The Association

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Summary: He lost me with the Stumpies...
Review: I am an avid reader, and a fan of horror. My father gave me this book and it is, by far, one of the worst horror books I have ever read. As one other reviewer put it, it's just "silly". The premise is stolen directly from an X-Files plot in which Scully and Mulder posed as a married couple moving into a gated community and immediately confronted by a bullying association with a book of regulations which they take drastic measures to enforce. As a fan of X-Files, I recognized almost all of the plot twists as having been pilfered from this episode. The added junk - and it is junk - is not even worthy of description. Skip this book, and wait for the next Stephen King.

Rating:
Summary: The Association
Review: Excellent reading. I took this book whereever I went. I couldn't put it down. One of the best books I have ever read. I recommend this book highly to anyone who loves to read. This is the first time I have ever read Bentley Little's books. I am going to get all of them. Now I am going back to reading The Association.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Stand to Put this one down!!!
Review: I read it in my car to and from work. In the jacuzzi. At my office. At the gym. I finished it in a day and a half. I couldn't put this sucker down!!! I've read one other Little novel, The Walking, and had a so-so reaction to it. Saw this one and the premise seemed cool, so I decided to give him another shot. Glad I did. Bentley injects little asides, and some political commentary, but like it or not, it adds some flavor to the book. You may or may not agree with Little, but it is adding some additional depth to the characters. There were some implausible events in the novel, but isn't the whole Horror genre a bit far-fetched?? We can react to the situations from reading about these horrific events, but would we react the same way if faced with such terror in real life?? I found myself laughing out loud at a few of the scenarios, not because they were ridiculous, but because there was actual humour there (when one of the neighbors calls Barry and Maureen during an intimate moment to say that he's checking out the scene on BVTV). I also like the locales he uses, such as my old home town of Brea (UC Brea?). This novel was a definite page turner, and was absolutely worth the price of admission. I look forward to reading The Store next. Bentley is no King. Not yet, anyway. More stories like this though, and a bit deeper characterization, and he's definitely on his way.

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Summary: "Heart stopping!!!"
Review: Once again Bentley Little has done it again! This is a must read. I could not put it down. I read it in two days. I really love the plot of the evil Home owner's association. Needless to say, I won't be buying into an estate with a gate. I enjoyed this novel so much, and I know you will too!! I only wish Mr. Little would produce his books much faster, It's so hard to wait for the next fright!!! Thank you Mr. Little, and God Bless America!!!!!

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Summary: Another strong offering from Little...
Review: In Bentley Little's latest, "The Association," a youngish couple, comprising Barry, the writer, and Maureen, the accountant, leave California to live a quieter life in Utah. They manage to get a sweet deal on a nice home. The one drawback? It is in a gated community called "Bonita Vista," and they are required to join its homeowner's association and pay membership fees.

The Association has more rules of conduct than God himself, spelled out in a phonebook sized manual called the "C's, C's, and R's." For the residents of Bonita Vista, it is their bible, and punishment for non-compliance ranges from stiff fines to physical dismemberment.

Soon, the Welch's find that they are living in a nightmare from which they are unable to extracite themselves. No amount of legal maneuvering can help--the law is on Bonita Vista's side, and the Association is able to conduct their gastly business with impunity. Basically, the Association owns them.

In a novel reminescent of "The Store," Bentley Little espouses themes of groupthink, mind control, and--as he always does--the differences between classes. Sometimes, it seems as though Little has some rather condescending views towards those who "just aren't our type, old chap," (the working class.) Still, that hardly diminishes the quality of his work. His novels never fails to draw me in and keep me reading--sometimes at the deriliction of my personal life--until I am finished, and his books have a way of staying with me long after I've completed them.

The one complaint I have about this book--and Little's books in general--is the way that it ended. This one had a stronger finish than "The Town," but Little isn't always the greatest at tying up every loose end, and he tends to leave some plotlines unexplained and unresolved. Whether he does this intentionally or this is simply a weakness that he has as a writer,I'm not sure, but I personally don't like it when I'm forced to fill in the blanks that the writer leaves. But that's only a minor complaint in an otherwise great read.

As far as I'm concerned, Bentley Little is right up there with a Koontz or a King, not just in quality, but also in readability and bestseller ability. Apparently, he's made a number of enemies in the publishing business, and he's not huge on self-promotion, but I honestly believe that he could be a household name.

