Stray Dogs

by John Ridley

Book Overview

"It's the heat that makes you crazy. I don't know what it is, but it works that way for man and animal alike. I've seen some peculiar things on a hot day too. I've seen a scorpion sting itself to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345413458
• ISBN13: 9780345413451
• Release Date: May 1997
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Love it!

Love it!

A masterful style and a gripping noir tale!

This is an absolutely excellent debut for Mr. Ridley! I'm surprised people didn't like this book. Sure, it's quite profane and vulgar--and personally I'm not a fan of profanity--but you can't help but notice how it flowed with the feel of the book. Ridley's profound descriptions forced you into experiencing every rotten, painful, annoying, surreal misadventure that John Stewart (the protagonist) had to endure! Sure, the hero was a sleaze, a lowdown swindling loser--but we still got his sympathy, simply because of all the crap he had to go through! We don't want anyone to endure that! I particularly liked the hero--I'd rather have Ridley do more with this character, but then again I've yet to read "Love Is A Racket." But Stray Dogs' hapless antihero Stewart was a loser whose near lack of conscience made him likeable--a luckless hustling gambler who uses people--but doesn't kill. It was like he was some kind of Jerry Springer, the only "normal" guy in the book! I could go on and on about this book--and later probably will, but I highly recommend this seamy little noir yarn! I can't say I didn't like the ending, though, since it worked so well with the story, but still. You'll see once you read it. GET THE BOOK (unless you're highly offended by profanity; the language is beyond coarse!)

Loved this one!

This is one book you can't pass up. I loved the movie "U-Turn" but the book is even better. Ridley's dark humor and quick wit makes this miserable day in Sierra an enjoyable journey. Okay, so I'm a little twisted myself...but it's still good, fun storytelling. You gotta love it!

WHAT A TURN IT IS

What a great book! It is a very funny, twisted, scary book to find yourself in it. Like the crazy people in the town said, "you should be more careful". This is the book that the characters will never be forgotton. I love the movie based on this book "U-Turn" which Oliver Stone made. All of Oliver Stone's films are about "American Society". In "Stray Dogs", American Society is living in one hot hell hole. A MUST READ!!!

A Must Read!

I was hooked from the first word and couldn't put it down. The characters are funny and twisted, and you actually feel John Stewart's pain and frustration during his 24 hours in the small town. Stray Dogs is a quick, worthwhile, entertaining journey!

Pretty good short novel and smooth writing!

This is a very talented writer. Using vivid dialogues to push a very simple scenario into a very good short novel. Read more like watching a TV play or like reading a drama. I only wish that retarded writer of MEG could learn such smooth, logic and hilarious writing technique from Mr. Ridley. If MEG istead of STRAY DOGS could become a bestseller, we should only blame 1) the readers of MEG, and praise 2) the publisher's marketing plan of STRAY DOG; or vice versa, to blame 1a) the readers of STRAY DOGS, and to praise 2a) the publisher of MEG. There is no God