Lush Life: A Novel by Richard Price Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Lush Life: A Novel
Book Review: Compelling at times, but ...
Summary: 4 Stars
a bit too wrapped up in a package for me. Matty was the star, no doubt; his personal situation more so than his job, but everything else wound up exactly where I thought it would.
Still, a tough to put down read.
Remember that word, amici ... READ ...
Book Review: Crime Fiction with a literate touch
Summary: 4 Stars
Book Review: Cynical, Amusing, and Masterful
Summary: 5 Stars
I was quite displeased when I finished LUSH LIFE. Not because the novel was anything less than vastly impressive, but because I accidentally left it on the airplane I was reading it on! So much for my dog-eared pages referring me to particularly sterling examples of Price's memorable and witty dialogue.
A recent NEW YORKER article points out that (like Elmore Leonard), Price's ballyhooed skills in writing dialogue may overshadow his other writerly resources. But while LUSH LIFE does an engrossing and masterful job of revealing the curious archaeology of the Lower East Side, its plot is... a red herring. And not only is the storyline frustrating, the book prominently features the most exasperating fictional character I can remember meeting. (Namely, Billy, the father who messily grieves for his murdered son.)
And that leaves us with a large cast of characters (project kids, aspiring actors, lifers on the police force) talking and talking to each other. And what talk it is! Regarding the unexpected urban patois that he employs, Price revealed to interviewer Terri Gross that he simply makes up much of his slang. That way, he doesn't have to worry about getting dated. And Price is so good at it, his police procedural transcends genre conventions and becomes something uniquely his own.
Also recommended: The Wire - The Complete First Season
Book Review: Dialogue Heaven
Summary: 4 Stars
Book Review: Different town, Different Homicide
Summary: 4 Stars