I came across this republication of the original 1954 book in the library, and after I read the glowing introduction by Elmore Leonard, I decided that I had to read it. Leonard praised Heinz's writing style and dialogue mannerisms extensively, and cited Heinz as a major influence on his writing style. Another positive review for this book comes from Ernest Hemingway, who said "THE PROFESSIONAL is the only good novel about a fighter I've read and an excellent novel in its own right."
Apparently, Hemingway didn't read a lot of books about fighters.
'The Professional' is about a middleweight boxer named Eddie Brown who is at a training camp for a title fight in upstate New York, and is being shadowed by narrator/sportwriter Frank Hughes for a magazine article he is working on. For a book that is about boxing, not much boxing takes place. Instead, the reader is treated to a pretentious, boring look at what a boxer and his coterie go through during a training camp.
Looking back, it occurs to me that a training camp is not really like the montages seen in all the Rocky movies, and even it were, it would not really translate that well in book form. It does, however, make for a boring read that celebrates the elements of boxing that are overlooked for a good reason. In the same way that I would not want to read a book about the pit crew of a racer, reading about the training camp of a boxer is like reading about watching paint dry: You can do it, but why would you want to?
I will say this, however, the characters in this novel are all fully developed and quite interesting. Unfortunately, all they seem to do is sit around and shoot the breeze. This made for a long and arduous read that was utterly unsatisfying and incredibly pretentious. While boxing purists may argue that the subtle nuances of a training camp are what makes the sport of boxing so great, I say that regardless of one's opinion of boxing and all of it's facets, 'The Professional' lacks the key element of what makes a novel great: a good story.
All in all, 'The Professional' does more than disappoint, it reveals Heinz's attitude towards both boxing and writing.
And both of those can be summed up in one word.
Pretentious.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
'The Long Fall' by Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley's latest book introduces the reader to a new main character, and a myriad of supporting and passing characters that make their way through the main character's life. The protagonist, Leonid McGill, is a shady New York PI who has turned his life around and is trying to make his way through the world with his new set of values. Though he is not averse to somewhat illegal investigation techniques, McGill is basically the tough but honest PI that dominated the novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. This, combined with Mosley's brilliant character development and vibrant setting descriptions, make 'The Long Fall' an amazing read.
Unlike Easy Rawlins, Paris Minton, and Socrates Fortlow, Leonid McGill harbors little anger at the world around him, but rather participates in the world with an ambivalent knowledge of the unfair and seemingly random nature of the world. This makes for interesting confrontations and conversations throughout the novel, punctuated by Mosley's amazing talent for snappy, witty dialgoue.
'The Long Fall' contains most of the staples of Walter Mosley: interracial relationships, infidelity, murder, exquisiste foods, detailed family histories, and a main character that seems to have the world against him. The main difference between Leonnid McGill and Easy Rawlins, Paris Minton, and Fearless Jones, however, aside from the fact that Leonid McGill lives in 2008 New York, is that the plot of 'The Long Fall' is almost secondary to the events, memories, and experiences that make up the foundation for the plot to travel. As I finished the book, I almost didn't care about the mystery, as I was already enchanted with the dialgoue and character development.
If Hammett and Chandler had been born 50 years later, this is what their novels would be like. Walter Mosley has bridged the gap that was left when they stopped writing.
If Leonid McGill is the future of Walter Mosley's prolific literary canon, then I say Long Live Leonid McGill.
Unlike Easy Rawlins, Paris Minton, and Socrates Fortlow, Leonid McGill harbors little anger at the world around him, but rather participates in the world with an ambivalent knowledge of the unfair and seemingly random nature of the world. This makes for interesting confrontations and conversations throughout the novel, punctuated by Mosley's amazing talent for snappy, witty dialgoue.
'The Long Fall' contains most of the staples of Walter Mosley: interracial relationships, infidelity, murder, exquisiste foods, detailed family histories, and a main character that seems to have the world against him. The main difference between Leonnid McGill and Easy Rawlins, Paris Minton, and Fearless Jones, however, aside from the fact that Leonid McGill lives in 2008 New York, is that the plot of 'The Long Fall' is almost secondary to the events, memories, and experiences that make up the foundation for the plot to travel. As I finished the book, I almost didn't care about the mystery, as I was already enchanted with the dialgoue and character development.
