Death Wish: A Novel

This is a very well-written novel that holds up remarkably well considering its age. Also, the subject matter is more relevant today than it was when it was written back in the 70s! Recommended.

I enjoyed the book even more than I enjoyed the movie. I was so glad the book ended the way it did. Sorry to say, I'm sure that more people would become vigilantes if they thought they could get away with it...

Arrived as described

I believe the paperback version I received is missing pages. The final page is numbered 159. The final sentence is "He ducked across under the elevated until he had put the barrier wall between himself and the cop, and then he went over to Third Avenue and walked downtown until he found a cruising can that took him home."
IS THE SENTENCE TRULY THE END OF THE BOOK? My husband says there must be missing pages! ARE THERE?

I read this provocative book in one sitting. It is definitely a page turner! The book and movie (Death Wish I) each have their benefits: the book is able to offer a more in-depth analysis of the Vigilante's mindset, while the movie offers a superb visual and soundtrack experience to set the tone. The complex questions of societal-defense and self-defense posed in both interpretations are as old as humanity.

This book sets the stage for the follow up book, Death Sentence. It kept me reading along, and I finished it in about a week. Some books take me longer than that, but this one is direct and to the point.

Bought Garfield a house with more than one bathroom, the movies are a hoot!

I have been a fan of the original film for years. I happened upon a used copy of the novel at an estate sale and picked it up. The novel moves at a much slower pace than the film but tells a different story. The book is short on action and heavy on perspective. Readers are given a deeper glance into Paul Kersey's, er Benjamin's psyche and the mental battle he fights. His reading of the article featuring a psychatrist's analysis of "the vigilante" would seemingly make for a boring read, but Garfield crafts it into the story well. As I read this novel, it felt like a companion to the film. It told the mental piece of the tale that would be difficult to capture on film.