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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This one is even better than the first. Short, light, hilarious. The combination of dry humor and slapstick over-the-top farcical comedy was making me laugh out loud.
It is amazing to me how little he spends on introducing the new characters but all of them come out bright, fleshed out and distinct with their own motivations and emotions.
Passages about the police, the guards and Murch’s mum were my favorite.
It is amazing to me how little he spends on introducing the new characters but all of them come out bright, fleshed out and distinct with their own motivations and emotions.
Passages about the police, the guards and Murch’s mum were my favorite.
Andy Kelp darkens Dortmunder's doorstep with a proposition: rob the Capitalists' and Immigrants' Trust bank. The bank is under renovation and business is currently being done out of a mobile home. Together with his usual crew of Murch, Murch's Mom, Kelp, and some newcomers, Dortmunder plans to make off with the entire bank, trailer and all. How hard could it be?
I should create a shelf called Why The Hell Isn't This Still in Print? Westlake's early Dortmunder books would be all over it. Bank Shot is a comedic caper, as Dortmunder's usually are. Victor and Herman X, the newcomers, fit in pretty well with Dortmunder's quirky crew. The plot had a lot of twists and complications. While I knew things wouldn't go Dortmunder's way, I had no idea to what extent.
Westlake's writing in this one is pretty damn good. It continues to amaze me how he can write Dortmunder's comic capers and the Parker books under his Richard Stark pseudonym with such different styles. His comedic timing is great. Also, I caught references to the Continental Op, Elmore Leonard, and Parker in the text.
I highly recommend not only Bank Shot but the Dortmunder series as a whole.
I should create a shelf called Why The Hell Isn't This Still in Print? Westlake's early Dortmunder books would be all over it. Bank Shot is a comedic caper, as Dortmunder's usually are. Victor and Herman X, the newcomers, fit in pretty well with Dortmunder's quirky crew. The plot had a lot of twists and complications. While I knew things wouldn't go Dortmunder's way, I had no idea to what extent.
Westlake's writing in this one is pretty damn good. It continues to amaze me how he can write Dortmunder's comic capers and the Parker books under his Richard Stark pseudonym with such different styles. His comedic timing is great. Also, I caught references to the Continental Op, Elmore Leonard, and Parker in the text.
I highly recommend not only Bank Shot but the Dortmunder series as a whole.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dated, but Still Funny
Second Dortmunder caper was no less amusing than the first. If you like screwball comedy and clueless cops, you could do a lot worse than this series.
Second Dortmunder caper was no less amusing than the first. If you like screwball comedy and clueless cops, you could do a lot worse than this series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Very entertaining return of the longsuffering Dortmunder and his wacky gang. Fun to be immersed in the 1970s world of these novels. A new character, Herman X, adds a bit of diversity to the cast. Not quite as good as The Hot Rock, but plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Murch’s mom is a particular highlight.
Pleasant and humorous read. Stretches credibility often, characters are stereotypical caricatures, and the plot has some gaps, but it moves along at a good pace and is a fun read. Sometimes crime pays.
Book #1 was ok so I decided to try book #2 in the series. But the writing is just too dated. Earlier I had said that book #1 was unsophisticated but representative of its time when everything was simpler, whether robbing banks, heists or even heist books.
But after getting through 47% I decided to dnf it. The return value for time spent reading just isn't there. The guileless writing just wasn't enjoyable and I had to force myself to read it. The characters were simple, there were too many of them, each was just a cardboard cutout there to move the story along.
After the repetitive repetition of the novelty of stealing the entire bank faded, there was nothing there. I will not be continuing the series.
But after getting through 47% I decided to dnf it. The return value for time spent reading just isn't there. The guileless writing just wasn't enjoyable and I had to force myself to read it. The characters were simple, there were too many of them, each was just a cardboard cutout there to move the story along.
After the repetitive repetition of the novelty of stealing the entire bank faded, there was nothing there. I will not be continuing the series.
Mildly amusing bank robbery caper that I think I'd have preferred if it had a darker edge.
A Dortmunder caper where the crew steals the bank. A local bank is rebuilding their headquarters and has put a mobile office across the street in an empty lot to service their customers. The wheels and axles have been removed and the temporary building set on blocks. Once a week they get the payroll and have extra guards. The question is how the gang can steal the bank and then leisurely break into the vault. Of course, nothing goes right for the gang, or for the police. Hilarity and irony take the day.