The book is truly brutal and deeply disturbing.

Lou Ford, the central character, has a terrifying propensity. He calmly devises plans to kill people, as if it were as ordinary and routine as most people making plans to do the laundry. His actions are not only cold-blooded but also calculated with a disturbing precision.

Moreover, he takes great pleasure in lying and manipulating those around him. He weaves a web of deceit, using his charm and intelligence to mislead and control others.

This book offers a chilling and unflinching look inside the mind of a heartless killer. It delves into the darkest recesses of human nature, exploring the motives and rationalizations that drive such a person. The reader is left with a sense of horror and unease, as they witness the actions and thoughts of Lou Ford unfold.

It is a powerful and thought-provoking work that forces us to confront the reality that such evil exists in the world.

A brilliant book indeed! It is very, very brutal and disturbing, yet incredibly well-written. It easily matches my personal favourite crime writer, Simenon, in terms of its combination of a gripping plot, deep insight into a twisted psyche, and writing of a high calibre. I'm not entirely sure why I'm currently exploring the classic crime genre. Just last year at this time, I was delving into the Gothic canon. However, this exploration has certainly brought to light several exceptionally talented writers. It's been an interesting journey so far, and I'm eager to discover more great works within this genre. Each book seems to offer a unique perspective and a new set of challenges for the reader. I can't wait to see what else lies ahead in this exploration of the classic crime genre.

Published in 1952, The Killer Inside Me stands as a true classic of noir crime fiction. It is a dark and disturbing tale that, remarkably, seems to improve with each reading. In my case, this was the third time I delved into its pages.

The story is narrated by Lou Ford, a deputy sheriff in the small west Texas town of Central City. On the surface, Ford appears to be a "good ol' boy," a reasonably nice guy, albeit not overly bright. He seems to have an affinity for people, yet often bores them with his endless chatter about mundane matters. However, beneath that placid exterior lies a far more complex character. Ford harbors an awful secret that he has carried for years, along with impulses, which he describes as a "sickness," that he has been struggling to control for at least as long. As the story commences, those impulses are finally set free.

Ford's boss, Sheriff Bob Maples, assigns him to deal with Joyce Lakeland, an attractive young woman who has been discreetly selling her favors from a small house on the outskirts of town. Maples tells Ford that Lakeland has been "mighty decent about it. She ain't running it into the ground, and she ain't takin' on no roustabouts or sheepherders. If some of those preachers around town weren't rompin' on me, I wouldn't bother her a-tall."

Maples instructs Ford to handle the situation as he sees fit. But once Ford arrives at Lakeland's home, he and the woman exchange harsh words, and the situation quickly escalates. Ford brutally beats the woman, only to discover that she enjoys it. They then embark on a very kinky relationship that will soon lead to several brutal murders, especially as Ford now attempts to settle some old family scores.

The violence in the book is quite shocking, especially considering the year it was published. However, what truly makes the book so distinct, so compelling, and ultimately so horrifying, is the cool, composed, and calculated manner in which Lou Ford narrates the actions he takes throughout the story. Thompson forces the reader to peer deep into the mind of an extremely damaged serial killer in a way that, to my knowledge, no other author has ever done.

It is an amazing tale, and Lou Ford is a character that the reader will never forget. This book has been adapted into two fairly decent films, but nothing can capture the essence of the story like reading it in Lou Ford's own twisted words. Jim Thompson was a one-of-a-kind author, and this is undoubtedly one of his finest works.

Jim Thompson's "The Killer Inside Me" provides a brutally honest exploration of a psychopath's psyche.

Lou Ford, the protagonist, appears to be a simple-minded Deputy Sheriff in rural Texas. He charms his colleagues with trite aphorisms and a relaxed attitude. However, his colleagues notice a strange pattern: Lou's acquaintances often meet violent ends, and he is frequently the last person to see them alive or the first to discover their bodies.

We are privy to this information because Thompson tells the story from Lou's perspective. In reality, Lou is a warped criminal, an educated yet frustrated man who uses his country bumpkin exterior to hide his misdeeds.

Thompson, the author of "The Grifters," "The Getaway," and other tales of Texas crime, often emulates Dostoyevsky on a smaller scale, delving into what compels Ford to kill and how he copes with the knowledge of being a murderer. Unlike Raskolnikov, Ford feels no remorse for his actions. He convinces himself that the murder of lovers, friends, and innocent witnesses is a necessary evil that should be done well and then forgotten as much as possible.

Thompson's concise writing style effectively captures Lou's mindset. However, the novel disappointingly fizzles out rather than building tension as the noose tightens around him. Nevertheless, it is a disturbing read due to its convincing portrayal of a self-deluding criminal.

