Book Reviews

I find it inconvenient to post 750 word book reviews, so I'll put my mini reviews here.

I do not lurk at the boards, so if you have anything I need to know, PM me.

THE PRICE OF SALT by Patricia Highsmith.

The book is her second published novel. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN was first.

Its 5 star stuff, and I don't like romance or Patricia Highsmith. But even if youre an old curmudgeon asshole like me, this book needs to be on your to do list ASAP.

Why? The salient characters are brilliantly detailed from their actions. You know Carol is alcoholic because liquor is at the top of her TO DO list. You know she's promiscuous because she has lotsa overnite guests, male and female, and how expertly she seduces Therese, the other prominent character.

The book is a bisexual romance totally different from whats out there. I sampled most of the BEST OF lesbian books, and they don't come close to this jewel.

Its about a teen store clerk named Therese, and a 30-something rich wife who collide at a department store close to Christmas. Carol has a husband named Harge, Therese has a steady boyfriend named Richard. The girls collide and its luv at first sight. Therese gets Carol's address from an order, and sends Carol a Christmas card. Carol gets the card and phones Therese. They make a date for drinks at lunch, Carol has several. And it goes from there. By page 180 theyre fucking. Then Harge finds out, hires a private detective, and Carol dumps Therese after theyre caught in the act. Therese changes from an innocent teen in luv to a sophisticated seductress who snares a few prominent women around New York City. Then she collides with Carol at a party, and Carol wants her back, to share a home. Harge divorced Carol. So Therese has to decide if she wants Carol or sex with movie stars and society gals.

Uncommonly well written.

sorry couldn't resist

SPOILERs!!!

JOHNSON!

No wonder you disappeared for a few 'moments...'

Please don't do that again.

Do NOT find such amazing stories! (And this one sounds un-eff'n-believable.)

I cannot believe Highsmith wrote this.

I tried very hard to either write some crap comment on the forum that would attract instant fire or write something interesting and intelligent - and came up with nothing.

People like you are hard to replace.

Okay... Highsmith, eh. Can't believe it.

Desiremakesmeweak said:

JOHNSON!

No wonder you disappeared for a few 'moments...'

Please don't do that again.

Do NOT find such amazing stories! (And this one sounds un-eff'n-believable.)

I cannot believe Highsmith wrote this.

I tried very hard to either write some crap comment on the forum that would attract instant fire or write something interesting and intelligent - and came up with nothing.

People like you are hard to replace.

Okay... Highsmith, eh. Can't believe it.

Click to expand...

I'm most amazed. I don't care for romance. I don't care for lesbian romance. And I don't care for Highsmith. But this book is amazing. Yet when I read lesbian confessions about luv what they report is captured in this book. They feed each others need for intensity and drama and betrayal. Guys stick around too long. Nothing is so brief as a womans luv.

WILD WIVES by Charles Willeford

An oldie by Charlie. It opens with some underage stuff LIT would never approve. Willeford always featured something inappropriate, to get the readers mind right with Jesus.

In a nutshell this book is a Raymond Chandler clone. A PI named Blake is hired by a woman to protect her from her dad's goons. She's 20 something, dad is old. She's a rich wild child. And it all ends badly, like a Chandler tale.

Willeford always added stuff that has nothing to do with the real story. Like the wanton teen. Like the queer who wants Blake to get rid of an obnoxious gay lover (and invites Blake to sleep over). All sideshows.

JAMESBJOHNSON said:

Willeford always added stuff that has nothing to do with the real story. Like the wanton teen. Like the queer who wants Blake to get rid of an obnoxious gay lover (and invites Blake to sleep over). All sideshows.

Click to expand...

I've always quite enjoyed sideshows - incidental stories and incidental characters - a little like Ronnie Corbett telling a joke, in the course of which he manages to fit in three or four other jokes, any of which might well have stood on their own.

Oh, and another thing, James; I am pleased to see that you haven't abandoned us completely. I may not always respond; but I do generally enjoy reading.

Ronnie Corbett is one of the finest gentlemen to have walked the planet.

SamScribble said:

I've always quite enjoyed sideshows - incidental stories and incidental characters - a little like Ronnie Corbett telling a joke, in the course of which he manages to fit in three or four other jokes, any of which might well have stood on their own.

Click to expand...

John O'Hara was good at it, too, I read one this morning.

STONEWALL JACKSON and the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR by G.F.R. Henderson, 1000 pages

5 Stars

Henderson published this massive biography in 1898.

