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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best, tragically funny, anti-heroes ever created, 9 Dec 1999
By A Customer
From start to finish, this book grips you. Never a dull moment and all the victims serial killer Jimmy Blackburn murders, earn their demise. You end up willing him to finish off certain unsavoury characters. A tremendous book from an excellent writer.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A brave, intelligent, thrilling, moving novel, 27 Dec 1998
By A Customer
A brave, intelligent, thrilling, moving novel about a young man who takes action against what he deems to be wrong -- through violence. Funny, chilling, possibly a serial killer book, and very possibly not, it's a story that actually manages to challenge your moral sense, but not because it is particularly violent (although it is), rather because you end up sympathizing with the main character to the point where you accept his actions as valid, and you must sit down and ask yourself what all this means. I never did that with any book or film before, but I did with this one: It makes you think. Really. This is no wishy-washy criticism of society, but a harrowing, highly personal journey to the proverbial heart of darkness, whose themes include righteousness, responsibility, freedom (all sorts), and the consequences of one's actions -- implicit (as in the social implications of a failed upbringing) as well explicit (as in physical violence).It's refreshing to find that the word "media" rarely (if ever) appears in the novel; it simply doesn't seek to blame the violence of a nation on the media. Being an often deadpan, deeply ironic satire, this is a very, very funny book; but you'll cry as much as you will laugh. Jimmy Blackburn is a memorable character -- up there with the best of them -- and this is a book I could quote endlessly. Even though this is Important Literature it's immensely readable as well (usually a good combination). While Denton does not indulge in preaching (although there absolutely is a "modern society made me" theme) -- I believe the answer to the question of the righteousness of Blackburn's actions can only be found in your own moral stance. It should be an eye-opener even to the most jaded reader. As such, I heartily recommend this book to any citizen of the modern world.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Disturbing, moving, and unforgettable., 7 July 1998
By A Customer
Blackburn is a character study. To call him a "serial killer" is not doing the character justice, but rather limiting him. He has a heart, soul, and a code of ethics by which he lives, and by which he kills. There is more to this book than Jimmy Blackburn and his victims. It is about family, and society, and how the character exists within each, and how each affect the character. When I finished this book, I found that I actually missed having Jimmy Blackburn around. I believe Bradley Denton felt this way too, and to bring closure to the character wrote the story "Blackburn Bakes Cookies" for his book One Day Closer To Death. I could speak at length about Blackburn, and not do it justice. I cannot recommend this book enough.
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