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martyfried's review against another edition
5.0
Much of the action in this book takes place in a town with some of the most racist people we'd never meet. Practically the whole town is very racist to the point of beating and killing blacks without any hesitation. Add to this Leonard's outspoken provocations, and you have a sure recipe for disaster.
The most amazing thing about this book is how much humor is mixed in with this serious subject. If not for the humor, though, I think it might have been too painful to read.
Once again, a very well done audiobook. The accents used by the narrators add to the very colorful language used by the characters to make a very entertaining experience. I look forward to reading more.
The most amazing thing about this book is how much humor is mixed in with this serious subject. If not for the humor, though, I think it might have been too painful to read.
Once again, a very well done audiobook. The accents used by the narrators add to the very colorful language used by the characters to make a very entertaining experience. I look forward to reading more.
kmk182's review against another edition
2.0
The weakest of the first three in the series by far. Not a whole lot happening. Lansdale's wit and storytelling are too notch but there this one just goes in circles.
muffmacguff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one was really rough and very violent. Once again I was enchanted to the point of tears by the strength of Hap & Leonard’s friendship. Still also more uses of the n-word than maybe any book I’ve ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality
Minor: Rape
Just constant n-word useverkisto's review
3.0
I've been reading the Hap & Leonard series for over twenty years, which is long enough to be excited about the TV show based on the series. After the first two seasons ended, I went back and re-read the books on which they were based, and I did the same with the third season. While I wasn't reluctant to return to the story, I remembered enough to know it was going to be a dark, depressing journey.
Florida Grange, lawyer to Leonard and one-time-lover of Hap, has gone missing in the town of Grovetown, a town known for being stuck in the Jim Crow days. Hap and Leonard, fresh off of burning down another crack house, get stuck with going to Grovetown to find her. Leonard, being black, makes that a daunting enough task, regardless of how little the residents of the town care to share about Florida. What they face there is grim enough to run them out of town.
The show takes more liberties with the story than it did with the previous seasons. I can't say what those differences are without spoiling the plot, but they're significant enough for me to prefer the book to the show. Suffice to say, if you've only seen the current season of the show, it's worth your time to read the book to get another take on the story. They're not so different as to be unrecognizable, but different characters get different development between the show and the book.
Florida Grange, lawyer to Leonard and one-time-lover of Hap, has gone missing in the town of Grovetown, a town known for being stuck in the Jim Crow days. Hap and Leonard, fresh off of burning down another crack house, get stuck with going to Grovetown to find her. Leonard, being black, makes that a daunting enough task, regardless of how little the residents of the town care to share about Florida. What they face there is grim enough to run them out of town.
The show takes more liberties with the story than it did with the previous seasons. I can't say what those differences are without spoiling the plot, but they're significant enough for me to prefer the book to the show. Suffice to say, if you've only seen the current season of the show, it's worth your time to read the book to get another take on the story. They're not so different as to be unrecognizable, but different characters get different development between the show and the book.
archergal's review against another edition
4.0
I'm 6 chapters in, and there are two words that are going to stick with me:
"Christmas ants". And the line "It's not every day you can actually step into a science fiction episode of the Andy Griffith show by way of Deliverance." LOL. It makes sense in context!
[After listening to the whole book]:
Well, this book is much more like what I think of when I think of Joe Lansdale's writing. Honestly, are there men who really talk like this out of the hearing of women? I wouldn't know. But if you're curious about different terms for fucking, or for the many ways the characters refer to their dicks, this is your book.
It's much more brutal than the previous book too. Most of the action take place in an east Texas town not too far from Hap and Leonard. The boys are asked to go there to see if they can find out what happened to Florida Grange, Hap & Leonard's lawyer from Mucho Mambo. She went down to investigate what really happened when a prison died in custody there. Unfortunately, the town is particularly racist and EXTREMELY hostile to black people, and to white people who are friends with blacks, e.g., Florida, Leonard, and Hap.
Some pretty brutal things happened. I was really worried about Hap & Leonard at one point, which is silly, since there are a bunch more books in the series. I can't think of another book I've read where the N word was used so frequently, and with such venom or casual cruelty, by characters.
It's a good story, but it's an ugly and brutal one. I think the next book I read/listen to will have to be a unicorn chaser.
"Christmas ants". And the line "It's not every day you can actually step into a science fiction episode of the Andy Griffith show by way of Deliverance." LOL. It makes sense in context!
[After listening to the whole book]:
Well, this book is much more like what I think of when I think of Joe Lansdale's writing. Honestly, are there men who really talk like this out of the hearing of women? I wouldn't know. But if you're curious about different terms for fucking, or for the many ways the characters refer to their dicks, this is your book.
It's much more brutal than the previous book too. Most of the action take place in an east Texas town not too far from Hap and Leonard. The boys are asked to go there to see if they can find out what happened to Florida Grange, Hap & Leonard's lawyer from Mucho Mambo. She went down to investigate what really happened when a prison died in custody there. Unfortunately, the town is particularly racist and EXTREMELY hostile to black people, and to white people who are friends with blacks, e.g., Florida, Leonard, and Hap.
Some pretty brutal things happened. I was really worried about Hap & Leonard at one point, which is silly, since there are a bunch more books in the series. I can't think of another book I've read where the N word was used so frequently, and with such venom or casual cruelty, by characters.
It's a good story, but it's an ugly and brutal one. I think the next book I read/listen to will have to be a unicorn chaser.
matthewn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
4.0
The best of Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books.
onetrackmind77's review against another edition
3.0
Hap's ex-girlfriend takes off on a mission to an old Texas town that has refused to acknowledge any civil rights progress and is filled with racists and the Klan. When she goes missing, Hap Leonard are on the case. They don't really do any kind of detective work, but they do stir shit up. The overall story here is a bit thin, and after the 3/4 mark things get a bit repetitive, but none of that critique matters because Hap and Leonard are just so much fun. The characters in this story, along with the wit and dialogue make up for any short comings when it comes to the actual story. Enjoy the ride with these two, because Lansdale is a master when it comes to these characters.
depreydeprey's review against another edition
3.0
This is a dark ride for Hap and Leonard. Between the Clan, people murdered in jail, and more confrontational racists than you can shake Leonard's axe handle at this was at times a very rough read whose content didn't always work alongside the playful banter of the main characters.