a.n.smith (ansmith@netdoor.com)
Mon, 1 Nov 1999 07:51:53 -0600
I'm really excited to start talking about the Parker book,
because I discovered the series late--when Comeback was
published--and caught up quickly. This is great work: the
writing, the plotting, the characters. I call them the
minimalist crime novels, because Stark doesn't waste one
word--straight ahead, nouns and verbs, and if you want
feelings, you have to put them in there yourself. Some of the
sharpest crime writing ever.
In this particular book, I think we can see that this wasn't
a
"by-the-numbers" formula ride. I mean, what do you do with a
guy that might cause trouble for you? Lock him in a barn, and
then spend some time taking care of the guy. Excellent. Stark
is letting things happen as he writes instead of imposing
plot on the characters. And as always, the relationships are
murky--trust no one--yet deep in the sense that there must be
unspoken communication, guys not trusting each other yet
having to for the job, even if they're friends (Despite the
protests, I believe these guys have a concept of friendship
towards each other, regardless of how twisted it may
be).
And then Stark does Tarantino thirty years before QT
does--the time flip. And it works in an interesting way here,
since the reader already feels a little something for the guy
in the barn. You get interested in his story, distracting
from where you left Parker. Until...
A remarkable series. Genius writer.
(i know, I know: rs=dw)
Neil Smith
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