If Hammett and Chandler had been born 50 years later, this is what their novels would be like. Walter Mosley has bridged the gap that was left when they stopped writing.
If Leonid McGill is the future of Walter Mosley's prolific literary canon, then I say Long Live Leonid McGill.
Monday, March 23, 2009
'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk
'Snuff' is classic Chuck Palahniuk. It is the story of a suicidal porn queen who wants to leave this world by setting the world record for having the most lovers at one time on camera, which she expects to die from.
The story is told by 4 people: the female personal assistant to the porn queen, a participant who is a washed up TV star trying to make a comeback, a participant and washed up porn star who may or may not be the father of the porn queen's child that was given up for adoption 20 years ago, and a participant who believes that he is the porn queen's child.
I literally could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. It was both hilarious and grotesque, but it was truly entertaining. Chuck Palahniuk has done it again. I rank this book his third best, behind 'Choke' and 'Fight Club'. After his last books 'Haunted' and 'Rant', I expected 'Snuff' to disappoint. I was dead wrong. He's definitely still got it.
If you like Palahniuk, you will love 'Snuff'. And if you don't like Palahniuk, then 'Snuff' will probably make you vomit.
And as an aside, I must say that Chuck Palahniuk is a really awesome guy. For a month out of the year, you can write him a letter, and he will personally write you one back. He sent me a necklace he made and a bunch of other cool stuff when I wrote to him the first time, along with a personalized letter. And when I went to his book signing, I was the last guy in line, and he came up to me and thanked me for being the last guy in line. I was wearing the necklace he made me, and he told me all about how he made it. It was unbelievably awesome.
So even if you are not a fan of his gut wrenching stories, you should know that the guy who writes them is not some wierdo serial killer, but a really cool, down to earth guy.
But getting back to 'Snuff', I recommend it, as long as you are not easily offended. Actually if you are moderately offended you probably wont like it either. But I still say it's a fantastic and engaging read.
I guess I'm lucky that I have a high tolerance for what offends me.
The story is told by 4 people: the female personal assistant to the porn queen, a participant who is a washed up TV star trying to make a comeback, a participant and washed up porn star who may or may not be the father of the porn queen's child that was given up for adoption 20 years ago, and a participant who believes that he is the porn queen's child.
I literally could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. It was both hilarious and grotesque, but it was truly entertaining. Chuck Palahniuk has done it again. I rank this book his third best, behind 'Choke' and 'Fight Club'. After his last books 'Haunted' and 'Rant', I expected 'Snuff' to disappoint. I was dead wrong. He's definitely still got it.
If you like Palahniuk, you will love 'Snuff'. And if you don't like Palahniuk, then 'Snuff' will probably make you vomit.
And as an aside, I must say that Chuck Palahniuk is a really awesome guy. For a month out of the year, you can write him a letter, and he will personally write you one back. He sent me a necklace he made and a bunch of other cool stuff when I wrote to him the first time, along with a personalized letter. And when I went to his book signing, I was the last guy in line, and he came up to me and thanked me for being the last guy in line. I was wearing the necklace he made me, and he told me all about how he made it. It was unbelievably awesome.
So even if you are not a fan of his gut wrenching stories, you should know that the guy who writes them is not some wierdo serial killer, but a really cool, down to earth guy.
But getting back to 'Snuff', I recommend it, as long as you are not easily offended. Actually if you are moderately offended you probably wont like it either. But I still say it's a fantastic and engaging read.
I guess I'm lucky that I have a high tolerance for what offends me.
'Gunmetal Black' by Daniel Serrano
'Gunmetal Black' is the debut novel of Daniel Serrano, and after reading it, I truly believe that Serrano is the future of crime fiction. The novel features a young Puerto Rican ex-con as he gets out of prison in Illinois and attempts to start a Salsa music record label in Miami, only to have his criminal past come back to haunt him. Sounds like a ridiculous concept, right? I thought so too, but decided to give it a chance. 2 days later, I had finished all 485 pages of it and was thirsting for more from Serrano.
For what seems like a dubious plot, 'Gunmetal Black' is the best first person crime novel I have read since Edward Bunker's 'No Beast So Fierce'. Much like Bunker, and Brian S. Bentley, Daniel Serrano is able to engage the reader with his unpretentious writing style and unrelenting action sequences and plot twists.
