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jjgalietta's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
smalika's review against another edition
honestly so gross. Kennedy’s writing is vulgar (almost clearly to shock the reader) and unnecessarily sexual CONSTANTLY. oh, super racist too.
jimmypat's review against another edition
2.0
An entertaining read, but not without its faults:
* Characters were pretty thin- I never understood why everyone loved Jack. Marcus' slide into depravity just kind of happened, etc.
* It was often hard to read, as the chronology of events wasn't always that clear. More often than not, as another reviewer stated, every time I picked up the book I wasn't sure where I had left off.
* The ending was drawn out and overly worshipful of Jack. I kind of wanted to gag.
I'll probably read the next book in the Albany cycle and hope that Kennedy gets better as he goes along.
* Characters were pretty thin- I never understood why everyone loved Jack. Marcus' slide into depravity just kind of happened, etc.
* It was often hard to read, as the chronology of events wasn't always that clear. More often than not, as another reviewer stated, every time I picked up the book I wasn't sure where I had left off.
* The ending was drawn out and overly worshipful of Jack. I kind of wanted to gag.
I'll probably read the next book in the Albany cycle and hope that Kennedy gets better as he goes along.
ben_miller's review against another edition
3.0
Marked by Kennedy's wit, charm, and smooth prose, but not as engaging as "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game." I felt the book was a little too long and had to drag myself through the end as the author gets verbose about what it all means. Marcus Gorman, the narrator, begins the story as the reader's surrogate, but by the end has been (in my opinion) corrupted and twisted by what he's seen and done, so that by the end he's constantly apologizing for Jack Diamond and condescending to the "self-righteous moralists" who condemn him. I couldn't quite tell if Kennedy wanted us to agree with Marcus's assessment, or to feel the way I did, which is that Marcus has degenerated and his view of things can't be trusted.
But at any rate, I liked the book, and having already read "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" I'll look forward to finishing the trilogy with "Ironweed."
But at any rate, I liked the book, and having already read "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" I'll look forward to finishing the trilogy with "Ironweed."
cmarie1665's review against another edition
2.0
Ironweed was so much better! This one just kind of drifted around aimlessly, in my opinion. It took me way too long to finish it! Not a very coherent review. But it was just OK. I never really felt like I got into any of the characters. The narrator is probably the most interesting character, but he's also the least self-aware and least introspective person I think I've ever encountered, so there wasn't much to chew on with him.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
In my mid-20s, with far less patience than I currently possess, I tried reading EL Doctorow’s acclaimed novel Billy Bathgate. As I should have known, it was too dry, too literary for my taste. I want to revisit it soon as I’m sure my sentiment towards it now would be different. Nevertheless, I don’t understand how anyone can write a Prohibition-era novel, even one with literary aspersions, and not have fun with it.
Legs is the book I wish Billy Bathgate was back in my 20s. It’s literary sure but it’s a lot of fun. It’s clever without being pretentious. It knows why the commoner such as myself might rubberneck to a book that they might not often read.
One reviewer wrote that this is the book everyone claims The Great Gatsby actually is. Now, I’m a big Gatsby fan so I feel that misses the mark a little. Gatsby is a cipher in the work that bears his name and that’s intentional. Still, I understand the point the reviewer is trying to make. This book is all about looking behind the curtain of glamor to see the real Legs Diamond for who he is. The result is fascinating and complex.
Many aspire to write/film a nuanced portrait of a gangster. Kennedy actually does it. Thanks to the helpful presence of Diamond’s lawyer Marcus, whose perspective all of this is filtered through, you get a good look at Diamond from all angles. You’re not supposed to like him or hate him completely. You’re just supposed to see that there’s nothing there behind the facade of gangsterism. He’s an average guy who through a series of circumstances fell into this life and is doing the best he can. He’s gets lucky until he doesn’t. The greater his luck gets, the more sensationalized his story becomes. But Kennedy makes it clear that this is nothing more than the fate of the universe.
Well-paired with Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, another Gatsby-esque tale I read this past summer, Legs will almost certainly wind up on my “best of” list.
Legs is the book I wish Billy Bathgate was back in my 20s. It’s literary sure but it’s a lot of fun. It’s clever without being pretentious. It knows why the commoner such as myself might rubberneck to a book that they might not often read.
One reviewer wrote that this is the book everyone claims The Great Gatsby actually is. Now, I’m a big Gatsby fan so I feel that misses the mark a little. Gatsby is a cipher in the work that bears his name and that’s intentional. Still, I understand the point the reviewer is trying to make. This book is all about looking behind the curtain of glamor to see the real Legs Diamond for who he is. The result is fascinating and complex.
Many aspire to write/film a nuanced portrait of a gangster. Kennedy actually does it. Thanks to the helpful presence of Diamond’s lawyer Marcus, whose perspective all of this is filtered through, you get a good look at Diamond from all angles. You’re not supposed to like him or hate him completely. You’re just supposed to see that there’s nothing there behind the facade of gangsterism. He’s an average guy who through a series of circumstances fell into this life and is doing the best he can. He’s gets lucky until he doesn’t. The greater his luck gets, the more sensationalized his story becomes. But Kennedy makes it clear that this is nothing more than the fate of the universe.
Well-paired with Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, another Gatsby-esque tale I read this past summer, Legs will almost certainly wind up on my “best of” list.
kellyelizabeth27's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like this one as much as Ironweed. It's still pretty well written, but the story never grabbed me. It felt very slow in places.
nikkivrc's review against another edition
3.0
[b:Ironweed|267243|Ironweed|William Kennedy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408926209s/267243.jpg|1268146] is one of my favorite books, which is why I was loathe to read any other books by Kennedy. The expected happened: this book was a bit of a let-down compared to Ironweed.
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