Reviews

• Funny, beautifully told, and just a blast, even when the plot gets in the way

  I read Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty around thirty years ago, well-before I really understood Leonard's appeal, and while I remembered basically nothing about the book, I remember teenage me thinking that the book was "fine" but didn't really understand the love for it. But thirty years later, I get it - I get how funny Leonard's dialogue can be, how great his characters are, how well the plot is both simple and absurd, how it finds the humor in Hollywood without disappearing into its own navel, and more than anything, just how fun it all is. In its broadest terms, it's the story of a loan shark who makes his way to Hollywood in pursuit of a debt, only to find himself sucked into the movie business alongside of his quarry, all while dealing with a slew of other issues. As Leonard plots go, Get Shorty is a little more complicated than normal, but not too much; in general, however, Leonard never lets that get in the way of his lowkey dialogue and exchanges, which define his characters so well that any of their actions feel like an inevitable end rather than a shocking turn. The standout here is, of course, Chili Palmer, our enforcer-turned-producer, but there are a slew of great personas here to enjoy; more than that, though, there's Leonard's knowledge of the film business, which gives the book a dry wit that's a blast to enjoy, especially as he weaves the crime world in and out of it all. When I read it thirty years ago, I expect that young me was more focused on the plot than anything, and that plot is fine enough, but what you read Leonard for is the vibe of it all - the banter, the interactions between the character, the comedy that comes from people not realizing their own absurdity. Get Shorty feels a little sprawling at times, with a few characters cast aside abruptly (and often "off-screen"), and the story sometimes gets in the way of following it all, but ultimately, none of it kept me from thoroughly enjoying my time here. It's not my favorite Leonard, but it's still a great and fun read.

• Film -> Buch

  Hab den Film gesehen danach das Buch geholt um mal zu gucken woher die Geschichte kommt.

• A crime masterpiece.

  Let's get one thing straight - no one is cooler than Chili Palmer in fiction. Not everyone get's Elmore Leonard but when I read this book I think, how can you not? It's sharp, funny as heck and just plain cool. Wicked dialogue, nasty bad guys and a great send up of tinsel town. Dutch wrote a classic with this one.

• 2nd only to Chandler...

  Great book. Fast paced, clever plot, brilliant dialogue, cool characters. Somehow the film was even better.

• Classic

  A true Elmore Leonard classic. Worry, sharp dialogue and memorable characters. Reads really fast and fluid.

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