Drive
A Novel
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A PERFECT PIECE OF NOIR FICTION" NEW YORK TIMES * NAMED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"Drive is full of sly humor, poetic details and plenty of rude violence...The novel is a terrific ride." Los Angeles Times
I drive. That's what I do. All I do.
Originally written in 2005, Drive by James Sallis is the inspiration for the iconic 2011 film starring Ryan Gosling in the role of the man known only as 'Driver', a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night.
The gritty back streets of Los Angeles are the backdrop for what the New York Times calls "a perfect piece of noir fiction" in which the Driver is double-crossed in a burglary gone horribly wrong.
This beautiful new edition introduces a noir classic to a new generation of readers, featuring added materials, including a reading group guide and author Q&A.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
I drive. That's what I do. All I do." So declares the enigmatic Driver in this masterfully convoluted neo-noir, which ranges from the dive bars and flyblown motels of Los Angeles to seedy strip malls dotting the Arizona desert. A stunt driver for movies, Driver finds more excitement as a wheelman during robberies, but when a heist goes sour, a contract is put on his head and his survival skills burn up the pavement. Author of the popular six-novel series set in New Orleans featuring detective Lew Griffin (The Long-Legged Fly, etc.) and such stand-alone crime novels as Cypress Grove, Sallis won't disappoint fans who enjoy his usual quirky literary stylings. Reading a crime paperback, Driver covers "a few more lines till he fetched up on the word desuetude. What the hell kind of word was that?" Lines such as "Time went by, which is what time does, what it is" provide the perfect existential touch. In this short novel, expanded from his story in Dennis McMillan's monumental anthology Measures of Poison, Sallis gives us his most tightly written mystery to date, worthy of comparison to the compact, exciting oeuvre of French noir giant Jean-Patrick Manchette.
Customer Reviews
Excellent, if brief, neo-noir
This is a brilliant book that really mastered the art of switching time periods (once you get used to it). Characters have logical motivations and are well developed. The story hooks you in pretty early but knows when to slow down and speed up again. It’s engaging throughout and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. The action/violent sequences are written beautifully, giving clear and vivid imagery without getting creepy with it. Would recommend.
TLDR:
It’s short, sweet, and without filler. My new personal favorite book.