Edward Bunker Libri

Edward Bunker, fra tutti gli scrittori americani di noir, è quello con la biografia più maledetta. Condannato un paio di volte per crimini di varia natura, ha riscoperto in carcere la vocazione dello scrittore. I suoi romanzi sono viaggi senza protezione nel mondo della criminalità quotidiana. Nelle sue pagine il noir perde qualsiasi coloritura romanticheggiante o redentrice, nulla oltre un naturalismo spietato a descrivere un mondo dove la rabbia irrigidisce il dito sul grilletto e ogni fuga appare illusoria, quando non decisamente terrorizzante. Il protagonista del romanzo è un ex delinquente di Los Angeles che, dopo aver inutilmente cercato di riadattarsi alla vita normale, sceglie di rituffarsi nella "sicurezza" del crimine.

Le esperienze di Edward Bunker nelle prigioni peggiori della California, per le strade di Los Angeles e nel sottobosco di Hollywood lo hanno accreditato a scrivere alcuni dei piú conturbanti ed efficaci romanzi moderni sul carcere. Basti pensare che Quentin Tarantino ha definito Little Boy Blue «il miglior romanzo del crimine in prima persona che abbia mai letto», mentre il «New York Times» ha scritto, del suo romanzo Cane mangia cane, che Bunker si è spinto piú avanti di quanto Chandler e Hammett avessero mai sognato. Ora finalmente, con questo libro, i lettori possono entrare, senza alcuna finzione narrativa, nel mondo duro ed edulcorato di Bunker. Sia che fumi uno spinello seduto sulla sedia della camera a gas, o che prenda in mano un coltello usato da un serial killer, o che nuoti tra i marmi della sfarzosa piscina Nettuno a San Simeon, California, Bunker si limita a esporre la sua mercanzia, nuda e cruda. Il risultato è agghiacciante, eppure non privo di una sua orgogliosa morale, perché è la pura verità.

The basis for the film Straight Time, this compelling novel, first published in 1973 and written by a man who had spent most of his life in prison, is the story of an ex-con's attempt to negotiate the straight world--and his swan dive back into the paradoxical security of crime. Features a new introduction by William Styron.

Drawing from his tumultuous upbringing as the son of an alcoholic father and a chorus girl, the author shares his journey from being the youngest inmate in San Quentin at seventeen to becoming a prominent voice in prison literature. His firsthand experiences navigating the harsh realities of Los Angeles streets and the prison system provide the foundation for his impactful storytelling, revealing the gritty and poignant elements that shape his acclaimed novels.

Edward Bunker's life is beyond the imaginings of most fiction writers. He was born in Hollywood, California, the son of a stagehand and a chorus girl, whose early divorce propelled him into a series of boarding homes and military schools.

Best known for his role as Mr Blue in Quentin Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs', Edward Bunker also drew on his own personal experiences to become one of America's greatest contemporary crime writers. This collection of never-before-seen stories takes the reader into his world of crime and punishment.

Young Alex Hamilton is intelligent and independent but given to sudden fits of rage. Rebellious since his parents split up, Alex is constantly absconding from foster homes and institutions to be with his father, a broken man who can't give his son the home he desperately needs. Surrounded by well meaning, over worked social workers, vicious and cruel authority figures, and always by no good peers, Alex is on a collision course with the law and himself.

Stark is a rat and a con artist. Nobody's friend. Stark thinks he can beat the suckers and outsmart the cops - and when a big score comes his way, he's lucky to escape with his life. For four others on the job, things don't work out so well. Described by James Ellroy as the greatest armed robbery novel ever written, this is Bunker's first effort, written in the early 1960s and discovered only after his death - an exclusive UK publication of the early work of a crime writing legend.

The narrative centers on Troy Cameron, a reformatory graduate, as he embarks on a violent crime spree alongside fellow alumni Diesel Carson and Mad Dog Cain. The story is marked by its intense realism and explores themes of morality and social issues, reflecting Bunker's own experiences. This brutal and gripping tale delves into the lives of its characters, showcasing the harsh realities they face and the choices they make.

Ronald Decker, first-time San Quentin intern doing minor time for an insignificant offence, is befriended by hardened old-timer Earl Copen and introduced into the White Brotherhood. When Ron rejects a homosexual advance by another con the pair are led to an act of ultimately fatal violence and, in desperation, seize a remote chance of escape.