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A review by candacesiegle_greedyreader
Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
4.0
"Back to Blood" is more like "Bonfire" than any of the books in between. Is is a snappy read; snarky, fast-moving, filled with interesting characters and Wolfe's bright, clear writing. "Blood" comes in at 704 pages which sounds, and is, hefty, but the hustled wrap-up at the end is disappointing. You have committed a considerable amount of time to their story and deserve something better than an overly convenient tie-up.
Now about those characters. They are not a terribly likeable group but they are lively. The main character, Nestor Camacho, is a Cuban cop who, when not worrying about whether or not his pants are tight enough, wants to do right. His girlfriend, the luscious Magdalena, is doing some social climbing and trying to make it be about something besides her cleavage. There's the Russian oligarch, a creepy sexual psychiatrist, a very rich man with a nasty disease, a Haitian professor revolted that he must teach Creole as well as French and more Wolfian types. The entire ethnic mix of Miami is uncomfortable, suspicious, hot, and clannish, and the author pokes his finger into plenty of sweaty corners. At 81, Wolfe roasts all equally and obviously finds Miami spunky and maddening and enjoyed writing this book a great deal.
Take note that I scored a galley of this novel and changes may be made before publication.
Now about those characters. They are not a terribly likeable group but they are lively. The main character, Nestor Camacho, is a Cuban cop who, when not worrying about whether or not his pants are tight enough, wants to do right. His girlfriend, the luscious Magdalena, is doing some social climbing and trying to make it be about something besides her cleavage. There's the Russian oligarch, a creepy sexual psychiatrist, a very rich man with a nasty disease, a Haitian professor revolted that he must teach Creole as well as French and more Wolfian types. The entire ethnic mix of Miami is uncomfortable, suspicious, hot, and clannish, and the author pokes his finger into plenty of sweaty corners. At 81, Wolfe roasts all equally and obviously finds Miami spunky and maddening and enjoyed writing this book a great deal.
Take note that I scored a galley of this novel and changes may be made before publication.