Lush Life: A Novel by Richard Price
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Book Reviews of Lush Life: A Novel
Book Review: Great writing, great dialogue from a master!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book that begins with tight, meaningful dialogue and not much description. I understand why some of the early reviewers found this difficult, but after reading it myself I realized that it takes more concentration than the average work of fiction, and that like Elmore Leonard whose ear for dialogue is pitch perfect Price has used some of the same tricks. I had the opportunity to listen to parts of the audio book read by Bobby Carnavalle, and found immediately that his voice and actor's presence added so much more to the story and it became much easier to follow. It is one of the few times that I have found an audio book that brings a story to life so vividly that I decided, even though I have read the entire book myself I intend to listen to it on audio just to see what I might have missed.
"Lush Life" is destined to become a classic even though some reviewers consider it a genre novel it is the kind of literature that transcends a neat little box. The characters are alive, the settings drawn with minimalist neatness, and with a plot that has more twists and turns than the ordinary mystery or thriller. Price just seems to get better and better with each new book. He is definitely one writer that I wait anxiously for his next book, he is that good.
Book Review: Price's Best ?
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up Lush Life prepared to like it, because I don't know of a better writer today with an eye for detail and an ear for detail. Those two senses make for a powerful combination when it comes to writing, as long as you have the discipline. And, for all of its 400-plus pages, Price shows he is up to the task. The writing never sags. In flashes, he shows that he could create such a creamy style that you might keel over from too many calories. In most of the book, you get the feeling that Price has set his characters in motion and just watches them act based on their essence. The narrative follows no typical arc for mystery fiction or suspense -- even though the centerpiece is a murder and how the city reacts around the violence. It might help to know New York's lower east side, but that's no requirement; I live out west. This is about humanity bouncing off each other, living with each other, setting standards for behavior as individuals and collectively, in small informal groups and in large organized ones. In the end, one line stays with me, and it surfaces in a brilliant spot: "Do you survive because of what is in you? Or because of what isn't..." Put this up there with Freedomland and Clockers, but don't overlook The Wanderers, Samaritan, and Bloodbrothers.Book Review: Virtuosic - lyrical and dazzling
Summary: 5 Stars
The only bad thing about this book is that - as an aspiring writer - it tempted me to give up on my novel. It's that good. The dialogue is truly stunning, overwhelming, exposing multiple intersecting characters caught in lives and circumstances sundered by a single unexpected act. The plot drives a larger narrative that I read as a metaphor for a greater perspective on life, the universe, and everything. This is not a typical mystery/thriller - it's realistic. The characters are human - which is to say, flawed - and interested in acting in ways that justify their feelings. Good guys aren't all good - which doesn't mean they have quirky flaws that really makes them more appealing or sympathetic - and bad guys aren't all bad - which doesn't mean that they secretly long to be good guys. As "Hill Street Blues" and "Homicide" changed the way you think about cop shows, this book will change the way you think about mystery novels. I can not recommend Lush Life more highly, and look forward to tracking down Price's other books.Book Review: Masterful - I hated to leave.
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't understand why reviewers here did not appreciate this book for the masterpiece it is. It never lets up. I hated to "leave" the scene - was actually sorrowful when the (audio, read by the great Bobby Carnevale) was finished. Perhaps it is better listened to - I don't know. But I was thrilled by it. And there are moments that made me laugh so hard, I had to run and write down the dialogue, as in: "He's so zonked, he's gonna need a past life regression therapist to remember his name," and (divorced father to his ex): "What does he like to eat?" Ex: "Eat? He's a kid, not a tropical fish!" Anyway, the one-liners come fast and furious, and it all adds up. I enjoyed "Samaritan," by the way, but this book, which is similar (themes: the road to Hell is paved with good intentions; some basically good but weak poor guy getting screwed over by the system) - is better. The dialogue is priceless. I did think of "The Wire," that gritty series written, in part, by Price. If you love New York, you gotta love this book.Book Review: Full of life and lush indeed
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great book! Confusing start (at least for me) it just leaps into the tale, with what seems to be hundreds of characters each given their 15 minutes in the sun of the author's attention. But gradually things start to make sense and we follow detective Matty Clark through a case, neither extraordinary nor enigmatic, just what happens to all when a senseless tragedy happens to one...
I particularily liked the character of Eric, and was on the edge of my seat for him. I had hopes for Matty too, but I don't know if he will live up to them. I just hope things go well for him and the Other One - see, just because I closed the book doesn't mean I think for a moment the characters lives have stopped. That's how good it is, you think they are real, and will continue with their reality even after you've stopped observing them.