I studied the Civil War for 54 years, and know the subject well. I wrote a paper on Jackson long ago. This is an incredible book. Its not really a biography, its an analysis of the political and military leaders of the war. Lincoln and Jefferson Davis fare poorly. There were 3 military leaders who rate GENIUS: Jackson, Robert E.Lee, and Ulysses Grant.

Henderson defined GENIUS as the person able to consistently dominate the battlefield by intuition, without adequate troops, resources, information, help from political leaders, weather, etc.

Henderson defined victory as getting the outcome you want. On a few occasions Jackson went to battle and lost, but his goal was something more than capturing a bit of real estate, at 2nd Manassas his task was to prevent Generals Pope and McClellan from attacking Richmond. And allowed Lee to leave Richmonds swamps and destroy Pope/McClellan out in the open, 20 miles from Washington. Jackson was the lone lieutenant Lee had, capable of independent operations. Longstreet required supervision because he was too cautious. Jackson was audacious.

During Grants tenure as commander in chief of the Union army Lee killed more soldiers than perished through the first 3 full years of the war. Lee killed about 1000 a day from May 4, 1864 to April 9, 1865 when he surrendered. The carnage was awful. Yet Grant persisted at wearing Lee down with constant attacks that slaughtered many Union boys and a few Rebels. Lee couldn't replace his losses, Grant could.

Henderson's writing brings the war to life and the actors to life.

3 MONTHS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES by Col Arthur James Lyon Fremantle


5 STARS

Colonel Fremantle traveled to Mexico in 1863 to cross the border and observe the American Civil War first-hand. He was British and served with the Coldstream Guards.

It took him a full month to get from Brownsville to San Antonio, Texas, and the trip was an ordeal every bit of the way. The Rebel cavalry were the biggest, most violent men he ever came across. He met plenty of interesting people: Sam Houston, and the couple who owned the immense King Ranch, plus numerous generals exiled to South Texas. His journey took him thru Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. He met everyone who mattered and was invited to go with Robert E.Lee to Gettysburg.

Gettysburg was an accident. Lee intended to capture Harrisburg PA (he did) and stay there till Lincoln gave in. Harrisburg had everything and was essential to commerce etc in the East. But some of his men went to Gettysburg for shoes, and the rest is history.

Fremantle says Lee broke the Federal line at the cemetery and ran outta ammunition. Meade ran outta ammunition, too, and couldn't counter attack Lee. So they sat and glared at each other for a full day, and Lee left to return to Virginia to get more ammo. It was a strategic debacle, not a battlefield ass kicking. Lee took 3500 prisoners with him.

The writing is sublime. Every word is interesting.

DEEP WATER by Patricia Highsmith 1957, 271 pages

The story of Melinda and Vic. Vic is a poetry publisher who uses his wealth to keep the plant open. He cares about people, and is well-liked by everyone but his wife. Melinda is a drunk, manic-depressive, and fucks every young guy who comes to town. She even brings them home. She makes Vic sleep in the garage.

Vic treats Melinda's lovers well. The whole town knows whats up.

Then one of the guys drowns in a pool at a party. Melinda brought Charles along. And goes apeshit when his body is found. She swears Vic killed him but has no evidence. The coroner says accidental drowning. No marks. No injuries. No screams.

Melinda takes more lovers, and they die.

But Melinda suspected Vic of murdering an early lover, then the cops caught the killer.

The ending isn't good for anyone.

I think the writing sux because it takes a full 100 pages for much to happen. Highsmith must make a case for Melinda and Vic. I get it. But 100 pages is a long wait fulla Melinda cursing and complaining, and Vic saying YES DEAR.

4 stars.

Read any Antony Beevor?

His 'Berlin' and 'Stalingrad' are outstanding descriptions of military chaos, 'Berlin' especially.

electricblue66 said:

Read any Antony Beevor?

His 'Berlin' and 'Stalingrad' are outstanding descriptions of military chaos, 'Berlin' especially.

Click to expand...

I'll look him up. Thanks

10 North Frederick by John O'Hara.

Made into a movie starring Gary Cooper.

I own most of O'Hara's books and short stories. He was a popular, best-seller, but never won an award for anything. None of his books have happy endings, and this one starts out with the death of principal character Joe Chapin, followed by 100s of pages of back story.