If you're a horror fan who's been sticking with King, Koontz, and Saul, I'd recommend giving Bentley Little a try. I'm glad that I've discovered him--he's such a unique writer and a welcome breath of fresh air.

Rating:
Summary: Mild thriller
Review: Though this story is well written, I thought it had a rather sluggish plot and the climax was rushed. I think the story could have been written better with a lot more horrific detail.

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Summary: AVOID THIS BOOK AT ALL COSTS
Review: "The Association" is hands down one of the worst horror novels I have ever read, and I have read many. Never mind that it is basically a rewrite of Mr. Little's book "The Store," using the same elements and devices (e. g., The Night Managers in "The Store" are exactly the same type of creatures as the Volunteers in this book), but the characters react in such nonchalant ways to situations and horrors that I wanted to scream with frustration.
You can read other reviews for the very basic and simple plot-line. A couple of examples of many events dealt with in completely unbelievable fashion are;(a)when the protagonist finds a person writhing in the woods limbless with no tongue who is thought to have left the neighborhood, does he call the state police? No. He apparently finds it not very disturbing because the character is barely mentioned again, (b) when friends of the protagonist come to help in the fight against the Association, three of them disappear. An envelope is then delivered containing a picture of one of the missing being "flayed alive." FINALLY, after witnessing events before this so bizarre anyone with half a brain would be long gone, the FBI is called. Is the picture mentioned or shown to the ONE(?)FBI agent who responds? No. And no one ever brings it up again.
Mr. Little is apparently too lazy to let real reactions to horrible ocurrences get in the way of his story. It is a shame, too, because the premise had some potetial. If Stephen King really thinks Mr. Little is a "master of the macabre," then judging from this and the other three books by the same author that I have read, the field of horror fiction is indeed barren.

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Summary: Welcome to the neighborhood!
Review: Typical of Bentley Little, The Association was a great horror read. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. Anyone who's had a neighbor complain about anything can relate to the characters here.

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Summary: It was certainly better than his last one.
Review: My many thanks to Bentley Little for finally bringing to light the true evil that lurks in our world: The homeowner's association!

Anyone who has dealt with one will get the fiendishly tongue-in-cheek satire of the rules and regulations set by the Bonita Vista Home Association. Their audacity and absurdity are brilliant. That's where Bentley Little's newest story works best.

You can tell Bentley has an enormous amount of fun populating his novels. The characters are at once instantly recognizable, yet all have their own distinct underlying personalities.

Ray and Liz are the older neighbors who secretly defy the association and welcome in Barry and Maureen. Neil Campbell is the clipboard- toting neighborhood snitch. Jasper Calhoun is the mysterious Association president. And then there's Stumpy, the armless-legless-toothless-tongueless resident slinking around in the surrounding woodlands. (What? Doesn't your neighborhood have a Stumpy?!)

Bentley has obviously cast himself as the lead character of Barry Welch. Like Bentley, Barry's also a horror writer and there's nothing wrong with that. My only SLIGHT issue with "The Association" is a recurring theme that seemed to plague his last outing "The Town".

Several characters in his last novel were constantly saying things to the effect of: "It's just like a horror movie." In "The Association" Barry Welch has this annoying habit of referring to an event as something out of his own horror novels.

There are over a dozen such references of a situation being "something out of one of his horror novels". On Page 249 it happens twice in as many pages. It happens again (twice in as many pages) during the story's finale. That sort of took a bit away from an otherwise interesting read. It's my only small nit-pick with the story.

It's not a bad novel by any stretch. It was better than his last novel "The Town". Oddly enough, I think there may have even been a paragraph on page six that I swear was used verbatim in that last novel.

I'd put it in the bronze medal position behind "The Store" and "The Ignored". Two other Bentley Little novels that shouldn't be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Bentley Little is a master of taking the ordinary and making it terrifying. Here he does so with that most intrusive of neighborhood watchdogs, the homeowners' association. Barry and Maureen move to a gated community in a small town and start out being annoyed by their neighbors and then terrorized by them. It's a powerful metaphoric work and a strong social satire. Little's world is real, scary and darkly humorous all at the same time. I think he's the best horror writer working today, and THE ASSOCIATION is his best book yet.