(no subject)
You know you love a book when you realize you have to babysit tomorrow because your sister has an important court date. Yet, you still keep reading. And you know you have to get up quite early for the early rising spud but you still keep reading. Until natural light filters through the window and the book is finished. Then after ruminating on the awesome, you burrow your head down and think: "Two hours sleep? Well worth it!"
But seriously folks. Gone Baby Gone by Dennie Lehane.
I've heard the film praised but I have yet to see the book praised on my Flist. But DAMN and Holy Hell. That ending? It was so perfect. It pulled no punches and there was nothing saccharine sweet or hokey about it. This is true ambiguity with no right or wrong choice, just a bunch of choices that all of have bad consequences. And which one can you live with in the end?
Dennis Lehane, I'm a new fan. I've already passed the book on to spread the love. I think I will look for "Mystic River" and some of your other books. It's very hard to get me to enjoy crime fiction but you succeeded because first and foremost I believe you write characters and they drive the novel, rather than the plot. Their actions are intrinsic to who they are, rather than something they must do to keep the plot moving.
I found the characters in this book interesting for the vulnerability exposed by their ferocity. Does that make sense? Kenzie and Angela are great PI characters and I think they'd seriously kick Veronica Mars's ass. Their bad ass friends would eat her's for breakfast too, no offence Weevil and Logan, you know I love you.
But even Broussard and Poole and Beatrice and Lionel and Helene. All of them fucked up in a variety of ways that ebb and flow and crash together. I think the final confrontation wasn't the spectacular, adrenaline pumping chased you'd expect but then...I felt the point of it and the climax had been far before that. This book felt more about that sick sink into resignation, when we see the world isn't black and white and even if the happy ending seems within reach, it's probably not a happy ending at all.
I thoroughly recommend it and I'm more excited about trying the film when it comes out on DVD now. I'd already heard good things but I think Michelle Monaghan (who I love for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang alone) and Casey Affleck really suit the characters. Plus, at least we know Ben is good at capturing the rough and tumble side of Boston since that's how his career jetisoned in the first place.
But seriously folks. Gone Baby Gone by Dennie Lehane.
I've heard the film praised but I have yet to see the book praised on my Flist. But DAMN and Holy Hell. That ending? It was so perfect. It pulled no punches and there was nothing saccharine sweet or hokey about it. This is true ambiguity with no right or wrong choice, just a bunch of choices that all of have bad consequences. And which one can you live with in the end?
Dennis Lehane, I'm a new fan. I've already passed the book on to spread the love. I think I will look for "Mystic River" and some of your other books. It's very hard to get me to enjoy crime fiction but you succeeded because first and foremost I believe you write characters and they drive the novel, rather than the plot. Their actions are intrinsic to who they are, rather than something they must do to keep the plot moving.
I found the characters in this book interesting for the vulnerability exposed by their ferocity. Does that make sense? Kenzie and Angela are great PI characters and I think they'd seriously kick Veronica Mars's ass. Their bad ass friends would eat her's for breakfast too, no offence Weevil and Logan, you know I love you.
But even Broussard and Poole and Beatrice and Lionel and Helene. All of them fucked up in a variety of ways that ebb and flow and crash together. I think the final confrontation wasn't the spectacular, adrenaline pumping chased you'd expect but then...I felt the point of it and the climax had been far before that. This book felt more about that sick sink into resignation, when we see the world isn't black and white and even if the happy ending seems within reach, it's probably not a happy ending at all.
I thoroughly recommend it and I'm more excited about trying the film when it comes out on DVD now. I'd already heard good things but I think Michelle Monaghan (who I love for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang alone) and Casey Affleck really suit the characters. Plus, at least we know Ben is good at capturing the rough and tumble side of Boston since that's how his career jetisoned in the first place.