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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
This is a perfectly fine sequel to Out of Sight, but Out of Sight is much better so I would recommend that book and some of Leonard's other books (Rum Punch is another favorite) before this one.
Listened to on audio.
Foley and Cundo Rey are friends in prison. They spend time together every day for more than 3 years. Cundo pays for a laywer for Foley and gets his sentence reduced. Foley goes to LA to wait for Sundo. Fresh out of prison, Foley hooks up with Dawn Navarro, the common-law wife Cundo Rey, in a plan to relieve Cundo of his fortune.
The character development is great for Cundo and Foley, but other characters are flat.
The book had a lot of possibilities in the beginning, but it seemed every choioce Leonard made in plot development shut doors instead of opening them. In the end I was very disappointed in the story.
Foley and Cundo Rey are friends in prison. They spend time together every day for more than 3 years. Cundo pays for a laywer for Foley and gets his sentence reduced. Foley goes to LA to wait for Sundo. Fresh out of prison, Foley hooks up with Dawn Navarro, the common-law wife Cundo Rey, in a plan to relieve Cundo of his fortune.
The character development is great for Cundo and Foley, but other characters are flat.
The book had a lot of possibilities in the beginning, but it seemed every choioce Leonard made in plot development shut doors instead of opening them. In the end I was very disappointed in the story.
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not exactly heavy on plot, but the dialogue is unbelievably crisp and vivid, and the characters are hiariously weird yet somehow real.
A "sort of" sequel to "Out of Sight", this book adds more to the story of charming bank robber, Foley. As I mentioned in my review of "Out of Sight," I, as a traditionalist, have trouble adapting to Leonard's distinctive sentence structure, lack of punctuation and so forth. Yet he is a master of dialogue, and even as I read the book, thinking to myself all along that I couldn't stand his style of writing, I couldn't stop reading. His characters are interesting and believable, and I wanted to know what happened to them. Now that I've finished this book, the only other Elmore Leonard I plan to read is his non-fiction rules on writing, but I'll probably avoid his other novels. However, his style is a matter of personal taste, so if you read one and like it - go for it!
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Road Dogs is the 19th novel I've read by Elmore Leonard. That's a record number by one author that I've read. The reason is that Elmore Leonard's stories are just consistently entertaining. You can't tell exactly where the story is headed and the journey there is just so much fun. In this story he revisits the main character of Out of Sight -- haven't read it, but the movie adaptation is a favorite -- Jack Foley, convicted bank robber. The title refers to prison buddies. In this case, Jack's buddy is Cundo Rey, a cocky little Cuban who's sitting on a fortune and helps Jack get an early release from prison. Cundo's girlfriend Dawn, a psychic, has some ideas on how to separate Cundo from his money, but it's not an easy task and Cundo is dangerous. Jack, of course, is one cool customer and not easily fooled. It's a fast-moving, fun tale.
Out of Sight—the film—was my first introduction to Elmore Leonard. It features some of my favorite characters, Jack Foley and the enthralling Karen Sisco and is the only Jennifer Lopez movie I like. I've followed Karen Sisco through books and tv shows (Carla Gugino was great) and so, I picked up Road Dogs with the hope of getting just a little taste of my favorite U.S. Marshall only to find that while she's mentioned, she never materializes. A phantom at the back of Jack's mind and ensconced around his heart.
This isn't a problem. Jack, Cundo, and Dawn (all making at least their second appearance in a Leonard yarn) are just as interesting and the complex cross and double-crossing of the novel are well worth the effort. Jack, the gentleman bank robber, is always a few steps ahead. Lou, the the vigilant and vengeful FBI agent, always knows exactly what's going on but is powerless to stop it and Dawn...oh, Dawn. Just to mention her name is to be both aroused and in fear for your life.
You would think that after over 30 years of doing this that Leonard books would feel formulaic but they don't. His prose, as usual, crackles. His characters always speak with a rhythm and style that is just so naturally cool and, after reading several of his novels, I always feel like I'm returning to spend a little time with old friends.
Friends that might put a bullet through my forehead just as easily as they serve me a cocktail but, in the end, that always seems well worth the risk.
Highly Recommended.
This isn't a problem. Jack, Cundo, and Dawn (all making at least their second appearance in a Leonard yarn) are just as interesting and the complex cross and double-crossing of the novel are well worth the effort. Jack, the gentleman bank robber, is always a few steps ahead. Lou, the the vigilant and vengeful FBI agent, always knows exactly what's going on but is powerless to stop it and Dawn...oh, Dawn. Just to mention her name is to be both aroused and in fear for your life.
You would think that after over 30 years of doing this that Leonard books would feel formulaic but they don't. His prose, as usual, crackles. His characters always speak with a rhythm and style that is just so naturally cool and, after reading several of his novels, I always feel like I'm returning to spend a little time with old friends.
Friends that might put a bullet through my forehead just as easily as they serve me a cocktail but, in the end, that always seems well worth the risk.
Highly Recommended.
Can't fault this one. This is the best of his yet. It's all there - the tight plotting, the dialogue, the characters - it all comes together just perfect. Not bad for a writer in his 80s. Well played, sir.
I read loads of Elmore Leonard's books in my teens and twenties but hadn't picked one up for a while. This was a very enjoyable reminder of why he's as respected as he is - great characters, crackling dialogue and prose as lean and readable as anyone could wish for.