Reviews

• ヒューマンドラマでもある

  主人公のジョーは、幼い時に父親から酸を浴びせられ、半分は醜く半分はハンサムな顔を持つ。彼を施設から救い出した育ての親、政治家のウィルは２７歳になった看守、ジョーの目の前で殺される。父のボディガード役として、日頃から武器や武道に精通していたにもかかわず。ジョーの復讐が始まる。 歯切れの良い短い英文は平易で、まさにページターナーと呼ばれる作者にふさわしい。３８８ページを１０日ですいすい読み上げた。 ジョーはタイトルの通り、内面にストイックな静謐をたたえている。トラウマをかかえた若者が敵と戦い、恋をし、自ら心を癒していく人間愛の物語とも言えるだろう。人間は外面じゃない、皮膚一枚下のところが大切だ、と改めて感じることが出来る。エドガー賞を獲得するだけのことはある。

• 殺された育ての父親の真実とは？

  幼い頃、実の父親に虐待され、顔にやけどの跡をもつ若き刑務官Joeを主人公とする犯罪小説。彼の育ての父親Willは政治家であり、Joeはそのボディーガードを務めていたが、少女誘拐事件に絡んでWillを目の前で殺されたことから、Joeは犯人の捜査に加わる。そしてその過程で、彼は自分の知らなかったWillの真の姿を知っていくことになる。殺人事件、誘拐事件に加え、まるで日本の政界のように高速道路に関する利権や性的なスキャンダルが絡んできて、政治犯罪的な趣もある。複雑な人間関係の中から、真犯人を探し出していく面白さに加え、JoeのWillに対する思い、実父に対する感情、女性に対する思いなど、Joeの心理面もよく描かれており、なかなか奥の深い推理小説と言える。Parkerの小説を読むのは初めてだが、今後他の作品も読んでみようという気にさせてくれる。英語は、比較的容易で読みやすい。

• Everyone has scars, some on the inside, some on the outside

  Parker's new novel has all the qualities of what I tell my writing students qualifies as good literature: (1) a world so real the reader becomes a part of it and forgets that he is reading; (2) a plot so compelling and seamless that the reader is carried on its current; (3) characters complex and real enough that the reader believes he knows them personally and can learn from their triumphs and failures; and (4) a life-changing but undefinable quality that leaves the reader at the end a better person than before he read the book. I have followed Parker's writing since his first novel, Laguna Heat (actually, I was in one of the same writing seminars he was in at the MFA program at UCI in the early-mid 1970s, but neither of us was grown up at the time). I thought then that he had the potential to become one of the best mainstream novelists in America, and Silent Joe continues to confirm my estimation. I waited until the weekend to begin the book because I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down, and I was almost right. When I got within 50 pages of the end, I set the book down, cleaned the house, washed the dishes, checked my e-mail and played 50 games of double free cell so that I wouldn't have to finish the story. Then I picked it up again and finished. What a triumph! What a wonderful story! I can't think of what could be criticized in any major way -- plot, setting, rhythm, vocabulary, characterization, theme, descriptions, dialogue, -- all of it is superb. And I will "steal" some of the best lines like how Joe described his reaction to June, the radio journalist he was "attracted to" -- "My heart started thumping like a washing machine with a bad leg."

• Rivers run deep

  A satisfying soul searching that keeps you dipping in for life affirming which gives a twisted oxblood that runs like a stream turning into a river on its way to open water. It leaves you in a peaceful place.

• great read

  very well written always love finding a good author that i havent read before will of his books for sure

• Second time I've read it; the first time as a mystery, the second as a love story - a quick read because you can't put it down.

  I first read this wonderful book because it was a T Jefferson Parker "mystery" -- and it is that, but what really hooked me -- and it did hook me -- were all the layers to the story. Parker deftly reveals the inner workings of the silent man beneath the acid-scared face. You are in Joe's head, seeing things unfold through his eyes and with his heart. Parker also reveals, the ugly lies, secrets, brutal betrayals and inner demons that mark the lives of those surrounding Joe. Joe Trona wears his scars on the outside, but the cast of characters in this story are packing some pretty hideous scars beneath quite ordinary faces, beautiful faces and their beautiful lifestyles. Other reviewers have gone into detail about the mystery/thriller aspects of Silent Joe, but there's also a pretty powerful love story here as well. A story about the ties that bind: love of family and of belonging and Joe's awakening to what his adopted father called: "TUT" -- "The Unknown Thing. Some women have it, some don't. You might see it first in her eyes. It might be in her voice. It might be in her hands. You'll start to see it, then you'll realize it's all over her. But you'll never know what it is, because it's The Unknown Thing. TUT makes you come back. And back again and again. It's the glue, but you never know what it is." The places, the people are complex, imperfect and believable. The e-book addition does have typos -- and yes they should have been caught prior to release -- but, I'll take Silent Joe anyway I can get him, scars and all.

• Unusual crime story

  For me this was one of those books that you don't want to end, it's an unusual story and very well written. Set in and around LA the main character, Joe, has a badly scarred face after an acid attack as a baby. This gives the whole thing an unusual twist as his emotions and life are revealed. The book would have been good enough without this but it adds to the story of corruption and shady dealing that Joe tries to unravel. If you like Connelly and Crais then you'll love this. This was my first T. Jefferson Parker book and it won't be my last.

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