the year was a bit of a disappointment. Gloria is definitely experimental, for Bentley Little, so don’t go into this expecting the typical Little formula. I applaud the author for trying something new.
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a mess. The cosmic/alternate realities angle led to the plot feeling very messy, and I was never able to get to know or like any of the characters because they were constantly changing—the reader is always meeting new versions of these people. Our main character, Gloria, is a bit of a nothing, a bore . . . almost totally unresponsive to the confusing and mind-altering things happening to her. Her character didn’t feel authentic at all, really.
But this is Bentley Little! This book is readable, and fun, and I must say I don’t think this qualifies as much “horror” as a sci-fi thriller in the vein of Blake Crouch. But not as good. It’s a bit of mindless fun that certainly isn’t Little’s best.
Thanks to Richard Chizmar at Cemetery Dance for the ARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
One of my most anticipated books of the year was a bit of a disappointment. Gloria is definitely experimental, for Bentley Little, so don’t go into this expecting the typical Little formula. I applaud the author for trying something new.
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a mess. The cosmic/alternate realities angle led to the plot feeling very messy, and I was never able to get to know or like any of the characters because they were constantly changing—the reader is always meeting new versions of these people. Our main character, Gloria, is a bit of a nothing, a bore . . . almost totally unresponsive to the confusing and mind-altering things happening to her. Her character didn’t feel authentic at all, really.
But this is Bentley Little! This book is readable, and fun, and I must say I don’t think this qualifies as much “horror” as a sci-fi thriller in the vein of Blake Crouch. But not as good. It’s a bit of mindless fun that certainly isn’t Little’s best.
October 19, 2021
ARC from CD’s grab bag (also got a HC on preorder)
I’m quite new to the game when it comes to Bentley Little, only having read one of his books before this (The Handyman). Although I had very few expectations when I cracked this open, I certainly didn’t expect this!
I was completely sold when I read the following: “Considering she had just attended her mother's funeral, Gloria Jaymes never expected to see the woman again, but then her dead mom shows up at her house.”
It does indeed start in this manner, but, oh man.. It evolves into something so much more and I quickly realized I had severely underestimated what awaited me between these covers (no matter how much I was looking forward to this read). I was expecting a fairly enjoyable and not particularly complicated ‘people come back from the dead and wreak havoc’-kind of book. What I got was a woman stuck in a ground-hog-day kind of hellhole where deceased family members keep showing up alive and desperately trying to kill her husband (and mostly succeeding) for some unknown reason. It’s complex, confusing and a surprisingly tense existential read which will leave you still questioning what happened when you’ve reached the final page. I really need to get my hands on some more of his books.
I’m quite new to the game when it comes to Bentley Little, only having read one of his books before this (The Handyman). Although I had very few expectations when I cracked this open, I certainly didn’t expect this!
I was completely sold when I read the following: “Considering she had just attended her mother's funeral, Gloria Jaymes never expected to see the woman again, but then her dead mom shows up at her house.”
It does indeed start in this manner, but, oh man.. It evolves into something so much more and I quickly realized I had severely underestimated what awaited me between these covers (no matter how much I was looking forward to this read). I was expecting a fairly enjoyable and not particularly complicated ‘people come back from the dead and wreak havoc’-kind of book. What I got was a woman stuck in a ground-hog-day kind of hellhole where deceased family members keep showing up alive and desperately trying to kill her husband (and mostly succeeding) for some unknown reason. It’s complex, confusing and a surprisingly tense existential read which will leave you still questioning what happened when you’ve reached the final page. I really need to get my hands on some more of his books.
October 26, 2021
I had a hard time getting into this book. It wasn’t what I expected. I wanted it to be much suspenseful and spooky than it was. Just okay for me.
January 29, 2022
You ever read a Bentley Little novel while watching a David Lynch movie? This was a wild ride.
December 30, 2021
This book had an interesting idea, and I think it could have worked great as a short story or maybe even a novella, but the thing is, once you learn the twist, you realize that almost nothing happening really matters. On top of that, the plot device all but ensures you won't care about most/any of the characters, and the scenes that do advance the story (the actual story beneath the story) are too underdeveloped to make up for the rest of it. I always love Little's style and imagination, but I finished this book feeling like I'd wasted a lot of time for no reason.
