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Jan. 10th, 2009
_The Hunter_, Richard Stark (Donald Westlake)
The first novel about Parker, who is a nasty man who kills (sometimes accidentally, more often not), brutalizes (repeatedly), lies (constantly) and steals (a lot, let's say). He's the protagonist; there is no hero. The prose is terse, the heists relatively simple, the action violent but remarkably bloodless. I strongly suspect that cutting a throat is neither silent nor clean - but you couldn't tell from the descriptions.
The first chapter, ten pages, is an extremely believable outline of how Parker arrives in New York City with nothing beyond the clothes in his back, and leverages himself into $800 in cash, some new clothes, toiletries, and a hotel room. I think that Zelazny had this scene in mind in the opening chapters of _Nine Princes in Amber_, published 8 years later.
The first novel about Parker, who is a nasty man who kills (sometimes accidentally, more often not), brutalizes (repeatedly), lies (constantly) and steals (a lot, let's say). He's the protagonist; there is no hero. The prose is terse, the heists relatively simple, the action violent but remarkably bloodless. I strongly suspect that cutting a throat is neither silent nor clean - but you couldn't tell from the descriptions.
The first chapter, ten pages, is an extremely believable outline of how Parker arrives in New York City with nothing beyond the clothes in his back, and leverages himself into $800 in cash, some new clothes, toiletries, and a hotel room. I think that Zelazny had this scene in mind in the opening chapters of _Nine Princes in Amber_, published 8 years later.
_The Hunter_, Richard Stark (Donald Westlake)
The first novel about Parker, who is a nasty man who kills (sometimes accidentally, more often not), brutalizes (repeatedly), lies (constantly) and steals (a lot, let's say). He's the protagonist; there is no hero. The prose is terse, the heists relatively simple, the action violent but remarkably bloodless. I strongly suspect that cutting a throat is neither silent nor clean - but you couldn't tell from the descriptions.
The first chapter, ten pages, is an extremely believable outline of how Parker arrives in New York City with nothing beyond the clothes in his back, and leverages himself into $800 in cash, some new clothes, toiletries, and a hotel room. I think that Zelazny had this scene in mind in the opening chapters of _Nine Princes in Amber_, published 8 years later.
The first novel about Parker, who is a nasty man who kills (sometimes accidentally, more often not), brutalizes (repeatedly), lies (constantly) and steals (a lot, let's say). He's the protagonist; there is no hero. The prose is terse, the heists relatively simple, the action violent but remarkably bloodless. I strongly suspect that cutting a throat is neither silent nor clean - but you couldn't tell from the descriptions.
The first chapter, ten pages, is an extremely believable outline of how Parker arrives in New York City with nothing beyond the clothes in his back, and leverages himself into $800 in cash, some new clothes, toiletries, and a hotel room. I think that Zelazny had this scene in mind in the opening chapters of _Nine Princes in Amber_, published 8 years later.
_Catch Me If You Can_, Frank Abagnale
The movie was pretty good. The book is better. This is the autobiography of one of the most successful check-forging con men ever to be caught. He escaped custody repeatedly, too.
Most useful information in the book: if you are being sent to prison, Swedish prisons are vastly preferable to French or Italian joints. Vastly.
The movie was pretty good. The book is better. This is the autobiography of one of the most successful check-forging con men ever to be caught. He escaped custody repeatedly, too.
Most useful information in the book: if you are being sent to prison, Swedish prisons are vastly preferable to French or Italian joints. Vastly.
_Catch Me If You Can_, Frank Abagnale
The movie was pretty good. The book is better. This is the autobiography of one of the most successful check-forging con men ever to be caught. He escaped custody repeatedly, too.
Most useful information in the book: if you are being sent to prison, Swedish prisons are vastly preferable to French or Italian joints. Vastly.
The movie was pretty good. The book is better. This is the autobiography of one of the most successful check-forging con men ever to be caught. He escaped custody repeatedly, too.
Most useful information in the book: if you are being sent to prison, Swedish prisons are vastly preferable to French or Italian joints. Vastly.