Rating: 
Summary: Weird, but entertaining
Review: I enjoy Little's work, although his endings usually fall short. This book was rather entertaining, although in the second half, the residents of the town seemed too gullible for the story. Still, it's worth reading for the cost of a used paperback.
Rating: 
Summary: Return to Sender
Review: I have always disliked ambiguousness in horror films & novels. As a youngster I was held in awe by "The Birds" - until the ending. I wanted to know why the birds acted as they did, and what came next. This novel by Mr. Bentley definitely falls into that category. It was extremely clever in conception & execution; I read it way into the wee hours of the night, wanting to discover the nature & motivations of his demonic mail carrier, but to no avail. A very intriguing horror story just suddenly was resolved without any revelation - a common problem with Mr. Bentley's works.
Rating: 
Summary: No Suspense
Review: I read The Walking by this author and thought it was wonderful so decided to pick up a few more of his novels. Boy, was this one a let down. Absolutey no suspense and the characters act so moronic!He really could have done something with this book because he's right in the fact that the mailman and communications really make an impact on everyones life but he left a lot of questions unanswered, like what kind of creature would do something like this? And when the story was told from the child's point of view it was like reading from a very educated adults point of view -- very lame. I'm not done with this author yet though. I think the author has a lot of potential.
Rating:
Summary: Stick to Email!
Review: I think it takes a very good writer to capture one's interest enough to suspend a certain amount of belief in what is possible and what can come off as downright foolish. Stephen King is one such writer because his story telling skill and his knowledge of people is that good. Bentley Little is also a writer who has that ability. The premise of his story, which involves the arrival of a new mailman in town who begins by giving the townspeople nothing but happy mail and then slowly but surely terrifies them with frightening mail, is a good one, and Little carries the reader along from one experience to another until all of a sudden there's mayhem and chaos and you've just got to see what happens next. There's another point about Little's writing as well. I've read horror novels that have a good starting premise, but either because the story becomes too over the top or the skill of the writer is lacking, there is an unsatisfactory ending. After all, this is a story and there's no real experience to draw from when writing on these kinds of topics. Little brought his story of the Mailman to a logical close which impressed me because I was beginning to wonder how on earth he was going to resolve all he had going on. I will definitely read other Bentley Little novels because I like the way he writes and because I've got to see what he does with some of his other ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Let's Go Postal!
Review: I wouldn't call this book a masterpiece, but it is original. You have a normal small town with a friendly mailman. The mailman brings only good news and good luck. Then the bad news and the killings begin. I thought the ending would be a letdown or worse, thoroughly stupid. It was very simple, as one reviewer pointed out. A good fast-paced read.
Rating:
Summary: Come On Bentley!
Review: I'll preface this by saying that I really like Bentley Little as an author. I've read many of his books, and I have to say, that after reading so many, I'm left feeling pretty ripped off. I started with his book 'The Ignored' and was hooked. Next, was 'The Store' - also excellent, as was 'The Association'. 'The University' was a bit of a stretch, but good too. But, even in the world of Thriller and Horror novels, this one is just a little far-fetched. I know that sounds ridiculous - to say a work of fiction is 'far-fetched' but I think maybe Little needs to take a step back and re-visit his genre. What makes really good horror is the possibility that this 'could happen' - no matter how improbable. Just a shred of possibility. This book just doesn't introduce that possibility. The plot centers around a family in Arizona, settling into summer vacation. Almost immediately, tragedy strikes, and the mailman is found dead - apparently a suicide. Enter "THE Mailman" who appears at the funeral, and things unfold from there. The novel drags on, you know from the beginning who will emerge 'victorious' - just a matter of when, and how, and who will die in the process. The ending was very disappointing and predictable. Don't discount Little though - read a few of his other books I've mentioned above, and judge for yourself. I'll continue reading his books, and hopefully will hit on one that isn't so completely unbelievable.
Rating: 
Summary: No More Mail!
