RARA-AVIS: Richard Price; was Ralph Dennis: Hardman series

From: Chris Martin ( cptpipes@hotmail.com)
Date: 21 Jan 2003


Kevin said:
>Give me a writer with an imagination and the ability to >understand people
>and do research over one with mere >experience anytime. fortunately, Dennis
>had both.

You've made this point before, Kevin, but it's a good point and one I've been thinking about a bit lately after reading SAMARITAN, Richard Price's latest.

Like Price's previous two novels, SAMARITAN is set in a fictional New Jersey city that Price's "ability to understand people and do research" brings alive as vividly as, say, the D.C. of Pelecanos.

Of course, many of the elements of the book that I found the most authentic were probably invented wholesale by Price (how could I know?), but I have to assume that he conducts plenty of shoe-leather research to supplement his already strong imagination, compassion for people, etc.

That aside, the book is a great read with great dialogue and (at times) dark humor similar to that of Joe Wambaugh.

Best to all.

Chris

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