The novel has been adapted into films twice, once in 1975 starring Stacy Keach and again in 2010 in a controversial version with Casey Affleck and Jessica Alba.

My relationship with Jim Thompson has now become unconditional love. I have to admit that I have completely lost objectivity when it comes to this author. His unique and recognizable style fascinates me, and I don't care what he is telling me anymore. I know that, to a greater or lesser extent, I will enjoy it.

In this case, the novel deals with another one of those extreme and tortured characters of Thompson. It is a journey into the mind of a murderous psychopath who, on the surface, appears to be a nice guy, but at a certain moment, what he calls his "illness" awakens, giving rise to a story of death and violence.

The way Thompson portrays this character is both disturbing and captivating. He delves deep into the psyche of the psychopath, exploring his motives, his desires, and his inner turmoil. The reader is left with a sense of unease and horror as they witness the events unfold.

Overall, this novel is a testament to Thompson's talent as a writer. He has a way of creating characters that are both unforgettable and deeply flawed, and his stories always manage to grip the reader from beginning to end.

In 1952, Lion Books published Jim Thompson’s tour-de-force psychological noir thriller, The Killer Inside Me. Thompson offered us readers a very different look at crime than typically is found.

Instead of a machine-gun wielding bank robber or a plotting syndicate or someone manipulating people to get ahold of a jeweled statue, we got inside the head of a twisted killer. The novel Killer Inside Me is narrated by one Deputy Lou Ford who offers a tour of how twisted his thought-patterns are. And we quickly learn that he is psychologically damaged and that his father and brother spent their lives covering up how twisted and vicious Ford really is.

One of the most shocking things about The Killer Inside Me is that the killer is not someone you would expect. Lou Ford is an aw-shucks-ma’am small-town Gomer Pyle-acting deputy. He’s everyone’s chum, but at the same time just like most of those politicians and used car salesmen that pretend to be everyone’s friend, he is really no one’s friend but himself. This shocking fact that he appears to be an ordinary non-threatening guy, a bank teller, a waiter, a stockroom clerk rather than a hardened criminal with a shady past is fully astounding. It is as if Thompson is telling us to look around and be careful because you don’t really know who is who or who is going to snap. At one point in the first chapter, we are given a preview that he enjoys making fools out of people. “Striking at people that way is almost as good as the other, the real way. The way I’d fought to forget – and had almost forgot – until I met her.”

Ford at times in his narrative even quotes psychological studies and shows that he understands the roots of his pathology, stemming from some odd sexualized relationship he had with the housekeeper and that, thereafter, every woman he gets involved with, reminds him of her and he is striking out at her. This follows through in his relationship with the town madam Joyce Lakeland and his too-cute-to-be-true relationship with Amy Stanton. In both instances, we later learn that he is sadomasochistic and has marked both women repeatedly with bruises in places that ordinarily would not show in public. He beats Joyce with a belt the first time he meets her and then goes back the next day and the day after that. And, yes, he seems to enjoy battering both women in the end, telling us how he backs Joyce against the wall, slugging, “and it was like pounding a pumpkin. Hard, then everything giving way at once.” Then, he is with Amy, his sweetheart, later that night and as they are talking he thinks, “That’s what you think, honey. I’m doing you a favor by not beating your head off.”

One of the other things you as a reader will notice, particularly in re-reading for the second or third time, just how much of the book is modeled around the idea that, at a certain point, Ford was no longer fooling anyone. Everyone is starting to get suspicious of him and, in his pathology, he strikes out to cover up both his 15-year-past attack on a three-year-old that his brother apparently took the rap for and then to cover up each and every step of what he is covering up. He tells us he “hadn’t had the sickness in almost fifteen years. Not since [he] was fourteen.” We do not know exactly what the “sickness” was except that his father gave him a vasectomy when he was young so that the genes could not be spread.

But that is Ford’s thing, trying to act naturally and not let the “sickness” take control of him. He knows when Joyce first pushes him away that he could not let himself get out of control. “It might bring the sickness back.” He might kill her and, if he did not, she might yell her head off and “people would start thinking, thinking and wondering about that time fifteen years ago.”

As the story goes on, you realize that the walls are all closing in on Ford and that he is eventually going to run out of people to kill. Joe Rothman, the labor union guy, is the first one to pierce the veil and tells Ford to save the bullshit for the birds and that it is a good act, but it is easy to overdo. Even Ford starts to realize that eventually given enough time people close to him would start putting the pieces together and then it would be curtains for him.

