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Dog Eat Dog : A Novel

Dog Eat Dog : A Novel

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Flawed but Real
Review: Edward Bunker is the real deal when it comes to crime writers, having served hard time in the California penal system, and it shows in this bleak work. A trio of reform school friends are reunited many years later, when the leader is released after 12 years in jail. One is a Teamster thug/family man, the second is a junkie psychopath, and the leader is the brains and charisma. The tension builds, and the threat of violence is everywhere as they embark on a few scams together and dislike between the family man and junkie becomes more and more open. In a story like this, there is only possible outcome, so the bleak ending comes as no surprise. It's reminiscent of the movie "Heat", where the reader starts to like some of the criminals and then sees them topple for almost absurd reasons. One small caveat about this book is that Bunker is none too subtle in preaching his critique of the criminal justice system. Points that are made over and over through the character's mouths are: (1) They were bad kids, but the system made them into adult criminals; (2) There is no such thing as justice; (3) In the criminal world your best friend can turn on you at the drop of a hat; (4) The "3 strikes" law only serves to make career criminals more desperate when down tot he last strike. If you don't mind the proselytizing, this is a great, nasty, page-turner.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: SHOWS SOME PROMISE
Review: Edward Bunker shows some promise in this grim tale about three ex-felons surviving at the edge of CA society. The strengths are the plot and Bunker's understanding of his characters and their motivation. The weaknesses are mostly mechanical. The writer is not an accomplished or stylistic writer which makes for at times an uneven read. But, come to think of it, this is not altogether incongruous with the awkward lives that he depicts. The dialogue and characterizations are sometimes cliche but are probably more realistic than the reader might care to know. Looking forward to what progress this writer might make over the years.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: SHOWS SOME PROMISE
Review: Edward Bunker shows some promise in this grim tale about three ex-felons surviving at the edge of CA society. The strengths are the plot and Bunker's understanding of his characters and their motivation. The weaknesses are mostly mechanical. The writer is not an accomplished or stylistic writer which makes for at times an uneven read. But, come to think of it, this is not altogether incongruous with the awkward lives that he depicts. The dialogue and characterizations are sometimes cliche but are probably more realistic than the reader might care to know. Looking forward to what progress this writer might make over the years.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: non-glamorous crime masterpiece
Review: Edward Bunker's "Dog Eat Dog" may lack the sophisticated prose and style of a more seasoned crime writer, but its realism more than makes up for it. These men are real criminals with real evil in their hearts. They are not cartoonish buffoons like they would be in an Elmore Leonard novel. Bunker knows the hell of cocaine addiction, he knows the desperation that drives men to commit robbery, he knows the allure of the criminal life, he knows there is no true "honor" among thieves. This book is like a kick in the teeth. Unlike some cartoonish crime novels, "Dog Eat Dog" is not meant to entertain. It is an uncompromising portrayal of what it really is like to be a criminal, and how difficult (almost impossible) it is to distance yourself from the criminal lifestyle. It's not surprising that Bunker is a reformed ex-criminal. It's doubtful anyone else could have written such unflinching realism.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: non-glamorous crime masterpiece
Review: Edward Bunker's "Dog Eat Dog" may lack the sophisticated prose and style of a more seasoned crime writer, but its realism more than makes up for it. These men are real criminals with real evil in their hearts. They are not cartoonish buffoons like they would be in an Elmore Leonard novel. Bunker knows the hell of cocaine addiction, he knows the desperation that drives men to commit robbery, he knows the allure of the criminal life, he knows there is no true "honor" among thieves. This book is like a kick in the teeth. Unlike some cartoonish crime novels, "Dog Eat Dog" is not meant to entertain. It is an uncompromising portrayal of what it really is like to be a criminal, and how difficult (almost impossible) it is to distance yourself from the criminal lifestyle. It's not surprising that Bunker is a reformed ex-criminal. It's doubtful anyone else could have written such unflinching realism.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: non-glamorous crime masterpiece
Review: Edward Bunker's "Dog Eat Dog" may lack the sophisticated prose and style of a more seasoned crime writer, but its realism more than makes up for it. These men are real criminals with real evil in their hearts. They are not cartoonish buffoons like they would be in an Elmore Leonard novel. Bunker knows the hell of cocaine addiction, he knows the desperation that drives men to commit robbery, he knows the allure of the criminal life, he knows there is no true "honor" among thieves. This book is like a kick in the teeth. Unlike some cartoonish crime novels, "Dog Eat Dog" is not meant to entertain. It is an uncompromising portrayal of what it really is like to be a criminal, and how difficult (almost impossible) it is to distance yourself from the criminal lifestyle. It's not surprising that Bunker is a reformed ex-criminal. It's doubtful anyone else could have written such unflinching realism.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Damn this was a good one
Review: I'd recommend this highly. The guy was actually raised in this lifestyle. Knows what he's talkin about. Does an amazing job of it. He had a part in Reservoir Dogs. He was one of the guys sitting at the table having breakfast at the first of the movie. Hell of a book. Like to read his others. Smokin.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: nitty gritty
Review: Like Edward Bunker I am a writer and an ex-convict and I am here to tell you that no one writes about drug addicts, criminals, and outlaws better than Eddie Bunker. Why hasn't Hollywood snapped up the film rights to this novel?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A one-of-a-kind literary tour-de-force.
Review: My all time favorite writer is William Faulkner. Very simply he had a way with words. Currently, only William Styron comes close. Sophie's Choice embeds itself on your psyche the same way The Sound and the Fury throws your emotions spinning down a steep hill. William Styron tells us that Edward Bunker, an ex-con, is the only one who can really make us understand what an ex-con experiences. Bunker does more than that. His "way with words" is remarkable. In five or ten years grad students will be attempting to explain the subtleties of Dog Eat Dog. For now, its a great read and a great story. Like any great fiction, be ready for the roller coaster ride

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Harrowing, top flight novel stay with you...
Review: This book was so gripping, I read it (blush) in a single sitting at a bookstore. Never bought it. The ending could have been a bit more plausible, but I woke up the next two mornings having dreamt about it. Whew!


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