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jurassicreader's review
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
slapshottechnology's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting to read an old Spenser book. Even without the technology, it does hold up. Interesting to see the beginning of his relationship with Paul. A little hard to believe that he took the kid and went up to build a house and raise him, but decent read.
grimamethyst's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
glassesgirl79's review against another edition
4.0
Having grown up watching the tv show “Spencer For Hire,” this was an enjoyable read since I picture the tv show characters acting out the scenes in my mind. The plot of the book involves a bitter custody battle between two parents and their fifteen year old son. As the novel begins, the mother Patty hires Spencer to retrieve her son from her ex-husband Mel. When Spencer first meets teen Paul, he is nonchalant and care about nothing. After Spencer returns the teen to his home, the mother is surprised as Spencer’s speed in retrieving her son since she was planning to go out on a date.
As the novel progresses, Spencer as well as the reader realize that Paul is being used as a pawn between his two parents. Later in the novel, Spencer finds himself taking Paul into the woods to teach him life skills to become independent from his parents. I really enjoyed this book and like the witty repartee between Spencer and Hawke as well as between Spencer and his girlfriend Susan.
As the novel progresses, Spencer as well as the reader realize that Paul is being used as a pawn between his two parents. Later in the novel, Spencer finds himself taking Paul into the woods to teach him life skills to become independent from his parents. I really enjoyed this book and like the witty repartee between Spencer and Hawke as well as between Spencer and his girlfriend Susan.
cwsawyer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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
bjerz's review against another edition
4.0
Early Autumn is clearly one of Robert B. Parker's early Spenser novels, inwhich we are introduced to Paul Giacomin, a character who shows up repeatedly in later books. Spenser and his friends have not yet developed into the smooth characters they become later. Susan is particularly bitchy and Hawk is more an acquaintance than a real friend. But you see the beginnings of Spenser's deep commitment to doing the right thing and it feels genuine.
depreydeprey's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite Spenser's. Crime takes a serious back seat as Spenser basically adopts a troubled and disconnected teen named Paul and helps him grow up fast to get overcome his worthless parents. Important in the Spenser chronology as Paul appears in a ton of other Spenser books. I never thought I'd say this about a Robert B. Parker novel but this book genuinely touching.
ckanderson's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining quick read. I would read more in this series.
alesia_charles's review against another edition
4.0
I'm always amazed by how subtle Parker could be via writing that appears to be very simple and transparent. As with poetry, there's a lot going on in the spaces between the words.
But this is an awfully austere story. Hired to protect a mother and son from their ex-husband/father, Spenser decides to save the kid from both of them. The kid literally does nothing with himself but go to school and watch TV: neither of his parents, it seems, have taken the slightest interest in him except as a possession. The way to do this, according to Spenser, is to pressure the kid into developing some strengths of his own, some belief in himself. He also finds out what the kid is interested in doing and makes the parents give it to him.
Simple and hard and bitter. The kid doesn't even know how to be happy, but it is implied that he does learn to walk on his own, emotionally speaking. Maybe happy will come later. There's only so much you can do for a not-quite-sixteeen-year-old.
See what I mean?
But at the same time, Susan Silverman is in this book, and Spenser himself, of course: living (fictional) proof that being tough doesn't require being heartless or unhappy. Hawk's in the book too, being enigmatic in his manfriendship with Spenser as usual.
Yet it's also a more overtly philosophical book than Parker's usual. There's a long conversation between Spenser and the kid, about why the kid's parents are the way they are. Part of Spenser's take is:
There's also people being shot, shot at, beaten up, and threatened. This is a hard-boiled main character, after all, and the kid's father is trying to act like he thinks a gangster is supposed to. Plus Spenser does have his special way of getting into people's faces.
And this is kind of a long review for a book that's only 221 pages long. Read it at your own risk of existential crisis.
But this is an awfully austere story. Hired to protect a mother and son from their ex-husband/father, Spenser decides to save the kid from both of them. The kid literally does nothing with himself but go to school and watch TV: neither of his parents, it seems, have taken the slightest interest in him except as a possession. The way to do this, according to Spenser, is to pressure the kid into developing some strengths of his own, some belief in himself. He also finds out what the kid is interested in doing and makes the parents give it to him.
Simple and hard and bitter. The kid doesn't even know how to be happy, but it is implied that he does learn to walk on his own, emotionally speaking. Maybe happy will come later. There's only so much you can do for a not-quite-sixteeen-year-old.
See what I mean?
But at the same time, Susan Silverman is in this book, and Spenser himself, of course: living (fictional) proof that being tough doesn't require being heartless or unhappy. Hawk's in the book too, being enigmatic in his manfriendship with Spenser as usual.
Yet it's also a more overtly philosophical book than Parker's usual. There's a long conversation between Spenser and the kid, about why the kid's parents are the way they are. Part of Spenser's take is:
"Too much positive is either scared or stupid or both. Reality is uncertain. Lot of people need certainty. They look around for the way it's supposed to be. They get a television-commercial view of the world. ... They spend their lives trying to be what they're supposed to be and being scared they aren't."
There's also people being shot, shot at, beaten up, and threatened. This is a hard-boiled main character, after all, and the kid's father is trying to act like he thinks a gangster is supposed to. Plus Spenser does have his special way of getting into people's faces.
And this is kind of a long review for a book that's only 221 pages long. Read it at your own risk of existential crisis.