Glitz
Elmore Leonard
I enjoy novels rich with intrigue and multiple levels of allusion, classics upon whom praises cannot be sufficiently bestowed. Sometimes, however, I just want to read a good book, one that immerses me in its story and characters and in its world. I have found the mystery genre particularly good for this kind of quasi-escapist reading, and within the genre Elmore Leonard is undoubtedly a master. In Glitz, he introduces us to a wide range of characters who occasionally come dangerously close to the stockroom but who are, at any rate, far from cardboard. The opening is a bit clunky as Leonard tees off with an expository back story, but policeman and protagonist Vincent Mora's recent brush with death is retold in a kind of pensive, stop-motion manner that becomes quite effective. Leonard has a good knack for scene-setting detail and infuses a good deal of irony into his character descriptions, an appreciated subtle touch in a genre that often reverts to the overt. Though he can linger too long on scenes that are not integral to the plot, Leonard's ear for dialogue rescues many wayward passages, which come alive despite seeming somewhat unrelated and which further serve to build rich narrative scenes in both San Juan and Atlantic City, the book's two main locales. Even though the book's focus lies squarely on its characters, with fortunate choices of location that tie in perfectly, these cities come alive through the dialogue of their inhabitants and in the implications raised by the events that drive the novel's plot.
Despite an ear for dialogue and an ability to tweak stock characters enough to make them come alive, Leonard's plotting leaves a bit to be desired as some changes come too quickly and the background to one pivotal early character meeting remains implausible at best at novel's end, entirely unexplained and making no sense though greatly influencing the later plot. Leonard does, however, have a gift for rotating points of view, juggling and presenting several characters' stories with a high rate of success and a low rate of confusion, though it must be said that some of the junctions can be a bit difficult to follow at times from a plot perspective. It isn't that the book is particularly intricately plotted, as the connection is rather simple and in fact fairly amusing, but occasionally it can be difficult to determine just how everything is slowly being pieced together. The connection is, however, quite clever and comes complete with some red herrings, no mean feat in a novel where the main antagonist is clearly known from the outset and is one of the book's most engrossing characters. Though the book's denouement and climax are surprisingly lacking, Glitz offers an enjoyable ride, taking readers through the seedy world behind the fading glitz and glamour of Atlantic City without resorting too much to stereotype and stock plots. Vincent Mora's unofficial investigative methods deliver a punch while reflecting some of the best features of a traditional procedural, and everything comes together nicely, if a bit predictably, at the book's conclusion. Glitz is a fully satisfying, if slightly less than perfect, character-driven mystery that makes for a fine, reasonably quick literary companion.
Grade: A-
Elmore Leonard
I enjoy novels rich with intrigue and multiple levels of allusion, classics upon whom praises cannot be sufficiently bestowed. Sometimes, however, I just want to read a good book, one that immerses me in its story and characters and in its world. I have found the mystery genre particularly good for this kind of quasi-escapist reading, and within the genre Elmore Leonard is undoubtedly a master. In Glitz, he introduces us to a wide range of characters who occasionally come dangerously close to the stockroom but who are, at any rate, far from cardboard. The opening is a bit clunky as Leonard tees off with an expository back story, but policeman and protagonist Vincent Mora's recent brush with death is retold in a kind of pensive, stop-motion manner that becomes quite effective. Leonard has a good knack for scene-setting detail and infuses a good deal of irony into his character descriptions, an appreciated subtle touch in a genre that often reverts to the overt. Though he can linger too long on scenes that are not integral to the plot, Leonard's ear for dialogue rescues many wayward passages, which come alive despite seeming somewhat unrelated and which further serve to build rich narrative scenes in both San Juan and Atlantic City, the book's two main locales. Even though the book's focus lies squarely on its characters, with fortunate choices of location that tie in perfectly, these cities come alive through the dialogue of their inhabitants and in the implications raised by the events that drive the novel's plot.
Despite an ear for dialogue and an ability to tweak stock characters enough to make them come alive, Leonard's plotting leaves a bit to be desired as some changes come too quickly and the background to one pivotal early character meeting remains implausible at best at novel's end, entirely unexplained and making no sense though greatly influencing the later plot. Leonard does, however, have a gift for rotating points of view, juggling and presenting several characters' stories with a high rate of success and a low rate of confusion, though it must be said that some of the junctions can be a bit difficult to follow at times from a plot perspective. It isn't that the book is particularly intricately plotted, as the connection is rather simple and in fact fairly amusing, but occasionally it can be difficult to determine just how everything is slowly being pieced together. The connection is, however, quite clever and comes complete with some red herrings, no mean feat in a novel where the main antagonist is clearly known from the outset and is one of the book's most engrossing characters. Though the book's denouement and climax are surprisingly lacking, Glitz offers an enjoyable ride, taking readers through the seedy world behind the fading glitz and glamour of Atlantic City without resorting too much to stereotype and stock plots. Vincent Mora's unofficial investigative methods deliver a punch while reflecting some of the best features of a traditional procedural, and everything comes together nicely, if a bit predictably, at the book's conclusion. Glitz is a fully satisfying, if slightly less than perfect, character-driven mystery that makes for a fine, reasonably quick literary companion.
Grade: A-
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