Joseph Hayes (1) (1918–2006)

In this 60s era work, an upper-class lawyer's apartment is invaded by a young man and woman who hold him hostage. They spend hours discussing issues of the day -- the war in Vietnam, wealth, sexuality, religion, philosophy and generational differences. It's overly long, dull, and preachy, as well as implausible. Likewise, at this point, it's quite dated. The novel appears to be an updated version of the author's best known work, his 1954 The Desperate Hours, in which (according to online summaries), 3 guys who have broken out of jail invade the house of a suburban family, terrorizing dad, mom, the daughter and son. In The Deep End, the invaders don't do more than talk. When I read this many years ago, I found it very hard to finish, despite the fact that my standards for fiction were rather low.… (mer)

Well... the idea for this book is pretty sound - three guys break outta jail and hole up in the house of the all American family, the Hilliards. Mom, Dad, daughter, and son are terrorized. But really, it's pretty tame stuff. Sort of like a "Leave It To Beaver" version of a home invasion/family kidnapping. The characters think and think, what they could do, what they should do, and what they may have missed out on. And I didn't like the daughter, son, or Chuck, and I didn't care if something bad happened to any of them. It's a short book, but it seems long. The copyright in 1954, so maybe this is what the world looked like to this author back then. But it's just so sanitized, that I didn't enjoy it much.… (mer)

Rating: 3.5 of 5

The Long Dark Night takes place during one long dark night, or roughly 12 hours, when Boyd Ritchie, who was framed for a crime he did not commit and served 8 years in prison, exacts his revenge on those he feels are responsible. His plan is sick, twisted and insane, but I kept wondering, will he get away with it? And, do I want him to?

It's taken me 15+ years to finish this book. There's no real explanation for why it took me that long; I would get to around the 300 page mark and just stop with the intent to finish it later. So this year I was determined to finish.

Here's the kicker: it's a good book. Hayes handles the multiple POVs smoothly and uses them to not only give us a 360° viewpoint but also to increase tension and suspense. The most interesting aspect is seeing the story through each person's eyes. How two characters see the same situation completely different; being able to see what one character assumed was the truth then seeing the truth through another character. How someone, a good person who was wronged, could turn into the very person he set out to destroy, or even worse than that person, all for the sake of revenge.

Perhaps there are too many unlikeable characters. It is difficult to side with any one person or to root for any of them because they are all quite flawed and damaged. Some were even downright repulsive, and I'm not (only) referring to Boyd Ritchie.

I definitely didn't end up where I thought I would :) This is not the kind of revenge story where you're pullin' for the "bad" guy.

~ SPOILER ALERT / CONTENT WARNING ~

The Long Dark Night contains a considerable amount of rape, including the sodomy of an 11-year old child, though it is not described in real-time but told to the reader after. So if that is too much for you to stomach, skip this book.… (mer)