December 26, 2024
4.5 stars
Intelligent, experimental and affecting, with likeable and well-drawn characters; this book can't be compared to other Bentley Little novels (at least none that I've read). It doesn't follow any of his standard tropes about an unexpected evil that permeates everyday life. I wouldn't classify it as horror, though there are many horrific elements to this story. In Gloria, Little tries operating on a higher level than not only his usual fare, but that of a lot of "horror" novels. Unfortunately, his ambition is higher than his grasp and his tale feels lightweight for what he attempts. His tale of love overcoming the cosmic impermanence of memory and the forces that gather to encourage entropy seems hollow and is frustratingly repetitive.
But it is good to see him stretching boundaries and, regardless, I found it fascinating. And the more I think about it (alternate realities, the afterlife, string theory, the elasticity of time, that shack in Hicksville), the more Gloria will appear to be the masterpiece Little intended.
Intelligent, experimental and affecting, with likeable and well-drawn characters; this book can't be compared to other Bentley Little novels (at least none that I've read). It doesn't follow any of his standard tropes about an unexpected evil that permeates everyday life. I wouldn't classify it as horror, though there are many horrific elements to this story. In Gloria, Little tries operating on a higher level than not only his usual fare, but that of a lot of "horror" novels. Unfortunately, his ambition is higher than his grasp and his tale feels lightweight for what he attempts. His tale of love overcoming the cosmic impermanence of memory and the forces that gather to encourage entropy seems hollow and is frustratingly repetitive.
But it is good to see him stretching boundaries and, regardless, I found it fascinating. And the more I think about it (alternate realities, the afterlife, string theory, the elasticity of time, that shack in Hicksville), the more Gloria will appear to be the masterpiece Little intended.
January 21, 2022
I love Bentley Little and couldn't wait to read this. I think I enjoyed 2/3 of the book but then got tired of the loops. Now that I'm done, I'm not quite sure what I read.
May 5, 2022
Bentley Little is a good writer. "THE" books I have read. This book is his masterpiece.
January 8, 2023
A real mind bender concerning alternate realities and the woman who can travel them. Highly recommended.
March 4, 2022
Little is hit and miss for me. This wasn't anywhere as awful as The Bank. And while I love alternate realities and butterfly effects, this just didn't pull together at the end. Gloria was a definite MISS for me.
September 23, 2022
4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed this mind bending, multiverse story. Strange and wonderful. I’m excited to see that this author has a lot of books!
This would make a good movie or series.
This would make a good movie or series.
September 8, 2021
Este no es el tipo de historia que alguien puede esperar de Bentley Little tras haber leído novelas como The Store, The Resort o The House. Si tuviera que compararla con otra lectura, diría que tiene un algo similar a Insomnia de Stephen King.
Oh, sigue siendo Bentley Little, sigue habiendo gore, sigue habiendo personajes terroríficos, sigue existiendo la sensación de que la realidad de la que partíamos baja por la ladera cuesta abajo y en patines...
Pero la complejidad y sensibilidad son absolutamente alucinantes. BL nos ha dado una novela que podemos recomendar a gente que no está tan chalupa como los fans.
Lo único que puedo decir ahora es: lo siento por la próxima novela que lea. Lo va a tener difícil para impresionarme.
Oh, sigue siendo Bentley Little, sigue habiendo gore, sigue habiendo personajes terroríficos, sigue existiendo la sensación de que la realidad de la que partíamos baja por la ladera cuesta abajo y en patines...
Pero la complejidad y sensibilidad son absolutamente alucinantes. BL nos ha dado una novela que podemos recomendar a gente que no está tan chalupa como los fans.
Lo único que puedo decir ahora es: lo siento por la próxima novela que lea. Lo va a tener difícil para impresionarme.
January 31, 2022
Sure Bentley has his formula-- an everyday location or concept is suddenly or uniquely off in a menacing way ("The Store", "The Association", "The Town", "The Mailman") but he also ventures away from that more often than many remember ("The Haunted" "His Father's Son", "The Handyman"). "Gloria" is in that latter camp. At times it leans into the most bizzaro-fiction aspects of his writing but at other times it's just...calmly, consistently unsettling. The first 50 pages or so the reader is just kept off balance in a wholly discomfiting way but the prose remains clear and highly readable, urging you to stick with it. When it becomes apparent that the book is going to circle back narratively and thematically, like some horror jazz piece, tweaking the narrative but retelling it in numerous ways, some readers might want to move on along. I did not--because it more than holds your interest, it keeps you curious and scared in ways a lot of his more gross-out books don't. Ultimately this book is 85% build-up and the conclusion is not completely clear nor completely satisfying. But the journey in getting there is so good it elevates this to a 4 star entry in Little's canon.
