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davidwright's review against another edition
4.0
No suprise that this title is arousing the sort of genre/literary status discussions it has (eg. "good, but its just a crime novel" kind of stuff). For me, this was exactly the right book to turn to after feeling blue about the end of The Wire. As for me, I thought it was VERY good, and not unlike many of its brethren over in the mystery section in that regard. Readers who were impressed by this as a terrific social novel should consider hopping over the genre divide and checking out some of today's best writers on the crime beat. The other names will be familiar to seasoned fans - Pelecanos, Lehane, Elmore Leonard - there's a list on our library blog.
The audio version of this, read by Bobby Canavale, is fan-effing-TAStic. A truly masterful piece of polyglot impersonation across all the racial and social lines. It truly reflects Price's own gifts w/ speech.
The audio version of this, read by Bobby Canavale, is fan-effing-TAStic. A truly masterful piece of polyglot impersonation across all the racial and social lines. It truly reflects Price's own gifts w/ speech.
becks9027's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
annamolpus's review against another edition
4.0
Reminded me in parts of The Wire (the awesome HBO series).
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
After four attempts spread over ten years, I finally powered through this one! I knew I'd be able to do it once I got the sense of Price's cadence. And I wound up getting hooked, as I thought I would. This is definitely written by someone who has written for The Wire in that it takes a thorough look at crime and law enforcement. You won't get any grand pronunciations about the War on Drugs or Mass Incarceration but the power is in the way Price tells the story: these feel like real people going through the same motions that those who have come before them in the LES have done.
stephen_coulon's review against another edition
3.0
A shrewd and gritty police procedural written by Richard Price set in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. When a transplanted actor/restaurant worker is murdered in a botched mugging, the police struggle to grind out the event’s details through the ragbag diversity of a half-gentrified Manhattan neighborhood. The narrative focuses on the frustrating realities of police work in a community of disparate urban tribes that each follow their own cultural norms in regard to criminality and citizenry. As a police procedural attention is paid toward realism in the portrayal of detective work, from bureaucratic top-office politics to tedious street-level canvassing for witnesses, so the story gets bogged down sometimes in its own zeal for credibility. Likewise, the expanded cast of characters leaves little room for depth of development, yet that may be beside the point. Price’s real strength resides in his masterful use of descriptive metaphor and his authentic understanding of slang and colloquialisms. While reading, I kept thinking of the greatest police procedural television show of all time, The Wire (2002-2008), and after finishing the book found out that Price was one of the writers for that show, so reader’s advisory: if you like The Wire you’ll like Richard Price’s fiction.
cjeanne99's review against another edition
3.0
Note to self - when you pick up a book from a favorite author thinking to yourself - "how is it that I have not read this already" - and then - within the first few pages there's a scene with the Virgin Mary in the condensation of a freezer case in a convenience store that you remember reading? Put the book down.
My memory of the first time I read LushLife - which must have been more than ten years ago - is that I really enjoyed the story line with Tristan. This time - I came away thinking there was not enough about Tristan and despising Eric Cash for being so whiny. Grow up Eric.
My memory of the first time I read LushLife - which must have been more than ten years ago - is that I really enjoyed the story line with Tristan. This time - I came away thinking there was not enough about Tristan and despising Eric Cash for being so whiny. Grow up Eric.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
2.0
I was really eagerly looking forward to reading this, what with my obsession with the Wire and Richard Price's involvement in that series. Plus this book is set in NYC, which can go a long way. But lordy, was this story slow. Somewhat pathetic characters. Plus it was a situation in which *the reader* knows whodunit from the start, and you get to watch the criminal cross paths with the cops who should catch him over and over and over again. But even that wasn't very exciting. Eh.
elisacp's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fast-paced crime novel set in NYC's Lower East Side. It's more of a procedural than a mystery novel, since the reader is clued in pretty early on to just about everyone's perspective on a robbery-gone-wrong shooting late one night.
I would liken this to Without a Trace, as opposed to the more CSI-oriented TV shows...more about getting into the heads of all the various involved persons, than getting into the physical evidence.
Price excels at establishing mise en scene, more than in getting you deeply into the characters' heads. But I will say that his portrait of a couple of the characters, notably the father of the victim, digs a little deeper and leaves a mark.
Despite its length I read this book all in one day...staying up until I finished it last night. So, I would definitely credit it as a page-turner, particularly if you enjoy crime procedurals that aren't so blood and sinew-related!
I would liken this to Without a Trace, as opposed to the more CSI-oriented TV shows...more about getting into the heads of all the various involved persons, than getting into the physical evidence.
Price excels at establishing mise en scene, more than in getting you deeply into the characters' heads. But I will say that his portrait of a couple of the characters, notably the father of the victim, digs a little deeper and leaves a mark.
Despite its length I read this book all in one day...staying up until I finished it last night. So, I would definitely credit it as a page-turner, particularly if you enjoy crime procedurals that aren't so blood and sinew-related!