Book Group: Get Shorty Discussion Thread

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McGoohan
McGoohan
May 2017
12:49pm, 31 May 2017
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McGoohan
Hey good lookin'
Whatcha got cookin'?
How's about readin' and then reviewin' Get Shorty?

Do it. Do it now. Do it below.

But be aware, spoilers must surely follow...
GregP
GregP
May 2017
1:35pm, 31 May 2017
93,092 posts
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GregP
Chili: So what're you tellin' me, you're never gonna go to sleep again?

Tommy: No, I said I'm never goin' to bed. There's a difference. See, the article says most people die in their beds. I figure long as I stay outta bed, I'm safe.
Badger
Badger
May 2017
2:12pm, 31 May 2017
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Badger
I'm not gonna write any more than I have to, if that.
McGoohan
McGoohan
May 2017
2:15pm, 31 May 2017
29,320 posts
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McGoohan
Greppers first out of the blocks again. At this rate, must be a favourite for the upcoming Book Group Choosinators Deathmatch.
McGoohan
McGoohan
Jun 2017
11:43am, 7 Jun 2017
29,392 posts
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McGoohan
Right. I'm done.
McGoohan
McGoohan
Jun 2017
11:43am, 7 Jun 2017
29,393 posts
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McGoohan
Had a few mood-swings throughout GS. Mostly positive.

At first, I thought I was going to hate it - the first chapter set me up to expect wise-guys and mafia hits and that sortt of crap. But then Leonard - at least in the earlier chapters - started swapping POV between Chilli and Harry. He did kind oif give up on that after a bit though and we do see most of the story through Chilli's eyes. And then he kept subverting the expectations. The bits with Chilli explaining to Harry how loan-sharks really work was refreshing and fun, even though there wasn't much actually happening at the time. (Why would they break your legs? You can't pay up if you're in hospital.)

So it was sort of hard-boiled and laid-back at the same time which was quite fun.

But it's also a satire on Hollywood. A little bit dated now (Tom Cruise too young for the role. Have you heard of Morgan Freeman? etc) but still fun - the pitching of movies and the bullshit around it being so similar to wise-guy talk.

I did find the title a bit misleading: Martin Weir is barely in it and his (surprising - to Chilli) lack of height is only mentioned twice.

The way everyone was reframing scenes as if picturing a film being made got a little tiresome - it felt like everyone was talking with the narrator's voice. Chilli and Harry do it all the time, but then Karen, Bo and The Bear all do it as well. Bo's demise (er,....SPOILER ALERT) was a step too far I thought, with Chilli, Bear and Bo all acting a part to bring it off. The actual ending was also a bit lame: 'endings are hard'.

However, once I got going it was an easy read and it had a certain unputdownability. I suppose I was a bit disappointed at the end that it was so inconsequential. Not a huge amount matters and much as Chilli is a likeable and interesting character, I never felt he was in any danger.

I've polled it a 7/10
McGoohan
McGoohan
Jun 2017
11:48am, 7 Jun 2017
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McGoohan
One funny moment - I was reading the bit where Chilli speaks to Faye on the phone and she tells him Ray came looking for Leo at her place and hit her.

'Yes,' I thought, 'He broke her nose.'

Then I realised that was Tom Buchanan breaking Myrtle's nose in The Great Gatsby, the previous Book Group book, and my mind was assuming one was a simple continuation of the other. :-)
GregP
GregP
Jun 2017
10:23am, 10 Jun 2017
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GregP
Tom Buchanan must be the least likeable character in recent book group reads.
GregP
GregP
Jun 2017
4:17pm, 10 Jun 2017
93,323 posts
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GregP
"Cat says he's seen better film on teeth"
GregP
GregP
Jun 2017
8:56am, 12 Jun 2017
93,338 posts
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GregP
A solid 9 from me. First read it decades ago when I believed that Elmore Leonard was the greatest novelist of all time but that this was one of his weaker books.

Reading it fresh it was actually better than I'd expected. I still love EL's writing - and reading this straight after a Lee Child makes it all the better.

Chill Palmer vs Jack Reacher would be a fine thing to see.

Wonder who'd be the most fun to go to dinner with?

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Maintained by McGoohan
Hey good lookin'
Whatcha got cookin'?
How's about readin' and then reviewin' Get Shorty?

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