Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter, #1)

by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to your mum. At heart, he's the perfect gentleman - he is supportive of his sister Deb, a Miami cop; he has a shy girlfriend and is liked by her young children. In fact, Dex seems to lead a quiet, normal life bordering on the mundane. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police. But Dexter also has a secret hobby: he is an accomplished serial killer. So far, he's killed 36 people and has never been caught because he knows exactly how to hide the evidence. And while that may lead some people to assume he's not such a nice guy - he tempers his insatiable hunger for brutality by only killing the bad guys. However, Dexter's well-organised life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Intrigued that the other killer favours a style similar to his own, Dexter soon realises that the mysterious new arrival is not simply invading his turf but offering him a direct invitation to 'come out and play'...

• ISBN10: 0848833031
• ISBN13: 9780848833039
• Publish Date: 5 May 2004
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Amereon Limited
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Book vs. TV Show:
First of all, only the first season of the show and the first novel share (more or less) the same plotline. I was surprised to find out that after that they go different ways as there are 8 novels and 8 seasons.
So, I'll begin with show. Dexter was already famous, had reached it's peak, had 8 season and was cancelled for quite some time when I finally got started with the first season.
Well, I discovered that Dexter is a rather unique character. You can't decide whether he is good or bad but not matter what you'll end up liking him. You get a very good insight in his mind and what drives him but the other characters are also portrayed very well and rather deeply. Furthermore, the whole new serial killer aspect was introduced extremely credibly. I don't know about police work but the way everything is depicted in the show, I would believe it in a heartbeat.
So, let's move on to the book! I was really excited to finally read Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Unfortunately I ended up disappointed.
First of all the storyline. The novel is only a little over 300 pages. That's not much if you want to portray Dexter, show his troubles, depict how he kills, then introduce a new serial killer, and catch up with that guy. Thus, the whole story seem rather rushed. Lindsay has a way of jumping from one point to the other in a way that made me wonder whether I jumped a chapter or two. Thus, the book was not nearly as credible as the show.
Another point is the character depth. As the novel is rather short, Lindsay ha trouble enough to give his main character Dexter adequate time to unfold. Unfortunately most of the other characters fall by the wayside and remain totally pale.
But what annoyed me most is the ending. I don't want to put any spoilers in the text but as it turns out, the endings of the first season and the first novel differ. This wouldn't be a problem if both of them seemed credible. However, the ending of the book is rather irritating and doesn't really make sense. In some way it also lacks depth, especially when it comes to other characters.

Summing up I have to say I'm super disappointed by the novel. The TV show is so much better, I was really surprised. The book isn't really worth reading. It's not even enthralling, whereas the show makes you want to watch every single episode in a row.

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

If you’ve seen the TV show then reading this book is almost the same as Season 1 with some slight differences. I’ve always been a fan of the Anti-Hero and Dexter Morgan is one you can truly love. This is the first book in the series and sees Dexter tracking down the Ice Truck Killer. Jeff Lindsay does a brilliant job at writing in the first person and this book is a real joy to read.

[ibeforem]

This book is a twist on your run-of-the-mill crime novel — the main character is a serial killer himself. Dexter is an interesting guy — he knows he’s a sociopath, and doesn’t consider himself “human”. Plus his father, a cop, teaches him all he needs to know about killing people without getting caught. His mostly emotionless yet intriguing narration is really what makes this book interesting.

[remo]

A ver cómo se lo describo en pocas palabras: Dexter es un psicópata asesino en serie con 36 muertos a sus espaldas y es, además, el bueno de la novela. Un planteamiento así llama la atención, desde luego. Dexter trabaja para la policía de Miami como analista de patrones de salpicaduras de sangre (hiperespecialización, se llama eso). Tiene una hermana policía y un montón de tiempo libre.

Cuando Dexter era pequeño, Harry, su padre adoptivo, descubrió pronto sus instintos asesinos. Perros chillones de vecinos que desaparecían, ratones y lagartijas troceaditos a cuchillo escondidos en el cubo de la basura y cosas así. Así que en lugar de intentar cambiar la mente de un psicópata, intentó reconducirla hacia el Bien. Y entrenó a Dexter, según las normas del código de Harry, para que sólo matase a gente que se lo merecía, y además lo hiciera sin que le pillaran. Dexter recibió una estupenda formación en métodos de asesinato, de preparación de crímenes y de ocultación de pruebas, y hasta la fecha sigue matando pederastas y asesinos en sus ratos libres sin que nadie le moleste. Dexter es, en sus propias palabras, un monstruo muy pulcro. Pero todo cambia cuando un nuevo asesino en serie entra en escena en Miami…

La novela es fantástica. Está bien escrita y nos deja bucear en el mundo interior de Dexter sin llegar a aburrirnos. Como psicópata que es, Dexter es impermeable a los sentimientos, pero ha aprendido a simularlos lo suficientemente bien como para no infundir sospechas, salvo al sargento Doakes, que se la tiene jurada.

La trama está muy bien montada, y no pierde el interés. Abrí la primera página y no pude dejar de leer. Sobre este libro y su continuación, que estoy terminando, se hizo una serie de televisión, que se desvía bastante del guión de las novelas. La serie es también fantástica. Se llama Dexter y pueden conseguirla en la mula en versión original subtitulada. Son doce capítulos muy recomendables. En junio de este año sale la tercera novela de Dexter, que compraré ipso facto.

Novela negra, humor negro y un pasajero no negro pero sí oscuro, el pasajero oscuro del fondo de su mente al que Dexter cede el control en las noches de luna llena, cuando sale a ajusticiar criminales por la vía B en los recovecos de Miami. Totalmente recomendable. No sé cómo será la traducción, pero el original se sale.

Mi nota: Muy, muy recomendable.