e-mail me at billdeg@umich.edu

7/04/2005

Non-Academic Stuff I Read During Summer Vacation #6

What better way to celebrate Fourth of July weekend than enjoying the newest novel from the best living fiction writer in the U.S. of A.? Elmore Leonard provides a logical link between his early work (pretty traditional Westerns) and later work (the crime stories, most of which take place in contemporary Detroit) in the brand-spanking-new book The Hot Kid. Quirky criminals and equally quirky cops pursue their respective, beloved crafts and generally tease each other in the universe of The Hot Kid, but Leonard's setting just happens to be the plains of Oklahoma during the 20s and 30s. This might be my favorite Leonard novel.

Leonard uses two narrative hooks that work particularly well. First, he paints two protagonists with similar trajectories: both sons of Okies who hit it big in the oil boom of the early 20th Century who had life-altering experiences at fifteen years of age--experiences that leave each boy with an affinity for shooting people. Carlos becomes a famous lawman and Jack becomes an infamous criminal. In terms of the plot, they are foils. In terms of character, they both serve as reflections on the violent, masculine culture in which they come of age. The other narrative hook I loved was the pulpy 'true crime' reporter, Tony, who follows the adventures of Jack and Carlos and frequently writes about their exploits. In the midst of a gun battle, Tony will pull out his reporter's notebook and readers see what he's scribbling. I love the image of a writer in the middle of such chaos capturing the scene, and I love seeing action unfold via Tony's scribblings.

But most of all, this is just a great story of gun molls, shoot-outs, gambling and drinking, and prohibition-era criminals. God bless America!

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