I really have mixed emotions about Elmore Leonard's work. I like his Westerns a lot, and I enjoy his crime novels, too, but they frustrate me because the plots meander around so much. I guess I'm just too much of a plot guy. But several years ago I read and liked his novel THE HOT KID, about U.S. Marshal Carl Webster, which was set during the Thirties in Oklahoma
There are two short stories, "Showdown at Checotah" and "Louly and Pretty Boy", which fill in more of the background concerning Carl Webster, and then the title novella, "Comfort to the Enemy", which is more of a novel as far as I'm concerned. (I don't agree with people who claim that anything less than 70,000 words is a novella, but that doesn't really have anything to do with the subject at hand.) Whatever you call it, "Comfort to the Enemy" is a really fine story, one of my favorites by Leonard. Set during World War II, it finds Carl Webster investigating the murder of a prisoner in a POW camp full of Germans. The plot is actually pretty straightforward, although Leonard does manage to work in some gangsters and Nazi saboteurs. The whole thing generates a considerable amount of suspense by the end.
There's another Carl Webster novel, UP IN HONEY'S ROOM, that I haven't read yet. I have a hunch that I'll be reading it soon, as much as I enjoyed COMFORT TO THE ENEMY.
9 comments:
The only Leonard I've read thus far is FORTY LASHES LESS ONE, which I really liked. I have VALDEZ IS COMING and his collected short stories in my TBR pile, too.
What are your favorite Westerns by Leonard?
I haven't read all the Westerns yet, but of the ones I have, I think I liked LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER the most. Also the massive collection of Leonard's Western short stories is well worth reading. "The Tall T" (made into the movie of the same name) is a little masterpiece of economical storytelling.
Some of his short stories are riveting, especially on audio with a good reader.
PAGAN BABIES is the only Elmore Leonard book I've read and just this evening I happened to pick up 52 PICK UP which was made into a film in 1986 starring Roy Scheider. I can't judge Leonard based on the one book I've read so I'll hold my horses for now. I'm looking forward to reading his Westerns.
Thanks for the recommendations, James. Have seen both TALL T and SABER RIVER, but haven't read them. They made great films. My favorite Leonard story is still 3:10 TO YUMA.
Thanks for mentioning this one because somehow I missed it. I've read about 30 of Leonard's books, starting with UNKNOWN MAN No. 89 in 1981, including all the western shorts.
Jeff M.
James, I totally know what you mean about his crime novels meandering -- but t'wasn't always so. There was a period from the mid-70s to the early 80s when his crime stuff was tightly plotted, lean and mean as vintage Gold Medal. LA BRAVA, SWAG, UNKNOWN MAN 89, STICK, CAT CHASER and my personal favorite, CITY PRIMEVAL, are all exceptional.
Till the late 70s was vintage elmore leonard .. then he started getting old, rambling, recycling his plots etc a lot more. Agree with anonymous.
For some reason or another, I have a soft spot for the novelization (of his own script) of MR MAJESTYK. I do love his Western short stories.
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