This is by far, the best book I have read this year. Even though I have only read 9 books so far this year, (as of March 23, 2009) it is by far the best. I literally could not put this book down. It is rare that I will not get tired when reading a book late at night, but 'Gunmetal Black' kept me awake when I really should have been asleep. The fast driving plot felt like a roller coaster ride that I didn't want to end. After reading it, I felt really bad for reading half of it at the bookstore, and the other half at the library. It definitely would have been worth the 17 bucks to buy it.
As a crime novelist, I think Daniel Serrano has already reached the top echelon of writers, and has carved a place for himself next to the likes of Elmore Leonard, Edward Bunker, and Walter Mosley.
I honestly cannot wait for his next novel to come out in June I can guarantee that I will be among the first to read it. And this time, I plan on buying it.
So if you want to read an excellent example of what a crime novel should be, read 'Gunmetal Black'. It has everything a crime novel should have, and it is the epitome of a page turner.
On a scale of 1-10, I give it an 11. It's that good.
And it's totally worth shelling out the 17 bucks for it.
For what seems like a dubious plot, 'Gunmetal Black' is the best first person crime novel I have read since Edward Bunker's 'No Beast So Fierce'. Much like Bunker, and Brian S. Bentley, Daniel Serrano is able to engage the reader with his unpretentious writing style and unrelenting action sequences and plot twists.
This is by far, the best book I have read this year. Even though I have only read 9 books so far this year, (as of March 23, 2009) it is by far the best. I literally could not put this book down. It is rare that I will not get tired when reading a book late at night, but 'Gunmetal Black' kept me awake when I really should have been asleep. The fast driving plot felt like a roller coaster ride that I didn't want to end. After reading it, I felt really bad for reading half of it at the bookstore, and the other half at the library. It definitely would have been worth the 17 bucks to buy it.
As a crime novelist, I think Daniel Serrano has already reached the top echelon of writers, and has carved a place for himself next to the likes of Elmore Leonard, Edward Bunker, and Walter Mosley.
I honestly cannot wait for his next novel to come out in June I can guarantee that I will be among the first to read it. And this time, I plan on buying it.
So if you want to read an excellent example of what a crime novel should be, read 'Gunmetal Black'. It has everything a crime novel should have, and it is the epitome of a page turner.
On a scale of 1-10, I give it an 11. It's that good.
And it's totally worth shelling out the 17 bucks for it.
'One Time' by Brian S. Bentley
The best book I have ever read about the LAPD, 'One Time' is former LAPD officer Brian S. Bentley's pseudo-memoir about working for the LAPD. After it was published, Bentley was interrogated for 12 hours by the LAPD about events in the book, and decided to resign following a lengthy investigation into his life and LAPD career.
'One Time' pulls no punches and holds absolutely nothing back. I stumbled upon this book in the LA Public library in downtown LA a few years ago, and decided to read it again this year. It is one of the only books that ges my adrenaline flowing. It is so uncompromising and brutal, that it made me seriously reconsider pursuing a career in law enforcement, for fear of turning into the kind of officer and person that Bentley admitted to becoming.
If you read one book about the LAPD, read this one. Forget all those mysteries or ghost written books by Mark Fuhrman or Joseph Wambaugh, this book tells it like it is. It's an easy and compelling read, and I just can't say enough good things about it. In my opinion, Bentley is like Edward Bunker in that he writes what he knows about the criminal underworld in Los Angeles, and he sugar coats absolutely nothing.
I emailed Bentley about his book after I read it the first time, and he was gracious enough to respond to my email. That has nothing to do with the book, but I just thought I'd mention it, as I think it's pretty cool.
Bentley's writing style is as unpretentious as it gets. Don't look for metaphors, symbolism or hidden meanings here. Bentley lays all his cards on the table, and what you see is what you get.
And what you get is an amazing book that will shake you to your very core.
'One Time' pulls no punches and holds absolutely nothing back. I stumbled upon this book in the LA Public library in downtown LA a few years ago, and decided to read it again this year. It is one of the only books that ges my adrenaline flowing. It is so uncompromising and brutal, that it made me seriously reconsider pursuing a career in law enforcement, for fear of turning into the kind of officer and person that Bentley admitted to becoming.