But Ford never really feels guilty for what he does or what the sickness makes him do. He tells us that he “wasn’t any more cold-blooded than the dame who’d have me in hell to get her own way.” And he enjoys when he is in custody and they are trying to break him and they keep showing slides of his girl on the wall. He loves the memories and wants them to slow down the slides. See, they can’t break Ford cause maybe he is already broken.

The Killer Inside Me is a startling look inside a killer’s twisted brain, his justifications, his rationales, and the fact that he feels no guilt for what he has done. Imagine how startling this novel was when it first came out in 1952! It delves deep into the psyche of a character who is both charming and terrifying, making us question our own perceptions of those around us. The story is a masterclass in psychological suspense, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. Thompson’s writing is vivid and engaging, painting a picture of a world where nothing is as it seems and where the line between good and evil is blurred. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

This one was a bit too twisted and dark for me.

It seemed to take a path that was filled with shadows and strange turns. The story line was convoluted, making it difficult for me to fully understand and embrace. The characters' actions and motives were often unclear, adding to the overall sense of mystery and unease.

I found myself constantly questioning what was going on and why. The darkness that pervaded the narrative made it a rather uncomfortable read at times. It was as if I was being pulled into a world that I wasn't quite ready to enter.

While I appreciate the creativity and the attempt to explore the darker side of human nature, this particular piece just didn't resonate with me. Maybe it was because it was a bit too far outside of my comfort zone. Nevertheless, I can see that others might find it fascinating and engaging.

But for me, it was a bit of a miss.

On the outside, Lou Ford appears to be your typical nice guy.

He is the deputy sheriff of a small town, always ready and willing to assist everyone in need.

He even seems a bit slow and perhaps overly nice.

However, on the inside, he is a psychopathic killer, consumed by what he calls 'the sickness' and driven by a thirst for revenge.

The book meticulously charts his gradual loss of control as the true Lou Ford begins to surface.

I had heard numerous rave reviews about Jim Thompson and had read many positive comments on 'Goodreads'.

I was certain that I would enjoy this book.

Regrettably, that was not the case.

It simply failed to capture my interest.

There was a lack of sufficient detail and depth, leaving me feeling somewhat disappointed.

Perhaps it was my high expectations that led to this letdown, but regardless, it didn't live up to the hype for me.

DOPPIO IN GIOCO






Jim Thompson was on the set of “The Killing” by Stanley Kubrick with Sterling Hayden. Thompson wrote the dialogues for this magnificent film.



Kubrick defined this novel as: The most chilling and believable first-person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered. I believe Kubrick knew a thing or two about warped and criminal minds. With Thompson, Kubrick wrote one of his first masterpieces, Paths of Glory - Orizzonti di gloria, where evil exists, just like in Thompson's works.






Kirk Douglas in “Paths of Glory – Orizzonti di gloria”, the masterpiece of Stanley Kubrick on the Great War. Douglas is the lead actor and producer. 1957.



Jim Thompson has been a synonym of noir since 1952 when this book, his most successful work, was published. This novel is a pure wonder, like all of Thompson's. But this one goes beyond. Even though, like the others, it tells of evil men doing bad things. Evil and irony go hand in hand in Thompson, who coined American black humor, very different from the English one.



Lou Ford is a respected and esteemed sheriff, a good citizen, maybe even a bit dumb, or is he a sociopathic killer who doesn't recognize rules and laws?






Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert in “Coup de torchon – Colpo di spugna” by Bertrand Tavernier, 1981, an adaptation of “Pop. 1280” by Jim Thompson.



The answer lies precisely in the point of view the novel takes, the narrative voice of Lou Ford himself, who knows what he is but also knows how to hide it well - until the true nature of the sheriff prevails. A narrative voice that doesn't take up space, that doesn't waste words, but presses on, moves the action forward without losing time, creating and reinforcing the tension, the anticipation, the mystery, the thriller.



It's not the story itself that matters, but as in great literature, it's the style that makes the difference, that makes The Killer Inside Me transcend the genre and go beyond.






Anjelica Huston, John Cusack, Annette Bening in “The Grifters - Rischiose abitudini” by Stephen Frears. 1990



Thompson says that the weed is just a plant grown in the wrong place: a bush of thorns in a wheat field is a weed, but planted in the garden of the house it becomes ornamental. If Lou Ford had grown up elsewhere, or had not become a sheriff, could he have been different?



How can one not identify with the antiheroes of Thompson, whether they are thieves or assassins?! Especially if one has loved Delitti esemplari by Max Aub, the protagonists of Thompson are all of us, they are what deep down we would like to be and do.






Steve McQueen, magnificent as always, in “Getaway!” by Sam Peckinpah, magnificent as always. 1972.



