One of the books I read while I was away for a two-week
vacation was Pete Hautman's _Rag Man_. The blurbs on the book
led me to expect a rollicking, comedic story along the lines
of Carl Hiaasen, but this was a pretty downbeat and
ultimately depressing story that really doesn't seem that out
of place for a mention on this list. Has anyone else read it?
Other Hautman titles?
The book follows what happens when Mack MacWray, a decent,
amiable guy who works as a sewer for a sportswear company is
conned into leaving and starting his own clothing company by
Lars Larson. Larson will be the "people" man and Mack
the
"rag" man. Everything seems to be going just great until the
day that Larson, the beautiful secretary, and all the money
disappear. Mack is left holding the bag and sees his dreams,
his life go up in smoke. His wife, a part-time travel agent,
convinces him to take a short trip to Mexico, to give them a
breather before coming back to deal with the mess--the broken
loan, the unfilled orders, the layoff of his workers.
While in Mexico, Mack just happens to stumble upon Lars. It
turns out Larson is a con man who has done this same thing
before to a number of other poor schlubs. The secretary,
Rita, is actually his wife and they have a condo in Mexico
where they live in between jobs. Mack confronts Lars on a
clifftop and an accident happens, leaving him with the choice
whether to save Lars or ignore his pleas for help.
When the MacWrays return to the States, Mack is strangely
energized. All of a sudden, he has what it takes to be
completely and utterly ruthless in his business dealings and,
before long, not only has he climbed out of the hole that
Larson left him in, but he's making plans to expand, leasing
a Mercedes, and looking to buy a big new house. His wife's
best friend is on the prowl for him and before too long, Rita
shows up, looking for the contents of her and Lars' safe
deposit box, which a man resembling MacWray cleaned
out.
This was a very noirish book, though for a while, the hapless
loser MacWray is able to turn the tables and ride roughshod
over everyone of his tormentors. When he starts to lose some
of his hard edge, the blackmailing Rita, the adulterous
affair, the loans on top of loans, all start coming back to
haunt him. When his wife begins to miss the old Mack, the
sensitive, communicative guy she married, and starts to
suspect maybe he's having an affair with Rita, the stage is
set for a rather downbeat conclusion. I'm not sure I really
liked the book, though it is certainly well-written. Should I
give Hautman another try?
Craig Larson Trinidad, CO
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