If you read one book about the LAPD, read this one. Forget all those mysteries or ghost written books by Mark Fuhrman or Joseph Wambaugh, this book tells it like it is. It's an easy and compelling read, and I just can't say enough good things about it. In my opinion, Bentley is like Edward Bunker in that he writes what he knows about the criminal underworld in Los Angeles, and he sugar coats absolutely nothing.
I emailed Bentley about his book after I read it the first time, and he was gracious enough to respond to my email. That has nothing to do with the book, but I just thought I'd mention it, as I think it's pretty cool.
Bentley's writing style is as unpretentious as it gets. Don't look for metaphors, symbolism or hidden meanings here. Bentley lays all his cards on the table, and what you see is what you get.
And what you get is an amazing book that will shake you to your very core.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
'The Last Coyote' by Michael Connely
Michael Connely's book 'The Last Coyote' finds his protagonist, LAPD detective Harry Bosch, trying to solve the 30 year old murder of his mother in the aftermath of the 1994 earthquake. The book starts with Bosch being suspended from the LAPD an forced to attend therapy, as a result of a violent altercation he had with his pencil pushing boss. It continues into several hundred pages of twists, turns, set ups, double crosses, and leads to a painfully obvious surprise ending.
As far as crime novels go, this one was pretty standard, which in my opinion, equals boring. It seems to be directed at middle aged successful people who are looking for a diversion from their daily upper middle class lifestyle. So for me, a broke 25 year old in Echo Park, I found myself hating Harry Bosch for complaining about his life so much. I mean here's a guy who pulls in a sweet detective's salary, owns a house in the Hollywood hills, and seems to have a limitless bank account. He finally gets a break to research his mother's murder, and all he does is act like a jerk. He treats everyone with that typical, self-righteous cop attitude, and never thinks that maybe criminals are actually human beings too.
I don't know if Michael Connely wrote the character of Harry Bosch this way to make the readers hate his main character or if it's just me, but I certainly did hate him. While the mystery makes for a decent read, and the twists are a bit entertaining, the book feels about 100 pages too long, and as the book progressed, I found myself hating Harry Bosch for so many different reasons. I had the same problem with Denise Hamilton's character Eve Diamond. Maybe it's just that I'm not nearly as successful as these characters are in their professional lives, or maybe I'm just too immature, but either way, I hate the characters, and that takes away a lot from the book for me. I think it's just the ridiculous self-righteous attitude presented by these characters, as I really enjoyed the morally questionable attorney in Connely's novel 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'
Anyway, if you are looking for a good read, I highly recommend anything by Walter Mosley or Elmore Leonard. If they are sold out, then give 'The Last Coyote' a chance, I guess.
Unless they have 'The Lincoln Lawyer'. It's way better.
As far as crime novels go, this one was pretty standard, which in my opinion, equals boring. It seems to be directed at middle aged successful people who are looking for a diversion from their daily upper middle class lifestyle. So for me, a broke 25 year old in Echo Park, I found myself hating Harry Bosch for complaining about his life so much. I mean here's a guy who pulls in a sweet detective's salary, owns a house in the Hollywood hills, and seems to have a limitless bank account. He finally gets a break to research his mother's murder, and all he does is act like a jerk. He treats everyone with that typical, self-righteous cop attitude, and never thinks that maybe criminals are actually human beings too.
I don't know if Michael Connely wrote the character of Harry Bosch this way to make the readers hate his main character or if it's just me, but I certainly did hate him. While the mystery makes for a decent read, and the twists are a bit entertaining, the book feels about 100 pages too long, and as the book progressed, I found myself hating Harry Bosch for so many different reasons. I had the same problem with Denise Hamilton's character Eve Diamond. Maybe it's just that I'm not nearly as successful as these characters are in their professional lives, or maybe I'm just too immature, but either way, I hate the characters, and that takes away a lot from the book for me. I think it's just the ridiculous self-righteous attitude presented by these characters, as I really enjoyed the morally questionable attorney in Connely's novel 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'
Anyway, if you are looking for a good read, I highly recommend anything by Walter Mosley or Elmore Leonard. If they are sold out, then give 'The Last Coyote' a chance, I guess.
Unless they have 'The Lincoln Lawyer'. It's way better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)