Jim Thompson has been much plundered by cinema. Just to give some examples, leaving aside the two taken from this very title, which I don't consider unforgettable, I would instead mention the memorable Steve "I-want-a-risky-life" McQueen in the first Getaway, together with Ali McGraw (much less memorable the remake with the couple Alec Baldwin - Kim Basinger); the excellent Annette Benning in The Grifters - Rischiose abitudini, together with Anjelica Huston and John Cusack; the great Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert, surrounded by an excellent all-French cast, in Tavernier's film Coup de Torchon – Colpo di spugna from Pop. 1280; always staying in France, Série noire - Il fascino del delitto with the late Patrick Dewaere.






”Série noire - Il fascino del delitto” by Alain Corneau, 1979. With Patrick Dewaere, Marie Trintignant, Bernard Blier.

I’ve wanted to read this book for ages and I’m so glad I finally did.

I mean, you know a book is going to be good when the foreword is written by Stephen King! His name alone is like a seal of approval for any book lover.

I was instantly sucked in right from the beginning. The twisted mind of our main character, Ward, just absolutely fascinated me. It was like a train wreck that I couldn’t look away from.

The way the author uses first person narration is what makes this book so great. You really get into Ward’s mind and it’s a dark and terrifying place to be. But despite the darkness, there’s something strangely compelling about it.

And I adored every single second of it. This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s dark and twisted and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. But if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, then this book is an absolute must read!

A weed is a plant out of place. Before delving into the contents of the book, let's first talk about the physical book itself. The cover of my edition is a plain tan-ish color. It features just the title, the author, a few small pictures of sheriff stars, revolvers, and bottles lined up in a row, and then a quote of praise that takes up about a third of the cover. The quote, by Stanley Kubrick, states: “Probably the most chilling and believable first-person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered.” If you've seen Kubrick's films (almost all based on novels), you know that this is quite a significant statement.

This is the story of Lou Ford, a good old boy and a southern gentleman, filled with corny “words of wisdom” like “the grass is always greener on the other side.” He's a deputy in Central City, a job that allows him to easily cover up his crimes. Despite his slow-witted façade, Lou is a clever murderer. The book starts off as classic noir and quickly moves into horror territory. We get a detailed account of Lou's actions, and it's truly shocking that this was published in 1952. It feels grittier and darker than one might expect from that era.

Lou is one of the most disturbing protagonists I've ever read. He smiles and acts the fool, all while planning his next move. He constantly tries to justify his actions and make the reader sympathetic towards him. It's always someone else's fault, not his. The novel is masterfully done, getting under the reader's skin with a smile and a laugh. It's also shockingly funny, which makes it even more uncomfortable. It manages to creep me out in a way that American Psycho never did, as I sometimes found myself liking Lou. And that, dear readers, is truly a frightening thing. A well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars and a full recommendation.

The Killer Inside Me is truly a remarkable and distinct book that stands out from all the others I've ever read. Published way back in 1952, it's a gritty and pulp crime noir novel with a fascinating twist.

Here, the protagonist isn't your typical hard-boiled detective hot on the heels of a killer. Instead, it's the killer himself. Lou Ford, the Deputy Sheriff of a small town in Texas, is a sociopathic murderer. And for a whopping 229 pages, the reader is plunged deep into his warped mind. It's an incredibly uncomfortable place to be.

To be honest, I'm truly astonished that this book managed to get published at all in 1952. There's a raw crudeness to it that constantly took me by surprise. Every time Thompson penned a sentence that must have been taboo in 1950's America, it added to the book's unique flavor. And yet, this crudeness is often necessary. Since we're in the mind of Lou Ford, it somehow feels right at home there.

Lou kills numerous people for various reasons throughout the course of the book. He's completely convinced that no matter what he does, he'll manage to get away with it. He believes he has everyone fooled, thinking he's the nicest guy in Central City. But soon enough, he becomes desperate and sloppy. It doesn't take long for the rest of the sheriff's department to start piecing together what's really going on in town.

Lou's attitude, his childhood (which is gradually revealed and pieced together throughout the novel), and his overall outlook on life are all extremely twisted. His crimes are particularly violent and disturbing, especially when you consider that we have a front-row seat to each and every one of them. Lou kills whenever he deems it necessary, always to save his own skin. I won't go into the details of the plot here, but it begins with a poorly planned blackmail scheme and ultimately ends with Lou completely unraveling.

The Killer Inside Me is a relatively quick read, but it leaves you with a feeling that you need to read something else to cleanse your palate afterwards. Being inside the mind of Lou Ford is both daunting and unpleasant, but this book has left an indelible impact on me that I know I won't forget anytime soon.