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dippdogg2002's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
efbeckett's review against another edition
1.0
Well, I knew Laymon was divisive, but always assumed that it had something to do with his reputed extreme content. This book isn't particularly extreme, so I guess it's really a divide between Laymon's fans and people who don't like hot garbage.
The basic premise - of a magic bracelet that allows the wearer to jump into other people's bodies, where they are unable to control the other, but experience every feeling and thought that they do - is barely exploited, except to give some variety to an endless parade of tedious sex scenes. The book's hero doesn't require the bracelet to get the ladies: literally every female he encounters almost immediately declares undying loyalty to his penis. His longtime girlfriend is so devoted that when he turns up after leaving town for 2 days with an 18 year old lover in tow, she commits to their life together becoming an extended three-way. The characters are barely deserving of being described as such, exhibiting one or two defining characteristics but nothing else, but have no fear, Laymon will keep you informed at all times as to the state of the ladies' nipples.
The horror/crime aspect of the plot is the kind of thing a pulp writer of the 50s or 60s could have dealt with much more effectively in 100 pages or less. But Laymon lays out his scenes in excruciatingly boring detail. Maybe he thought that was suspenseful, but there isn't a drop of suspense in the entire damned thing, so all the prolonged description of the characters' actions does is endlessly reveal how screamingly stupid they all are. I don't often think fretting over the intelligence of horror characters is a very productive criticism - we all wish we had grace under pressure and all that - but, man. Think of the stupidest character you've ever seen in a horror film/book and the stupidest thing they ever did. At that very moment of peak stupidity, that character would be appalled at the unbelievable stupidity of Neal and crew.
The cherry on this suck sundae is that Laymon is, when it comes right down to it, not a very good writer. You are exposed to almost every thought and Neal and friends over the course of the tale and it just doesn't read as stuff that any human, or anyone who had observed humans for any length of time, would say or think. I'm happy I read this and not a different Laymon, so that I didn't have to feel his fingers at the back of my throat on top of his other writerly sins. I'm assuming the title is meant to be a double entendre, and it's just as tacky and graceless as the rest of the book.
The basic premise - of a magic bracelet that allows the wearer to jump into other people's bodies, where they are unable to control the other, but experience every feeling and thought that they do - is barely exploited, except to give some variety to an endless parade of tedious sex scenes. The book's hero doesn't require the bracelet to get the ladies: literally every female he encounters almost immediately declares undying loyalty to his penis. His longtime girlfriend is so devoted that when he turns up after leaving town for 2 days with an 18 year old lover in tow, she commits to their life together becoming an extended three-way. The characters are barely deserving of being described as such, exhibiting one or two defining characteristics but nothing else, but have no fear, Laymon will keep you informed at all times as to the state of the ladies' nipples.
The horror/crime aspect of the plot is the kind of thing a pulp writer of the 50s or 60s could have dealt with much more effectively in 100 pages or less. But Laymon lays out his scenes in excruciatingly boring detail. Maybe he thought that was suspenseful, but there isn't a drop of suspense in the entire damned thing, so all the prolonged description of the characters' actions does is endlessly reveal how screamingly stupid they all are. I don't often think fretting over the intelligence of horror characters is a very productive criticism - we all wish we had grace under pressure and all that - but, man. Think of the stupidest character you've ever seen in a horror film/book and the stupidest thing they ever did. At that very moment of peak stupidity, that character would be appalled at the unbelievable stupidity of Neal and crew.
The cherry on this suck sundae is that Laymon is, when it comes right down to it, not a very good writer. You are exposed to almost every thought and Neal and friends over the course of the tale and it just doesn't read as stuff that any human, or anyone who had observed humans for any length of time, would say or think. I'm happy I read this and not a different Laymon, so that I didn't have to feel his fingers at the back of my throat on top of his other writerly sins. I'm assuming the title is meant to be a double entendre, and it's just as tacky and graceless as the rest of the book.
errantdreams's review against another edition
2.0
Richard Laymon’s Body Rides has an intriguing premise. Neal Darden goes out at night to return a couple of video tapes to the store (it’s 1995), and ends up foiling a torture/murder. He responds to screams for help, shoots the guy, and gets Elise home. She rewards him by giving him a bracelet that allows the wearer to leave their body and enter the body of another person–as a passenger, unable to affect things or communicate in any way. Unfortunately, when Neal drives back past the site where he killed the bad guy, he sees that the culprit’s van is gone. And so is his body. It seems he isn’t as dead as Neal thought he was–and now he’s angry.
Reading this book is a lot like watching a movie that has no music in it. It’s very arresting, very dialogue-heavy at times, and encourages you to hear and take note of every detail. But whenever it isn’t in the middle of an action scene, things feel slow and flat. My guess is that Laymon was writing it to produce the same feeling in the reader that you might get while being a passenger in someone else’s body–wide awake, noticing every detail as though it’s shiny and new. If so, I’m not sure it was worth it. It just has too much of a negative effect on the pacing for much of the book.
