Tuesday, 2021-08-31

Thursday, 2021-08-26

Summer reading, 2021

Mostly Leonard novels

  • Rum Punch
  • Pronto
  • Riding the Rap

I used to be a great fan of Leonard, and seeing Jackie Brown on the telly the other day prompted me to re-read Rum Punch. I also enjoyed the TV show Justified so that prompted me to read the two novels where the protagonist Raylan Givens is introduced.

I’m afraid the bloom has gone off the rose, or rather that the fact that these novels are almost 30 years old is very apparent. Leonard isn’t exactly a reactionary but the lack of representation other than white males, and the fact that men of color are routinely killed off feels very dated.