Reviews

The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block

matt2thefuture's review

3.0

First, let me say, three books into this series, I don't find Bernie Rhodenbarr nearly as funny as the majority of reviews and blurbs. Clever, yes, but the humor can be a little cutesy.

That said, these Burglar books are definitely enjoyable and Block is still Block.

The Burglar Who Like to Quote Kipling was a serviceable mystery. That's the best word for it and I kept coming back to that. I enjoyed the time I spent with it, it did its job, it introduced some interesting characters, but it fell short of being a story that will become layered in my mind with paragraphs of topics ready for discussion.

I'm also getting a little tired of the Bernie-wrongfully-accused-of-murder plot device, but I suppose that's what ups the stakes. Despite that, as I said, I love the way Block moves the story, writes his dialogue, and lets me have some fun.

Bottom line, this story is simply serviceable, but Block is fantastic. Recommend for anyone who likes LB.

woody1881's review

4.0

In this, the third book, Bernie Rhodenbarr does not disappoint. Once I started reading, I could not wait to get back to the story. I didn't see the ending coming, though in truth, I am not sure I was provided enough in the story to even guess. There were a couple things that had me worried, like when Bernie didn't follow up on a jealous girlfriend, who could have easily destroyed everything without even knowing it. Still, I guess it added to the suspense!

mikewa14's review

3.0

Picked this up for a few pounds and actually quite like it - full review here
http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-burglar-who-liked-to-quote-kipling.html

vorpalblad's review

4.0

Terrific read. I pick up every one of these I can find.

ogreart's review against another edition

4.0

The character of Bernie Rhodenbarr is slightly deepened here. He get's a sidekick. I guess as a way of avoiding Bernie getting romantically involved with her, she is a lesbian. I have no trouble with that, for the time it was written it was pretty progressive, I suppose. It's just how hard the author hit the readers over the head with the fact seemed a little forced to me. The mystery was clever. The continual addition of new characters kept adding some spice to the plot. Overall I had another good time. Now on to the next one in the series.

twincam59's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Fun read, enough plot twists to keep you guessing

seatonob's review against another edition

5.0

A fun yarn

A really fun read. Some new characters and a new locale for Bernie. But the same quick pacing and wit that we read Block for.

elfington's review

4.0

Certainly the four stars are aided by nostalgia from my first read of this series when I was in high school. But the combination of the bookstore owning burglar, the cozy noir vibe, and Carolyn the gay sidekick make this one so much fun to revisit.

disastrouspenguin's review

4.0

My favorite of the three books of the series thus far.

I'm enjoying how the author got a bit meta in the second(?) book (can't quite remember, it's all mushed together in my head now,) and teases one of the character's favorite authors about following the same basic outline for every novel. And then Block goes ahead and does the same thing himself. But he still manages to keep it fresh enough and interesting enough that you want to keep reading and find out exactly what is going on. Or at least, I did.

cartendole's review

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0