doctortdm's review against another edition
2.0
In writing this book it didn't site the author followed his own writing principles.
luana420's review against another edition
3.0
Solid enough quick read about a couple of bums who get involved in small-time lawbreaking. Leonard doesn't screw around as usual, sketching everyone quickly and efficiently. The Virginia Murray subplot was a bit of a headscratcher. While she was a breath of fresh air opposite the crooks the reader follows otherwise, it wasn't really a burden to check in with her, but I didn't quite get what she ultimately added to the story.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
1.0
Chalk up another one...now done with Elmore Leonard's The Big Bounce. This is another book that just doesn't fit into my normal reading schedule. I've often seen Leonard's name & books listed as award winners from various years. I'd be surprised if I went back and looked at those lists and found this one had garnered any.
The two positive things I can say about this book are 1. It's done. I don't have to read any more and 2. At least now I can say I've tried Leonard. And just like those raw oysters on crackers that I tried once upon a time just so I could say I had....I can now honestly say: I don't care for Leonard's style and I won't be having any more, thank you. Slimy on the way down. Down and dirty. Mean and gritty. Crazy young people on the edges of some kind of personality disorder--firing guns, breaking and entering, and shooting people for the heck of it. This is a book where you are not rooting for the main characters, and, by golly, I wanted them to get caught. Or possibly worse. The plot just doesn't grab me (actually, was there a plot & I just missed it?) and the violence and language seem a bit gratuitous to me. One star out of five on Visual Bookshelf.
Someone on Visual Bookshelf(now defunct)mentioned that this isn't Leonard's strongest offering. All I can say is if his stronger offerings are anything like this one, then, as mentioned, I won't be having any more, thank you. And I don't believe I'll give any more a try just to find out. As I've said before, there are way too many books that I want to read and way too little time. No need for another detour. Actually, there's one more positive thing I can say: The book gave me another candle on my Birth Year Reading Challenge. So thank you, Elmore Leonard, for that.
The two positive things I can say about this book are 1. It's done. I don't have to read any more and 2. At least now I can say I've tried Leonard. And just like those raw oysters on crackers that I tried once upon a time just so I could say I had....I can now honestly say: I don't care for Leonard's style and I won't be having any more, thank you. Slimy on the way down. Down and dirty. Mean and gritty. Crazy young people on the edges of some kind of personality disorder--firing guns, breaking and entering, and shooting people for the heck of it. This is a book where you are not rooting for the main characters, and, by golly, I wanted them to get caught. Or possibly worse. The plot just doesn't grab me (actually, was there a plot & I just missed it?) and the violence and language seem a bit gratuitous to me. One star out of five on Visual Bookshelf.
Someone on Visual Bookshelf(now defunct)mentioned that this isn't Leonard's strongest offering. All I can say is if his stronger offerings are anything like this one, then, as mentioned, I won't be having any more, thank you. And I don't believe I'll give any more a try just to find out. As I've said before, there are way too many books that I want to read and way too little time. No need for another detour. Actually, there's one more positive thing I can say: The book gave me another candle on my Birth Year Reading Challenge. So thank you, Elmore Leonard, for that.
tommyro's review against another edition
3.0
Elmore Leonard is the all-time master of perfectly creating people you absolutely never ever want to meet in real life. His people are totally real. They (unfortunately) actually do exist. Nobody does it better than Dutch.
jamiereadthis's review
4.0
Thumbs up on this ending. It goes where you least expect it and cuts short of the “big bounce,” but man, still completely satisfying. Great example of Elmore letting his people take the plot where it wants to go instead of the other way around.
antij's review
2.0
I'm usually a big Elmore Leonard fan, but I found this story to be entirely lacking. The characters weren't very interesting. There wasn't really much of a plot or conflict. It seems to come down to the fact that Nancy is just bored and has no moral center. But to root for Jack Ryan is difficult in that he seems to want to be better, but continues to go along with Nancy's increasingly immoral ideas because why not? Fortunately, I know that Leonard gets much better than this.
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