Scan barcode
edustoryramos24's review against another edition
4.0
The height of Leonard´s art and the start of his celebrety, courtesy of the film adaptation featuring John Travolta, Get Shorty reveals Leonard succumbing to the postmod siren´s song, telling of a con within a screenplay within another screenplay within the novel itself. It is certainly Leonard´s most complex work, but all the entertaining one liners and film/music namedropping nothitstanding, my favourite Leonard´s novels remain Swag and The Big Bounce.
auronj90's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
michalow's review against another edition
2.0
Started out clever and amusing, but went on pointlessly for far too long.
steadman_slick's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
littlespookysmut's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to read this cause I just watched the movie and I loved it! It's pretty spot on to the movie.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Adapted from the book jacket: A novel that proves the successful crook has all the job skills required to make it in Hollywood. The book follows Chili Palmer, a Miami loan shark with a talent for making a slow pay come across by saying just three words. Chili’s pursuit of a mark who’s behind in his payments takes him first to Las Vegas, and then to Hollywood and horror-film producer Harry Zimm.
My reactions
This was just plain fun. I’d never seen the movie (starring John Travolta as Chili, and Gene Hackman as Harry), so had no real idea what to expect, other than a wild ride. And Leonard definitely delivers on the “wild ride” promise.
There are more subplots that you can shake a stick at, and more than a few obstacles / distractions for Chili to handle. There’s also a slow-burning romantic interest in Harry’s ex, Karen Flores, known for her excellent screaming in some of Harry’s horror spectaculars, and a woman with brains and a cool head in a crisis.
Odd coincidence … I was getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth, when I heard the TV that my husband had on in the bedroom. “Harry Zimm” Well, of course it was the movie … I only caught the last 30 minutes or so of it, but I can see why it was such a hit.
My reactions
This was just plain fun. I’d never seen the movie (starring John Travolta as Chili, and Gene Hackman as Harry), so had no real idea what to expect, other than a wild ride. And Leonard definitely delivers on the “wild ride” promise.
There are more subplots that you can shake a stick at, and more than a few obstacles / distractions for Chili to handle. There’s also a slow-burning romantic interest in Harry’s ex, Karen Flores, known for her excellent screaming in some of Harry’s horror spectaculars, and a woman with brains and a cool head in a crisis.
Odd coincidence … I was getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth, when I heard the TV that my husband had on in the bedroom. “Harry Zimm” Well, of course it was the movie … I only caught the last 30 minutes or so of it, but I can see why it was such a hit.
takumo_n's review against another edition
4.0
Satirizing Hollywood, Elmore Leonard makes a fourth wall breaking story about a loan shark Chili Palmer who has to go get the money of a drycleaner who takes off to Vegas after a plane crash that had his luggage makes his insurance pay his wife three hundred grands. Chili in Vegas then gets asked if he can get the debt of a movie producer Harry Zimm in LA who owns the Casino the drycleaner was in, and then Chili gets the idea to stop being a mobster's errand boy and get into making movies telling the plot of the book as his movie pitch. The plot thickens when parasitic mob guys start sniffing oportunities. Everybody, except for Chili and an actrees Karen Flores, is really stupid and incompetent, especially the Hollywood people, which we now know it's nothing but the truth. The book is incredibly entertaining and has pitch perfect dialogue, every time there are short sentences between quotes you start smiling. I highly recommend the movie, it is a little different making the whole thing even more meta.
Here, wherever you look it's something different. There home'll knock your eyes out, but there's a lot of cheap shit, too. You know what I mean? Like Times Square. I think the movie business is the same way. There aren't any rules - you know, anybody saying this's how you have to do it. What're movies about? They're all different, except the ones that're just like other movies that made money. You know what I'm saying? The movie business, you can do any fuckin thing you want 'cause there's nobody in charge."
Tommy said, "Hey, Chile, you know what I think?
"What?"
"You're fulla shit."
Here, wherever you look it's something different. There home'll knock your eyes out, but there's a lot of cheap shit, too. You know what I mean? Like Times Square. I think the movie business is the same way. There aren't any rules - you know, anybody saying this's how you have to do it. What're movies about? They're all different, except the ones that're just like other movies that made money. You know what I'm saying? The movie business, you can do any fuckin thing you want 'cause there's nobody in charge."
Tommy said, "Hey, Chile, you know what I think?
"What?"
"You're fulla shit."
steg's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
burner_32's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
chitownbookworm's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0