Re: RARA-AVIS: Slayground

From: tomarmstrongmusic (tom@tomarmstrongmusic.com)
Date: 30 Aug 2010

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    Well, the claustrophobia of it, being stuck in a seeming no-win situation against overwhelming odds. Parker in survival mode, being pushed to the limits of his ingenuity, patience, and physical abilities. I mean the physical ordeal alone was grueling - the cold, the wet, the hunger, the strains of action and inaction. It was brutal.

    The immediate predecessor to this one, "Deadly Edge" is Parker vs. a couple of Manson-esque hippies. Gee, who's gonna win that match-up? It's always a foregone conclusion that Parker is going to somehow get out of his predicaments. But this time, I really couldn't see how he was going to make it, and that ratcheted up the tension for me.

    The 'one man against many' thing is a common trope in all sorts of action fiction & movies. This book made it come alive for me and made me believe that if anyone could do it, it's Parker.

    "Slayground" does have an element of more obvious or self-conscious cleverness to it. The Parker variant of the ol' locked-room mystery. But Westlake really sold it to me. He kept it down & dirty and human. Parker just scrapes by on smarts and brass balls. This is one of my faves of the series.

    Tom Armstrong

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "J.C. Hocking" <jchocking@...> wrote:
    >
    > Actually one of my least favorite Parkers.
    > I mean, it's good, really good, because it's Westlake and Parker, but to my mind
    > it couldn't match the better efforts in the series.
    > What made it work so well for you?
    >
    > John
    >
    >
    >
    > ________________________________
    > From: tomarmstrongmusic <tom@...>
    > To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
    > Sent: Mon, August 30, 2010 2:00:56 PM
    > Subject: RARA-AVIS: Slayground
    >
    >  
    > Got the latest batch of Parker reprints, tore through "Deadly Edge" and then got
    > to "Slayground". Wow. I don't even...I mean this book...it's...
    >
    > It's the ultimate expression of something. I don't know what exactly, but it's
    > the most...it's the epitome of...
    >
    > I'm just speechless, with my tongue hanging out. I found that book to be
    > incredible. What were other readers reactions to this thing?
    >
    > Tom Armstrong
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    >



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