O'Hara's books are about small town VIPs who fuck each other as they move up the ladder of success. O'Hara wrote the best erotica I know of, and never detailed any of it, but what he wrote releases your imagination and experiences. The first time Joe and his bride have sex, it lasts maybe 2 minutes. The bride is so hot for it she is impatient to the point of hostile, and orgasms almost as soon as Joe's in her. He then falls asleep. O'Hara did a great job of exposing how people had illicit sex back around 1900. Plenty of teen pregnancies and abortions in his books. Allusions to mother-son incest once dad becomes an alcoholic. Sis fucks dad's rich friends, to marry their sons, and keep the affairs going. Dad fucks the maids.

But the books are larded with all the social climbing crap the women thrive on.

Some of O'Hara's writing mechanics are unconventional, like this example:

WILLIAM CALDWELL: "Good morning, Reggie."
REGINALD CALDWELL: "Good morning, father."

No dialog tags.

HIGH PRIEST OF CALIFORNIA by Charles Willeford

5 starz

Its Willeford's first novel.

Russell Haxby, a 33 year old used car salesman, meets 29 year old Alyce Vitale at a dance hall. They hit it off and start dating. But Alyce wont put out, and acts odd some of the time. She has a husband who works a lot but is home some of the time. The husband has dementia from syphilis and is kinda unplugged. Alyce parks him at the movie when she goes out. The husband is 20 years older than Alyce. Her mother died and left her money but Alyce spent it all on the husbands medical condition. Its 1953. Russell fucks all the girls in San Francisco, and all the blacks who come to buy cars from him.

I'm impressed with this book. Its well written and a model for how noire oughta be written.

THE WOUNDED AND THE SLAIN by David Goodis 250 pages

4 STARZ

James Bevan and his wife Cora vacation in Jamaica where James manages to stay stinking drunk most of the time, and Cora flirts with a man she wants to fuck but cant. She wont fuck her husband or anyone, because of, you know, childhood trauma. Back in NYC James fucked a hooker who fell in love with him and let him have it for free till she was run over by a truck.

In Jamaica James stays drunk and wanders thru the worst places, where he's savagely attacked for robbery and killing. At the end Cora goes looking for him, and finds him. He wants to die.

Its about the closest Goodis comes to Happy Ever After.

MURDER AT THE NIGHTWOOD BAR by Katherine Forrest

As of this moment I've read half of the book. If I read the rest of it I cant reveal much more than what I know now without spoiling it for interested readers, and I already have an opinion of the writing and the author.

This is Forrest's 2nd book, and its much improved over AMATEUR CITY. Plenty of reviewers agree with me on this point. This book flows and moves fast. Its well written and I have no gripes about its technical quality.

Some lesbian reviewers and I agree Forrest has strong issues with males in general, she's not a man friendly writer. But I'm a card carrying, dues paid up, misogynist, so we're even. It is annoying tho to constantly read, DID I MENTION MEN ARE ASSHOLES!

Lesbian reviewers complain about Forrests stereotyped lesbian characters. Lessee...Rosie and Ellen are there....the others are sorta vague, like Naoko. Forrest loves stereotypes and cant resist them to explain evil. The dead girls parents are...Christians...which explains the girl's criminal and deviant history before she's murdered.

I'd like to score this book 5 stars but its a little less, say 4. 75. It needs some dealer prep.

POSTSCRIPT: I finished reading the book and know who murdered the girl. I was surprised but it wasn't a marvel or big surprise. Something else surprised me more but I wont ruin it for anyone. The ending sucked. I can reveal it. Kate, the lesbian detective went to a gay pride parade. I don't get it but lesbian reviewers were all teary over it. I don't get the part of how sex is a Quest for faggettes.

THE WOMAN CHASER by Charles Willeford

Plenty of readers love this book, I didn't. I erred reading Willeford's best book, MIAMI BLUES, first, and all the rest are inferior. This book is interesting at times but the interesting stuff are like chocolate chips in cookie batter.

The book isn't really about skirt chasing, its about a used car lot owner who moves home with mom and pop, and wants to make a low budget indy movie. Mom is a 50-something former ballerina, and dad is a former movie director. The movie arcana is interesting, and includes useful writing tips.

Willeford's style features what I call CHOCOLATE CHIPS. These are scenes that are almost deal breakers, always pornographic, and close to illegal. In this book the principal character fucks his sister, and I expected him to boink his mother. The sex with Sis is graphic but hardly sexy as he intentionally makes the experience unenjoyable for her.

BLACK WIFE GOES WHITE IN LAS VEGAS by Polly Andrea Busch.