The bracelet is an interesting item, and it’s used well in this book. The wearer’s body is nearly in a coma–unaware and unprotected–until they get back to their body. Elise opines that one should never step into the head of someone you’re close to, because there will be things you don’t want to hear (you can hear much of a person’s thoughts when you “ride” them). And she also believes that being in someone else’s head when they die could go… badly.
I’m annoyed by the fact that every woman who comes in contact with Neal falls in love with him, especially since he isn’t an entirely likable guy. Elise states that since he saved her life, she and everything she owns now belong to him. It’s rare to see a woman objectify herself, and I very much do not like it. Then there’s Marta, Neal’s entirely-too-understanding flight attendant girlfriend. At one point he decides to hide out of town, and picks up a beautiful 18-year-old girl (he’s 28) who also falls in love with him (yes, he also fell in love with Elise and said 18-year-old; apparently love is an instantaneous thing). Then there’s the girl he scares half to death while he’s exploring with the bracelet, because he decides that he should actually go to her apartment and do… I’m not sure what, exactly. But despite his re-traumatizing her about a past incident, she too ends up falling for him. Don’t get me wrong–I think polyamorous relationships can be fine–but this is not something Marta actually agreed to before he decided to sleep with someone else, and I really feel like she should care more about that betrayal.
The female characters put up an air of strength, but they all get undermined by the author. There’s the previously-mentioned part where Elise objectifies herself and all but declares herself to be Neal’s slave. There’s nothing strong at all about the traumatized girl he approaches. Sue, the waitress he picks up, has the stereotypical “I don’t like my own gender” thing going on. Both Elise and Sue are happy to offer Neal sex despite knowing he has a girlfriend. And Neal’s thoughts upon seeing two of his partners meet up is “just be thankful they haven’t turned into raving, jealous dogs.” Ugh. What a great way to think about two women you supposedly love.
Laymon expertly explores the ins and outs of the bracelet, making use of it in innovative ways. The basic story was great, but the treatment of women and the exasperating pacing really brought it down.
Content note for sex (mf, mff, ff-sorta), torture, sexual assault.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/10/review-body-rides-richard-laymon/
Reading this book is a lot like watching a movie that has no music in it. It’s very arresting, very dialogue-heavy at times, and encourages you to hear and take note of every detail. But whenever it isn’t in the middle of an action scene, things feel slow and flat. My guess is that Laymon was writing it to produce the same feeling in the reader that you might get while being a passenger in someone else’s body–wide awake, noticing every detail as though it’s shiny and new. If so, I’m not sure it was worth it. It just has too much of a negative effect on the pacing for much of the book.
The bracelet is an interesting item, and it’s used well in this book. The wearer’s body is nearly in a coma–unaware and unprotected–until they get back to their body. Elise opines that one should never step into the head of someone you’re close to, because there will be things you don’t want to hear (you can hear much of a person’s thoughts when you “ride” them). And she also believes that being in someone else’s head when they die could go… badly.
I’m annoyed by the fact that every woman who comes in contact with Neal falls in love with him, especially since he isn’t an entirely likable guy. Elise states that since he saved her life, she and everything she owns now belong to him. It’s rare to see a woman objectify herself, and I very much do not like it. Then there’s Marta, Neal’s entirely-too-understanding flight attendant girlfriend. At one point he decides to hide out of town, and picks up a beautiful 18-year-old girl (he’s 28) who also falls in love with him (yes, he also fell in love with Elise and said 18-year-old; apparently love is an instantaneous thing). Then there’s the girl he scares half to death while he’s exploring with the bracelet, because he decides that he should actually go to her apartment and do… I’m not sure what, exactly. But despite his re-traumatizing her about a past incident, she too ends up falling for him. Don’t get me wrong–I think polyamorous relationships can be fine–but this is not something Marta actually agreed to before he decided to sleep with someone else, and I really feel like she should care more about that betrayal.
The female characters put up an air of strength, but they all get undermined by the author. There’s the previously-mentioned part where Elise objectifies herself and all but declares herself to be Neal’s slave. There’s nothing strong at all about the traumatized girl he approaches. Sue, the waitress he picks up, has the stereotypical “I don’t like my own gender” thing going on. Both Elise and Sue are happy to offer Neal sex despite knowing he has a girlfriend. And Neal’s thoughts upon seeing two of his partners meet up is “just be thankful they haven’t turned into raving, jealous dogs.” Ugh. What a great way to think about two women you supposedly love.
Laymon expertly explores the ins and outs of the bracelet, making use of it in innovative ways. The basic story was great, but the treatment of women and the exasperating pacing really brought it down.
Content note for sex (mf, mff, ff-sorta), torture, sexual assault.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/10/review-body-rides-richard-laymon/
ibeforem's review
3.0
This was more entertaining than I expected. Some parts are unbelievable (I rolled my eyes when Marta accepts Sue into their lives so easily), but since the concept of “body rides” itself is so unbelievable, you just have to roll with it. The end is somewhat predictable, especially since one of the characters gives it away (worst foreshadowing evah).
worldsinink's review
2.0
I expected something similar to Stephen King instead I got torture porn with a breast and nipple fixation. (Seriously, how many times was the word nipple used in this novel? I'm guessing 50+ times.)
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