Review: I'm making an effort to read most of Bentley Little's books as fast as I possibly can. To me, Little is an absolute master of a strange mix of horror, humor, and general wackiness. This book, "The Mailman," is one of Little's earliest efforts (written in 1991), and it looks like it is the first of several Little novels, such as "The Store" and "The Association," that employ brilliant black comedy in order to poke fun at the staples of American culture. In these novels, Little takes mundane scenarios such as shopping or the post office, and turns them into hilariously horrific tales of murder and mayhem. His goal is to show how little power we have over our modern lives, and how close we are to allowing our institutions to become bulwarks of fascism. This isn't to say that Little doesn't write straight horror; I know now that he does, but his books can be broken down into two distinct categories: horror (such as "The Walking"), and social satire ("The Mailman," "The Store," etc.). Of Little's social satire books that I've read, "The Mailman" is the darkest and most effective of the lot. "The Mailman" is set in Willis, Arizona. The main characters are Doug, a schoolteacher starting his summer break, his wife Tritia, and his son Billy. Life is looking promising until the local postman, Bob Ronda, commits suicide. His replacement, a strange looking man named John Smith, never really seems to fit in. His attitude is suspicious, and he delivers the mail much earlier than his predecessor did. Soon, the mail begins to change. Instead of finding the usual junk mail and bills, customers find letters from long lost friends, or unexpected refunds. It also becomes apparent that Smith is constantly changing his delivery times. Mail starts appearing in the box in the middle of the night. Those that make trips to the post office to complain to Howard, the local postmaster, discover that Smith is running the front counter. Howard, they are told, is sick and won't be in today. Things go from a nuisance to downright sinister when hateful and perverted mail starts showing up. I won't go any farther with this description because I don't want to spoil the fun for you. But by the time the town is chanting, "no more mail!" you'll be cheering right along with them. The main and secondary characters are drawn well. The only character I had trouble with was Tritia, Doug's wife. She became so annoying to me that I actually wished her harm at the hands of the mailman. Her health food kick, which Little plays up throughout the story, at times seemed to be the real horror story of the book. Maybe it's because I grew up in a household where health food was crammed down my throat, but I found Tritia to be the type of woman that rhymes with the word "witch." Fortunately, Doug and Billy are more sympathetic characters. My favorite part of the book is the local post office. As the town slowly disintegrates, the post office becomes more and more hideous. By the time the final showdown takes place, Little has taken the post office so far over the top that I laughed for hours recalling the detailed descriptions of the place. If you have never read Bentley Little, this book is a good place to start. "The Mailman" introduces you to Little the satirist, while still delivering some good gore and a few effective shocks. One thing is definite: once the Bentley Little bug bites, it bites deep. You'll want to rush out and read all of his stuff. Don't be afraid of this condition; it is quite harmless and can be easily treated.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I've wanted to read this book for so long, and my good buddy of the book, Mellion108 sent this to me, and what a great read this was. Thanks Mellion. :O) You know when you get junk mail, you complain about it, and think how nice it would be not to get any? Well one towns mailman died, and a 'replacement' mailman came....and took away all the bad news.....no bills, no junk mail....and letters from long lost friends. But all isn't as good as it seems.....then the bodies turn up and neighbors turn on each other. Could this be the work of the new mailman? How could he find out your deepest and dark secrets? Give yourself a reward and read this awesome book. Little has a wonderful writing style that hooks the reader in and never let's go. vampie
Rating:
Summary: BENTLEY LITTLE IS A SUPERB STORYTELLER
Review: It's the beginning of summer in this small, close-knit Arizona town and everything seems ordinary. As it should be--that is until the mailman turns up dead by his own hand with his wife deteriorating into a world of madness and fear. One night, calling Tritia Albin, she proclaims, "He's after me! He's here now. He thinks he's being tricky but I can hear his footsteps." Little takes us on a journey through hell and back, lets us feel the terror of a family held in the grip of something terrifying and seemingly undefeatable. The suspense almost frustrates you--an amazingly fast read. I literally could not put this book down.
Rating:
Summary: Little's second book scores big on scare-factor
Review: Little's second book shows of things to come. Not an overtly gory book, but he layers the suspense and fills the book with paranoia about everyday common place things.
Little weaves dark comedy into this tale about an evil mailman who has come to Willis, Arizona after their old mailman commits suicide. Strange things start to happen with the mail and I won't give it away. This book reaches out and grabs ahold of by the throat.
Little-ites will see characters fleshed out and small-town america represented well here. If you live in a small rural area, you need to buy this book.
This was the second book I read after Dominion and it made me a lifetime fan of this great writer.
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