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October 14, 2024Starts out on fire, with an amazing opening scene and a super intriguing premise, but for me, by the time the second act rolled around, and you kind of got a handle on what this book is going to do, this thing really starts spinning its wheels, not giving us any deeper insight into the world or our main character. The ending isn't strong enough to justify the journey, in my opinion. And I say this a huge fan of Little. Not his best.
August 7, 2021
Currently listening to the audible version, it sounds very eloquent and promising so far. It sounds great and I will update once I have heard in its entirety, if you have not read Bentley Little, your missing out. My favourite horror author by far.
January 9, 2022
I waited so long for this. Little is my favorite author! But wow, I wish he had stuck to the formulas that have kept us coming back all this time. This book made no sense, including the end. Disappointed.
March 25, 2022
Because of a busy schedule it too a bit to finish Little’s latest. I enjoyed the story and you have to stay on it to get where the story id going. Great idea for the plot line and the ways seem real or are real or not real. This a strong 4-Star and if you like Bentley Little, you will enjoy.
December 28, 2024
Bentley Little, one of my favorite authors. I liked the characters in this book, it was very different and I looked forward to reading this book every night. I love horror and it just didn't have enough to qualify has a 4 star rating for me.
January 9, 2022
What. A. Ride.
July 13, 2022
This was a wonderfully bizarre Bentley Little novel. Solid, creative, and engaging, if ultimately slowed.down by some repetition. Full review to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2025
I love Bentley Little, but once in a blue moon we don't click. GLORIA is like a multi-verse story (a very interesting setup for a "horror" novel), but it just didn't land for me.
There were very little of the Bentley's classic bizarre twists, but there were still a few. Those small moments of WTF just happened???!!!! were awesome.
Each part finds Gloria in some variation of her life. It was weird at first, but I found myself getting caught up in each one.
Ultimately, an interesting Little read, but not one of my favorites from him. It just wasn't horror enough for me.
I give GLORIA 3 stars.
There were very little of the Bentley's classic bizarre twists, but there were still a few. Those small moments of WTF just happened???!!!! were awesome.
Each part finds Gloria in some variation of her life. It was weird at first, but I found myself getting caught up in each one.
Ultimately, an interesting Little read, but not one of my favorites from him. It just wasn't horror enough for me.
I give GLORIA 3 stars.
January 27, 2025
I mean, I think Bentley Little books are “out there” and strange in general (CACTUS BABY IYKYK), but this one takes the cake.
It’s a cosmic horror that honestly had my head spinning for most of the read. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, it felt distinctly different than Little’s other works, but it wasn’t terrible either. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
It all starts with Gloria’s mother showing up after they’ve just buried her…
Thank you to Cemetery Dance for a copy to read and review!
It’s a cosmic horror that honestly had my head spinning for most of the read. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, it felt distinctly different than Little’s other works, but it wasn’t terrible either. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
It all starts with Gloria’s mother showing up after they’ve just buried her…
Thank you to Cemetery Dance for a copy to read and review!
October 18, 2022
Well this was…what the hell was it? Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt taken to the extreme? It was very interesting but also got very repetitive leaving you constantly trying to figure out what was up
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September 21, 2022Loved it!
Bentley Little never leaves you down always keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I recommend to any horror reader
Bentley Little never leaves you down always keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I recommend to any horror reader
October 18, 2021
Thank you to Cemetery Dance Publications for this ARC. I'm not familiar with this author's style of writing, but this was definitely a strange book. Horror can take so many different forms, but our main character, Gloria, seems to take it all in stride as her life keeps changing and dead relatives/friends appear back in her life. She ends up living in different houses and even different cities. Sometimes she has children and sometimes she does not. Those children may be young or they may be adults. The only constant is Benjamin, or is it that someone always wants to kill Benjamin, or is it that shed in Hicksville, CA?
Strange, creepy, horror of a different kind. The perfect read for October, but not published until December of this year.
Strange, creepy, horror of a different kind. The perfect read for October, but not published until December of this year.
July 25, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this. Bentley Little is new to me, and it seems like he keeps himself out of the public eye so that might be why I hadn't heard of him before. This was written in a very methodical, easy-to-read style but had some bonkers stuff happening in it - reminded me of Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks, etc. You don't get a ton of answers, but I don't think that really matters; this is an exploration of grief in all its forms - the longing to change things, to act differently to save someone else, the bargaining stage etc. I thought it was really well done. Would read more by him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews