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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Lucky all the rings were little/quick reads, so got to this fairly quickly after all of that. Having read comment about the last line, I was quite tempted to have a look, but I resisted! It was a good book with two characters that were not particularly likable, but there was something about them that made you keep reading. A good ending, that at first made me think 'is that it', but could not stop thinking about it after.
Well-written, with complex and self-destructive and co-dependent characters who I felt sorry for and detested in the same breath. Hits upon a rich vein of post-Nam nihilism that left me sometimes shocked and sometimes cynical. The wandering plot did mean I was left with only one grand takeaway though: everyone in this novel should have jettisoned Cutter at the first chance.
Not me. It was too full of resentment. Every character was sour. The story dragged. What can I say. Not my kind of book.
Whoa, this is one dark crime novel populated by some disturbed people. It focuses on Richard Bone, a once successful marketing exec who is now a drifter, thanks to crippling anxiety and some kind of breakdown. He is sleeping on the floor of a house owned by Alex Cutter, a disable Vietnam vet and his girlfriend Mo, and their infant son. The three of them live in poverty, just managing to feed themselves. One night, Bone runs out of gas on his almost-kaput car and walks the rest of the way home. Along the way, he sees some guy driving an expensive car screech to a halt, dump something in a garbage can, and speed away. At this point, Bone does not realize what he's just seen.
That evening, news of a murder is broadcast, the victim being a young woman whose body was dumped in a garbage can. Of course, Bone knows right away that he saw this, but does report this to the cops until he is forced to (that's another story) Later on, Bone will, quite by accident, see the picture of a wealthy tycoon in the paper, and exclaim, "It's him!" Cutter hears this, and will not let Bone walk it back--always with an eye for profit, Cutter proposes a blackmail scheme.
Bone tries very hard to not be a part of this, but he is too involved in Alex Cutter's life. Cutter is extremely disturbed and knows how to cause trouble anywhere he goes. It's a sign of self destructiveness for anyone to get too close to him. The plot thickens, and Alex draws Bone into the scheme, as well as the sister of the victim. He uses her horribly, because she is also short of self love. Actually, all the women in this book are very troubled, especially Mo.
I will not reveal anything more about the plot. Believe it or not, there are some funny moments. At times, this humor put me in mind of Inherent Vice (Thomas Pynchon). This novel also takes place in the 1970s and has a postwar anti-establishment attitude voiced mostly by Cutter.
This is a great novel, and I recommend it, with a "dark, despairing warning."
That evening, news of a murder is broadcast, the victim being a young woman whose body was dumped in a garbage can. Of course, Bone knows right away that he saw this, but does report this to the cops until he is forced to (that's another story) Later on, Bone will, quite by accident, see the picture of a wealthy tycoon in the paper, and exclaim, "It's him!" Cutter hears this, and will not let Bone walk it back--always with an eye for profit, Cutter proposes a blackmail scheme.
Bone tries very hard to not be a part of this, but he is too involved in Alex Cutter's life. Cutter is extremely disturbed and knows how to cause trouble anywhere he goes. It's a sign of self destructiveness for anyone to get too close to him. The plot thickens, and Alex draws Bone into the scheme, as well as the sister of the victim. He uses her horribly, because she is also short of self love. Actually, all the women in this book are very troubled, especially Mo.
I will not reveal anything more about the plot. Believe it or not, there are some funny moments. At times, this humor put me in mind of Inherent Vice (Thomas Pynchon). This novel also takes place in the 1970s and has a postwar anti-establishment attitude voiced mostly by Cutter.
This is a great novel, and I recommend it, with a "dark, despairing warning."
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grade: A
Boxall "1001 Books to read before you die" #47
2021 read #81
TW: murder, violence
Synopsis: Richard Bone is the only witness to a murder in Santa Barbara. When he and his friend Alex Cutter think they discover who the murderer is, they decide to take matters into their own hands instead of relying on the police.
Thoughts: I loved the scenery here of Santa Barbara. I have lived in Santa Barbara and it was really fun seeing familiar streets and landmarks in a novel! There is a UCSB student which makes it even cooler. However, the novel has no likable characters, which sometimes made it hard to read. Also, some of the novel is a little dated. I was never sure of what was gonna happen next and the ending was so good! I expected this to be a little more of a detective novel and instead it focuses more on the characters Cutter and Bone and their struggles with the postwar world. I'm surprised this book seems to be largely forgotten about.
Does it deserve to be on The List? I am definitely biased here because of the Santa Barbara backdrop, but I am gonna say yes.
Boxall "1001 Books to read before you die" #47
2021 read #81
TW: murder, violence
Synopsis: Richard Bone is the only witness to a murder in Santa Barbara. When he and his friend Alex Cutter think they discover who the murderer is, they decide to take matters into their own hands instead of relying on the police.
Thoughts: I loved the scenery here of Santa Barbara. I have lived in Santa Barbara and it was really fun seeing familiar streets and landmarks in a novel! There is a UCSB student which makes it even cooler. However, the novel has no likable characters, which sometimes made it hard to read. Also, some of the novel is a little dated. I was never sure of what was gonna happen next and the ending was so good! I expected this to be a little more of a detective novel and instead it focuses more on the characters Cutter and Bone and their struggles with the postwar world. I'm surprised this book seems to be largely forgotten about.
Does it deserve to be on The List? I am definitely biased here because of the Santa Barbara backdrop, but I am gonna say yes.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This story is very tragic, but not in a boohoo sort of way. Alex Cutter is a Vietnam vet who is badly damaged both physically and psychologically by his war and post-war experiences. Richard Bone is a former corporate exec who reached his "psychological menopause" ten years earlier than most businessmen do. He dropped out of that life and moved to Santa Barbara and became friends with Cutter. The story takes place around 1975, and shows a lot about the culture of Southern Cal and the nation in general during that time period.
I don't know why this story is touted as a "thriller." I suppose the surface story could be considered a thriller. It deals with Bone's witnessing of a man dumping a body in a garbage barrel. But that's not the real story here. The book mostly explores Cutter's psychological and emotional landscape as he sinks deeper and deeper into despair and madness. His condition causes him to make ill-advised choices which lead to consequences that make his life even worse than it is already.
Everybody in this story drinks way too much booze, so they're all perpetually drunk or hungover or strung out on drugs or all of the above! This contributes a lot to the downward spiral of their respective situations.
I don't know why this story is touted as a "thriller." I suppose the surface story could be considered a thriller. It deals with Bone's witnessing of a man dumping a body in a garbage barrel. But that's not the real story here. The book mostly explores Cutter's psychological and emotional landscape as he sinks deeper and deeper into despair and madness. His condition causes him to make ill-advised choices which lead to consequences that make his life even worse than it is already.
Everybody in this story drinks way too much booze, so they're all perpetually drunk or hungover or strung out on drugs or all of the above! This contributes a lot to the downward spiral of their respective situations.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced