No Beast So Fierce

By: Edward Bunker

Narrated by: Ray Chase

After eight years spent locked up, Max has gotten very good at being a prisoner. He knows the guards, the inmates, and how to survive. But the parole board has decided that he has sufficiently reformed, and it's time for him to say good-bye. When Max reaches the outside world, he finds that freedom doesn't make anything easier.

Based on his own experiences in prison, Edward Bunker first drafted No Beast So Fierce in the 1950s, while incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. He spent the next two decades in and out of jail, writing essays for various magazines and working on the novel, which was finally published in 1973. Eighteen months later, the book was used as evidence that he was fit to leave jail. He received parole, and spent the rest of his life a free man.

©1975 Edward Bunker (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Integrity, craftsmanship, and moral passion...an artist with a unique and compelling voice." (William Styron)

"The best first-person crime novel I have ever read." (Quentin Tarantino)

"Quite simply, one of the great crime novels of the past 30 years." (James Ellroy)

Did not want to like this book

I did not want to like this book. The hero (anti-hero) is ruthless and despicable. But the author pulls me in and I want to know was going to do next. Nice job.

has a great feel of Michael Mann's best works

fantastic book. though fiction, it has an uncanny authentic feel to most of characters, plot details and descriptions that come from Bunker's rich history of crime.
the first half is mostly drama about a criminal trying and failing to avoid life of crime being on the parole- feels a lot like "Jericho mile" movie. the second half is much like "Thief" and "Heat" movies by Michael Mann with heists and scores (including meticulous planning) and splits.

Should be required reading

This book really blew me away. I’d known of it and it’s author for awhile, in fact I’d seen a movie called Animal Factory several years ago that was based on another of his novels, one about life inside prison, and it was okay but this was storytelling on a whole other level IMO. In terms of its plot it isn’t anything all that exceptional I suppose, but the magic of this book in just in the way the author writes prose and the incredible depth of emotion his words convey. It was impossible for me not to feel the authenticity of the characters, their dreams, and their dilemmas. No one comes off like a caricature or some token, stock genre archetype, everybody acts like actual people, which just gives the book that much more credibility. As someone who has lived on the streets at various times in my life I really can not recommend this enough.

Mad Dog 2o2o gives “No Beast So Fierce” 5 out of 5 ⭐️’s

Enjoyed!

eh narrator could have been better, but overall Great book. Highly recommended for people struggling to understand the life of an someone releasing from prison.

Terrific

Has all the fundamentals of an excellent crime novel and explores human nature in a way I thoroughly enjoyed

I want more Books by this author!

I love the author and story! The narrator was just ok. His voices for the other characters sounded too much a like.

LOS ANGELES AND EDWARD BUNKER

I personally appreciate a genuine Los Angeleno, like Edward Bunker sharing and writing a book like this for us.

Couldn't put it down!

I usually don't write reviews but was so impressed with this novel I felt compelled to do so. Gripping plot, interesting characters, very well written. After listening, I did research on the author (pretty interesting as well) and found out he wrote several other books of which Audible offers NONE😢

Real shit

Best in the game. Punks and rats beware. This is the tale of a true mother fucker. Read at your own risk.

Crime story from the criminal's perspective

A stunning portrait of a character who is both sympathetic and horrible. There is a lyrical quality to Bunker's language, which is oddly set against the subject matter.

The pace of the story is a bit droning, though I think this is consistent with the life of the main character - weeks of loneliness, boredom, and monotony punctuated by seconds of violence and terror.

This book has given me a lot to think about, which is suppose is a mark of a powerful story.