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booksuperpower's review
4.0
The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons by Lawrence Block is a Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery published in December 2013.
This was my kindle library book for the month of January. I couldn't believe it when I saw this one was available in the kindle lending library. This is the 11th novel in this offbeat mystery series featuring Bernie Rhonenbarr and his partner in crime Carolyn.
BOSWELL: I added that this person maintained that there was no distinction between virtue and vice.
JOHNSON: Why, Sir, if the fellow does not think as he speaks, he is lying; and I see not what honour he can propose to himself from having the character of a liar. But if he does really think that there is no distinction between virture an vice, why, Sir, when he leaves our house let us count our spoons.
While Bernie innocently works in his Greenwich Village book store during the day, he is hired to scout out places to rob looking for specific items, in his spare time. Bernie has a penchant for art and in this book a rare manscript amonng other things is on the agenda.
Naturally, Bernie stumbles across a dead body during his clandestine pursuits. How all these oddities wind up in murder is anyone's guess.
Block's trademark is unconventional characters, a true blue detective, a hired murderer, and burgler round out the infamous Block characters. Having a thief involved in a murder mystery is irony at it's best. Humor, wonderful dialogue, a mystery on the lighter side, and I love all the shout outs to other authors and other book series. It has been a while since the last book in this series was published and I know there was a lot of excitment for fans when this one was released.
This is a quick, easy and fun read written by one of the best. It's always a pleasure to read a Lawerence Block novel. This one is an A
This was my kindle library book for the month of January. I couldn't believe it when I saw this one was available in the kindle lending library. This is the 11th novel in this offbeat mystery series featuring Bernie Rhonenbarr and his partner in crime Carolyn.
BOSWELL: I added that this person maintained that there was no distinction between virtue and vice.
JOHNSON: Why, Sir, if the fellow does not think as he speaks, he is lying; and I see not what honour he can propose to himself from having the character of a liar. But if he does really think that there is no distinction between virture an vice, why, Sir, when he leaves our house let us count our spoons.
While Bernie innocently works in his Greenwich Village book store during the day, he is hired to scout out places to rob looking for specific items, in his spare time. Bernie has a penchant for art and in this book a rare manscript amonng other things is on the agenda.
Naturally, Bernie stumbles across a dead body during his clandestine pursuits. How all these oddities wind up in murder is anyone's guess.
Block's trademark is unconventional characters, a true blue detective, a hired murderer, and burgler round out the infamous Block characters. Having a thief involved in a murder mystery is irony at it's best. Humor, wonderful dialogue, a mystery on the lighter side, and I love all the shout outs to other authors and other book series. It has been a while since the last book in this series was published and I know there was a lot of excitment for fans when this one was released.
This is a quick, easy and fun read written by one of the best. It's always a pleasure to read a Lawerence Block novel. This one is an A
nickertz's review
3.0
He's back. Its fun to have Bernie back even if he's only counting spoons. As always a light-hearted exploration of a number of things. Who does Bernie really care about. Can he solve the puzzle. Answer:he's working on it, and, of course.
ericwelch's review
4.0
“Every passion is interesting to him who suffers from it. And one sometimes feels impelled to inflict it on others.” That could be the motto of this book. I suspect, that in addition to stamps, of which we learn a great deal in the Keller series, Block is enamored of political buttons and hoards of historical trivia. Did you know that Vermont had been a republic that had issued its own coinage? From 1777 to 1791, it was, when it split off from New York, when the colonies revolted and Vermont decide to revolt against New York. Its independence was recognized by New York in 1791 when it then decided to join the United States as the Fourteenth. State, especially after it was not permitted to join Quebec.
I mention this only because there are substantial passages in the book where the man who hires Bernie to steal a couple of things related to buttons, goes on at some length about various things. Now, it so happens, that I enjoy learning about stamps and buttons and other little arcane facts such as William Howard Taft being known as Billy Possum and Eugene Debs running for office while being incarcerated for his opposition to WW I so his buttons had imprinted on them, “For President: Convict No. 9563.” Fascinating. Not to mention the Apostles spoons.
We all love the Bernie Rhodenbarr series of books. Bernie, you may remember, owns a used book store, but steals things on the side. It’s quite interesting. I’ve listened to Block read his books, and there is a certain rhythm and cadence that I feel when I’m reading them, not unpleasant, just uniquely his style.
