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blairconrad's review
3.0
In essence, a fairly simplistic heist story (with a few bumps along the way and a small twist). The characters aren't particularly well-developed, but each has an interesting quirk that served to help me distinguish them. I appreciate that.
The text of the book is clearly dated, with the dialogue showing this like nothing else, but it has character. Westlake delivers a wacky story that elicited a chuckle from me more than once. Not stellar, but it shows promise, and I wouldn't pass up later books in the series if I ran across them.
The text of the book is clearly dated, with the dialogue showing this like nothing else, but it has character. Westlake delivers a wacky story that elicited a chuckle from me more than once. Not stellar, but it shows promise, and I wouldn't pass up later books in the series if I ran across them.
remlezar's review
4.0
Drug maybe a little in the middle, but overall this was a great little book. Westlake (aka Richard Stark) never fails to fill that void of wanting to read something easy and fun, but still genre savvy and clever. Dortmunder is a much different character than Parker, the star of the novels I usually read by Westlake. Dortmunder has Parker's smarts, but Gil Gunderson's (from The Simpsons) luck, and much more humanity than Parker. It was cool to see Westlake write a different kind of character. All of the secondary characters in The Hot Rock are great, too.
Westlake is always easy to recommend for anyone who likes a good caper novel.
Westlake is always easy to recommend for anyone who likes a good caper novel.
blueberry's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
bryce_is_a_librarian's review
5.0
Like watching a man fall down six flights of stairs, funny, tragic and vaguely hypnotic.
cranc's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kurtwombat's review
5.0
My first Westbrook and the first book in his Dortmunder Series is an imaginative and fun read. The idea came first of an emerald that won’t stay stolen, then Dortmunder was created to live it out. Love heist scenarios pulled off by smart people and the structure of this allows for several well-crafted heists. The central question of why would they keep trying after repeated bouts of bad luck was handled with deft character work and humor. If this were ignored or glossed over with a “because it’s there” trope, I would have become irritated and either quit reading or finished the book with a chip on my shoulder and a grudge. Truly funny, the humor does not detract from the action. Actually adds to the momentum of the goings on which builds heist upon heist until a nice twisty conclusion. The gimmick of having to steal the same emerald again and again never feels like a gimmick. Each time their situation falls apart, it’s funny and a surprise. Liked this enough to leap right into another Westlake GOD SAVE THE MARK—a stand alone non-series entry that had it’s own gimmick I felt was a little forced. Still good but it made me appreciate THE HOT ROCK even more.
mg_libros's review against another edition
5.0
67/2022 He devorado este libro.
La historia del robo de un diamante que no termina de producirse, la banda lo hace todo bien, siguen el plan a la perfección pero siempre pasa algo y acaban una y otra vez sin el diamante del título.
Es divertidísimo. Según leía pensaba "qué gran película sería" y mira, resulta que la película existe, es del 72 y el protagonista es Robert Redford. No está en ninguna plataforma, porque la vida nunca es así de fácil.
Es el primero de una saga, así que voy a seguir.
La historia del robo de un diamante que no termina de producirse, la banda lo hace todo bien, siguen el plan a la perfección pero siempre pasa algo y acaban una y otra vez sin el diamante del título.
Es divertidísimo. Según leía pensaba "qué gran película sería" y mira, resulta que la película existe, es del 72 y el protagonista es Robert Redford. No está en ninguna plataforma, porque la vida nunca es así de fácil.
Es el primero de una saga, así que voy a seguir.
heathersbike's review
4.0
This was fun. I read it on the recommendation of Dean Koontz who sai it was funny. I think I was expecting Janet Ivanovich laugh-out-loud style funny and it is more guffaw funny. But I enjoyed it.
nick_jenkins's review
3.0
I can definitely see why some people like the Dortmunder books but even if Westlake managed to improve on this novel’s pacing (which was pretty soggy, or saggy, or sloggy, or slack), I’m not sure I’ll ever love the mashup of Borscht Belt and gunbelt. Mel Brooks could do it, but not just anyone.
peapod_boston's review
2.0
First of the famous Dortmunder novels, Westlake lays out a comedy of capers in which Dortmunder and his crew of thieves steal the same gem multiple times. The clever concept and intricate plotting are undercut by a style so dry as to be distracting. While the dialogue snaps and there are a number of gem-like moments, I found myself skimming to get to the next caper. I suspect it would make a delightful movie (and I understand there is one with Robert Redford), but I found it a difficult book to read.