Book 29: Nobody Move

Nobody Move
Denis Johnson

Just as I am lacking somewhat in the mystery genre, I haven't read much, if any, literature from a distinct noir tradition. However, anyone familiar with the general noir feel will easily recognize that Nobody Move is an outstanding example of the genre. Johnson doesn't hold back and pulls no punches as he moves his seedy characters through a quick and brutal gauntlet of constant violence and plot twists without sacrificing good writing or wry observations. Johnson can be beautiful as he moves through a seedy underground and uses his literary finesse with admirable restraint, throwing in beautifully depicted California landscapes at proper reflective moments without showing off or distracting from the narrative. Johnson's forays into high literary metaphor set the scene for the action and allow him to quickly get back to the nitty-gritty world of gunshots and loan sharks, one he populates with a gang of lovably incompetent losers, each of whom is sufficiently shady and willing to shoot the place up at a moment's notice. Johnson knows what the noir world demands, but his characters aren't quite caricatures; they live and breathe, aided by Johnson's taste for witty, fast, and flippant dialogue that makes the story sizzle. The plot, while predictably tense and ever-changing, is original even if it flirts uncomfortably with the bounds of credibility and, in what is the book's only notable shortcoming, fails to come to a clear resolution. Overall, it is clear that Johnson knows what he is doing and the world he creates is interesting, unpredictable, and will take readers gladly along for the ride. Nobody Move is a short, sweet little taste of noir that should satisfy anyone with a taste for noir and good, dark humor.

Grade: A-