There’s one passage that I just have to quote. Bernie has been approached by a customer and they begin discussing first editions of Gatsby. They conclude precisely what I feel about the book.
“The Great American novel? No, hardly that. The puzzle of Gatsby is how so many otherwise perceptive people can find so much to admire in it. Do you know why Jay Gatsby is such an enigma? It’s because Fitzgerald himself never had a clue who the fellow was. An arriviste, a parvenu, an upstart if you will, a man who made big money in a hurry and got his hands just a little dirty in the process. Hardly a rarity at the time, and there was a fellow in Boston with a similar story who got his son elected to the White House. Fitzgerald didn’t know what to make of Gatsby, and the literary establishment has responded by enshrining his bafflement. So no, I don’t think much of Gatsby, or your Mr. Fitzgerald.”
The plot revolves around a short story written by Alexander Roda Roda (not to mention puns on Doran Doran and Meyer Meyer not to be confused with Meyer Meyers) and published several years before Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” appeared in Collier’s magazine yet the premise of the story was the same, an individual is born old and then gets gradually younger. But the key is on his name.
Bibliophiles and trivialists will certainly enjoy this book especially. Five stars for a great story with lots of trivia. Two stars for those people who will get bogged down by the detailed information. So 3.5 stars rounded off to 4.
I mention this only because there are substantial passages in the book where the man who hires Bernie to steal a couple of things related to buttons, goes on at some length about various things. Now, it so happens, that I enjoy learning about stamps and buttons and other little arcane facts such as William Howard Taft being known as Billy Possum and Eugene Debs running for office while being incarcerated for his opposition to WW I so his buttons had imprinted on them, “For President: Convict No. 9563.” Fascinating. Not to mention the Apostles spoons.
We all love the Bernie Rhodenbarr series of books. Bernie, you may remember, owns a used book store, but steals things on the side. It’s quite interesting. I’ve listened to Block read his books, and there is a certain rhythm and cadence that I feel when I’m reading them, not unpleasant, just uniquely his style.
There’s one passage that I just have to quote. Bernie has been approached by a customer and they begin discussing first editions of Gatsby. They conclude precisely what I feel about the book.
“The Great American novel? No, hardly that. The puzzle of Gatsby is how so many otherwise perceptive people can find so much to admire in it. Do you know why Jay Gatsby is such an enigma? It’s because Fitzgerald himself never had a clue who the fellow was. An arriviste, a parvenu, an upstart if you will, a man who made big money in a hurry and got his hands just a little dirty in the process. Hardly a rarity at the time, and there was a fellow in Boston with a similar story who got his son elected to the White House. Fitzgerald didn’t know what to make of Gatsby, and the literary establishment has responded by enshrining his bafflement. So no, I don’t think much of Gatsby, or your Mr. Fitzgerald.”
The plot revolves around a short story written by Alexander Roda Roda (not to mention puns on Doran Doran and Meyer Meyer not to be confused with Meyer Meyers) and published several years before Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” appeared in Collier’s magazine yet the premise of the story was the same, an individual is born old and then gets gradually younger. But the key is on his name.
Bibliophiles and trivialists will certainly enjoy this book especially. Five stars for a great story with lots of trivia. Two stars for those people who will get bogged down by the detailed information. So 3.5 stars rounded off to 4.
northstar's review against another edition
4.0
It is impossible for me to be objective when it comes to Bernie Rhodenbarr. I have loved this series for 25 years and was excited to see one more entry. The mystery is fine; if you want an introduction to these characters, I recommend starting the series from the beginning. The way you are supposed to read a series. Beginning to end. Don't @ me. ;)
guiltyfeat's review against another edition
4.0
Lightweight fun. Not sure there's anywhere else for Bernie Rhodenbarr to go and even this one feels like it was strictly for fans, but, as a fan, I lapped it up. There's even some nice meta-commentary as perma-sidekick Carolyn notes that there was less burgling and more sleuthing in this one and suggests that Bernie could pursue this instead of being a criminal. He dismisses the idea neatly with a reference to Dan Marlowe's The Name of the Game is Death. Like I said, strictly for fans.
judya's review against another edition
5.0
Very slowly, step-by-step these gems reach the shelves. There isn't a thing Block does badly: the settings are vivid, the characters are carefully drawn, and the plots finely crafted. Fantastic caper.