Its Kindle erotica.

I gave it 4 stars tho it needs editing. Near the end Mark becomes DeMarcus, and Mark's white cock becomes dark meat. I was stunned.

Its a whizz-bang read. WHAM BAM, THANK YOU MA'AM.

But its well written and cohesive. Its actually superior to most LIT wares.

A black wife meets a white man in Las Vegas and fucks his brains out in two pages. The whole deal is offered as 16 pages but isn't. The 16 pages is 3 separate stories. The others are a guy fucking the baby sitter, and a young guy fucking his best friends mom.

PICK UP by Charles Willeford.

This is an early effort by Willeford.

Its 5 star quality but the first 50 pages suck, the rest are a roller coaster ride.

The story: Short order cook Harry Jordan meets Helen at the place he works. She lost her purse and suitcase, is penniless, and drunk. Harry pays for her coffee and takes her home to the room he rents. By page 50 he's cut his wrists and in a mental hospital. Helen checks in, too. The best part of the book occurs here. The MD gets Harry aside and reveals that Helen has some negro blood somewhere along the way. Harry doesn't care. He's in love.

From there to the end its a circus-horror show of excitement and drama as both Harry and Helen succumb to alcoholism and mental illness. Looking at it as a professional, its a masterpiece depiction of what a dual or treble diagnosis looks like for real. Alcoholism, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Whew!

Harry realizes he cant leave Helen alone after he finds her with 3 Marines, drunk as a lord, and penniless. She's a fifth a day girl, and more.

It doesn't end well.

But the first 50 pages are a bitch to get thru because its all drunk blabber and bull shit. The they start cutting themselves with razors.

The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales by Forrest Carter


Forrest Carter was a white supremist, KKK member, speech-writer for George Wallace when he wrote Josey Wales. The movie is and was a huge commercial success. The movie and book are much alike. The book is well-written and a page flipper.

The story: Josey Wales Missouri farm and family are destroyed by Kansas Jayhawkers shortly before the eruption of the Civil War. Wales then joins up with Missouri partisans allied with the South. After the war Wales refuses to apply for a pardon and travels to West Texas, and later Mexico, to start life over. On the way Josey collides with bounty hunters, union regulators, comancheros, and comanches. Its always something. Its remarkably accurate with the historical record. Its a two volume novel. The movie treats volume one. Josey Wales goes to Mexico in Volume 2. His antagonists went to Mexico, too, where they prosper as slave masters they opposed in the war. Their slaves are Mexican peasants.

Whats not widely known is how abusive Union officers and officials were during and after the Civil War. Plenty of black slaves were re-sold into slavery after emancipation, plenty of slaves were destroyed by Union soldiers because their legal status was property.

THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES: Vengeance Trail by Forrest Carter

Its the sequel to the book all know from the Clint Eastwood movie.

Its not as excellent as the GONE TO TEXAS volume 1 but its better than most Western classics.

The story: Mexican troops cross the border and kill two of Josey Wale's friends. Josey gets the news and tracks the Mexican cavalry thru Mexico. killing the whole crew as he encounters them.

Carter started out as a rabid racist and Klan agent. By the time he got around to Josey Wales and his other books he had become a champion of Indians and Mexican peons abused and exploited by the elites. Oprah loved him still she learned of his old days, then banished him from her recommended list tho she says his books were wonderful.

Uts not 5 stars but its 4 stars plus.

THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC by Lawrence Block

Its a collection of 'stories' about popular character Matt Scudder. Block says Scudder wasn't quick to catch-on with readers, and Block didn't wanna abandon Scudder, so he wrote some 'stories' to keep him alive.

Partial credit. Block wrote 2 stories and the rest are scenes he pared from the 17 or so Scudder books in print. Like...in one of them Scudder and his hooker girlfriend roost at a bar drinking and discussing jazz music. Its followed by a collision with an art buyer at a restaurant, Scudder and the buyer discuss art over drinks. Its almost long scenes.

The two stories aren't bad. OUT THE WINDOW is Scudder investigating a suspicious suicide and figuring out what really happened. Its a real story I rate 5 stars. The other story is great till the end. ITs called THE BAG LADY. A bag lady is savagely murdered and Scudder investigates the murder. Get this...at the end the murderer walks up and confesses to the killing. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT ITS LIKE TO KILL SOMEONE. Let me translate that to writerese: I GOT TO THE END AND DIDNT HAVE A FUGGIN CLUE WHERE TO GO WITH IT.