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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
erikpollet's review against another edition
4.0
Parker is a hardened, professional thief on a mission, one of revenge. A determined, skilled, and extremely resourceful man, Parker has his eyes set against his former partner and his wife as they left him for dead and stole his take in their last job. There is no doubt Parker will finish his task as he lets nothing get in his way.
This is the first book in the Parker series that spans 40 years with all of them written by Richard Stark, pen name for Donald E. Westlake. This is a pulp hard crime novel at it’s finest. Written during a time where the men were cunning & strong, & the women were sex things & weak. Parker is a rare breed. A man of many strengths & skills, with little to no weaknesses. Nothing gets in his way & he always finds a way out of every situation. However his biggest enemy his himself. Despite being resourceful his overzealousness gets in the way at times which causes him to make small mistakes. I found the writing style to be surprising in how different the approach was for this kind of story. Halfway through the book it shifts the focus from Parker, to the antagonist & flashbacks in Parker’s wife. This gives an excellent insight on they doubled crossed him. I enjoyed this book, except for its portrayal of women. I plan on pursuing the rest of the series.
This is the first book in the Parker series that spans 40 years with all of them written by Richard Stark, pen name for Donald E. Westlake. This is a pulp hard crime novel at it’s finest. Written during a time where the men were cunning & strong, & the women were sex things & weak. Parker is a rare breed. A man of many strengths & skills, with little to no weaknesses. Nothing gets in his way & he always finds a way out of every situation. However his biggest enemy his himself. Despite being resourceful his overzealousness gets in the way at times which causes him to make small mistakes. I found the writing style to be surprising in how different the approach was for this kind of story. Halfway through the book it shifts the focus from Parker, to the antagonist & flashbacks in Parker’s wife. This gives an excellent insight on they doubled crossed him. I enjoyed this book, except for its portrayal of women. I plan on pursuing the rest of the series.
apumaru's review against another edition
5.0
Simplified summary:
After being double-crossed, Parker will do anything to get revenge.
Opening lines:
When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell.
Review:
This book was beautiful and mean and wasted no words; the protagonist shared 2 of those 3 qualities, I'll let you guess which. The MC is just awful but it's near impossible not to look away and I was surprised at how quickly I started rooting for him. I can't wait to read this series, I feel like I struck gold.
After being double-crossed, Parker will do anything to get revenge.
Opening lines:
When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell.
Review:
This book was beautiful and mean and wasted no words; the protagonist shared 2 of those 3 qualities, I'll let you guess which. The MC is just awful but it's near impossible not to look away and I was surprised at how quickly I started rooting for him. I can't wait to read this series, I feel like I struck gold.
book_bookman's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook
I can see the influence of this on stuff like “Sin City” and other neo-crime stories, but that’s about all I got out of this. Parker is a big brute on the warpath, plowing through mob goons to the point that there’s no real sense of danger. It’s the Superman problem but for career criminals.
I can see the influence of this on stuff like “Sin City” and other neo-crime stories, but that’s about all I got out of this. Parker is a big brute on the warpath, plowing through mob goons to the point that there’s no real sense of danger. It’s the Superman problem but for career criminals.
dnob's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jlummelehto's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
susannes_pagesofcrime's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
kewpiedoll99's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as the movie ("Payback") which I just adored and would give six out of five stars to, but enjoyable. If you liked the movie, this was a fun read.
dobak23's review
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
stelaw's review against another edition
3.0
Merificully short just like the numerous boring, dry descriptive passages. Parker is the alpha male that typifies the worst of capitalism: entitlement & getting whatever you want at any cost. People are disposable if not useful. Woman are whores. Welcome to Parker's world. A very clear predecessor to Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Eastoj-Ellis's American Psycho.