- Hardcover
- Publisher: San Val (Aug 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1417719052
- ISBN-13: 978-1417719051
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- See Complete Table of Contents
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you have read any of Vachss' novels with criminal-cum-savior Burke as protagonist, you should allow yourself the honor of feasting on his short stories. The title is a play on the world's take of how children are bad seeds, i.e., born with a bad streak, prone to be losers, and addled with overripe genes for destruction; this book is a one-man treatise on why that is, summarily, not true and it's done with the usual minimalist and spare style prose Vachss is by now famous for. My preference is for his short stories, and the why of that is simple: it's a shorter, more rapid, and much more heart-wrenching path to the much-welcomed truth that only Vachss seems willing to tell. For me, he is the male counterpart of the Greek mythological character Cassandra--he comes bearing the truth that no one really wants to hear, but the fact is, once heard, you can't take your eyes or ears off of him. For a nonstop, nonpareil ride into the gloom and doom of what child abuse is, where it emanates from, and possibly the solutions to fix its ugly cast upon the world, read these stories; you will weep and you will cry with joy at the sheer simplicity of it, right along with the cutting-edge prose that digs in and plants its tentacles into your heart.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
You'd have to have knocked yourself in the head repeatedly with a ball peen hammer to _not_ appreciate this collection. The taut writing style makes for rapid-fire prose-it's action that moves as fast as you can read. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point to Vachss' writing-I think his novels provide a deeper message than could possibly be covered in a short story-but once you've read one of the novels, this should be the _next_ book you get.
Format:Paperback
In his Born Bad collection of short stories, and three plays, Andrew Vachss takes the reader through an underworld which can be found in every major city, around the world. Yet is all too often, ignored by most of society. In this collection of ultra violent descriptive noir, some no more than three pages, Vachss's stories are some of the most powerful you will ever read. His prose hits you like a burst of gun fire, and it will leave many of its readers uncomfortable. Which is exactly what Vachss wants. As in all of his books, Vachss wants the reader to not only learn of, but to feel what a horrible subculture has developed in our nations cities. To feel the pain that many of our children feel, and to experience the horrors, and nightmare world in in which they live. Born Bad will do this and then some. For those who are already familiar with Vachss' books, it is a must read. And for others who are new to noir, or want to take a tour of the underbelly of the urban jungle, or "junkyard" as Vachss calls it. I recommend that you get a copy of Born Bad. This collection will not only make you stop and think, but you will never look at life and people the same way again. This year Vachss has published his latest novel Safe House. An excellent read, and I look forward to more books in the Burke series, and perhaps a Born Bad Collection 2. Vachss ranks with Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, David Goodis, and Thomas Harris as a master of the noir genre.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
what's with the "ball peen hammer" references???
Is there something particularly painful about a ball peen hammer versus, say, a claw hammer? I don't work at Home Depot, but I'd guess that they'd probably do about the same... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 1999
This book hurt. Period.
Born Bad was a book ripped from the pain of Vachss' soul. This book and the stories had to be painful to write, but they were true. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 1997
Some people write as therapy
Born Bad is a collection of short stories and plays and works-in-progress. In his introduction, Vachss tells us, "I may not be a good writer, but I write for a good... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 1997
Possibly the best collection of crime stories by one author.
Putting aside Lawrence Block's incredible collections, this
collection of crime and suspense shorts by Andrew Vachss is
one of the best collections I've read. Read more
collection of crime and suspense shorts by Andrew Vachss is
one of the best collections I've read. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 1997
Excellent, one of vachss best,
If you like Vachss "Burk Books" you will definitly like Born Bad. Verry descriptive and right on target about what life is really like out there.
Published on 27 Dec 1996
Truly Horrible
There are few books worse than this one. Not a single original idea, the descriptions are confusing, and the plots are contrived. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 1996
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
