It's not often I get to review a book
that appeals broadly enough to consider both my book reading friends
and my bluegrass friends. Raylan,
the third book by Elmore Leonard in which Marshall Raylon Givens
appears, (Raylan
by Elmore Leonard, William Morrow, 263 pages, $14.99 in Trade
Paperback) is such a book. Raylan Givens is the hero of the FX
television series “Justified” which is set in Harlan, Kentucky
and takes place in the eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and
Tennessee area where much of bluegrass music was nurtured and grew
among the mountain people and coal miners who live there as well as
the present novel, one of three. The television program, featuring
bluegrass band “Cumberland River” for much of its background
music is a piece of violent Americana depicting an American that's a
fur piece from Mayberry. Perhaps it serves to reinforce the worst
stereotypes of hillbilly life still found in America. A few years
ago, we drove from Pineville, KY through Harlan and then along the
dark and deep road back to Big Stone Gap, where we were camped. For
the first time the words of Darrell Scott's great song “You'll
Never Leave Harlan Alive,” made sense to me. The song says, “Where
the sun comes up about 10:00 in the morning, and the sun goes down
about three in the day, and you fill your cup with whatever bitter
pill you're drinkin', And you spend your life thinkin' of how to get
away.” That's the world that Elmore Leanord recreates in Raylon
and in Justified, which makes it's season four debut on FX television
on January 8th. .
Leonard is also the chief writer and Executive Producer of Justified.
Elmore Leonard is one of America's best
and most consistent crime writers. He has moved from western fiction
to crime fiction through a career spanning more than forty years.
He's written series books and stand alones all with a gift for
capturing character idiosyncracies with accuracy and concision. Many
of his books have been turned into successful movies. It must be said
that this is Elmore Leonard not at the top of his game. But that's
still pretty good, and this is a diverting, amusing, and interesting
story which follows Raylan through many of the venues to be found in
the current TV series. Leonard is a master of snappy, laconic
dialogue with a pitch perfect ear for the nuances of local language
and eye for cultural hot spots. His plots move fast, and if you don't
pay attention, you might miss something. He's a reader's writer.
The rather convoluted plot involves
Purvis, the local storekeeper in a holler outside Harlan who grows a
little weed, sells a little shine, and owns a mountain of coal, his
two knockabout sons, a plot to steal people's kidneys and sell them
back, a corrupt coal company executive, a few psychopaths, and a
beautiful gambler...plus a few more twists a turns. Raylan follows
his instincts and his gonads while only killing those who deserve it.
There's no use saying anything more about the plot(s) because the fun
is in their complexity and inter-relatedness. Much about the telling
of Raylan felt more like
the treatment for several hour-long screen plays for Justified, but
was still more effective than the typical book adaptation of a TV
show or a movie. Raylan is both of the communities in which he moves
and not in them, having changed sides by joining the law.
Nevertheless, his natural inclination is to side with the miner over
the mine owner as well as the downcast and troubled over the high and
mighty. His situations are fraught with the desparation of those
whose lives have improved little as a result of the encroachments of
law abiding, civilized life dominated by the monied interests.
Elmore Leonard
Raylan
by Elmore Leonard offers a pleasant diversion into a world few of
us have direct personal experience with. Taken there by a master of
creating criminal worlds and characters who are likable, dangerous,
violent, and scary, we can risklessly soak ourselves in that world.
It is impossible to read Raylan
without reference the the FX channel's popular crime series
“Justified,”but in today's world of tie-ins, product placements,
and new media this is neither unusual nor objectionable. Enjoy
getting to know Ralan Givens in this novel and following him on
television. Avoid contrasting the two. Raylan
by Elmore Leonard (William Morrow, 2012, 263 pages, $14.99 in trade
paperback) was provided to me by the publisher through TLC booktours
in exchange for a fair review.
Other Stops on Elmore Leonard's Book Tour
Wednesday, December 26th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Friday, December 28th: Book Addict Katie
Wednesday, January 2nd: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms
Thursday, January 3rd: Helen’s Book Blog
Monday, January 7th: My Life in Not So Many Words
Tuesday, January 8th: Chaotic Compendiums
Thursday, January 10th: Jenny Loves to Read
Wednesday, January 16th: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Monday, January 28th: Luxury Reading
TBD: EmSun
Typo in the title of the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, and welcome to my Editorial Board. You're in good company.- Ted
ReplyDeleteWow, you're right - this book DOES have wide-ranging appeal! And since I haven't even heard of the show Justified, I'm sure I can read this book without being unduly influenced.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour!
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteNice Article I really enjoyed this post Thanks For Sharing.
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