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pdestrienne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
3.25
A book I have owned for a long time but never read until now. In tone it reminded me a bit of the Sisters Brothers - dark, deadpan, weird, and it's also about a fractious camaraderie between two men. It felt very late aughts, very Spike Jonze, very of its time.
rocketiza's review against another edition
4.0
Reminded me a lot of Drury novels of people who are kind of sad and lonely and you end up really feeling the place they're in and caring about them by the end.
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
5.0
Like a Trentino film on paper
I really enjoyed this novel. I could picture the Coen brothers making a great movie version out of it. Fun stuff.
I really enjoyed this novel. I could picture the Coen brothers making a great movie version out of it. Fun stuff.
dneville's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
DNF. The prose and the dialogue started off charming and funny but damn for a 250 page book it wore out its welcome fast. And for a book this short the plot meandered painfully and I just had to throw in the towel.
sarahcastic's review against another edition
3.0
Since I'm taking a class from this guy next semester, figured I should start by reading his books.
runningbeard's review against another edition
3.0
“Finished with a tight flourish, yet meandered throughout. Some comical and memorable scenes but lacks the clean focus of his newer releases. Think, "Charles Portis meets Coen Brothers."
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily? Was that so enticing, getting a tiny check made tinier by taxes every two weeks for the rest of your life, continually voicing the same stale complaints that working stiffs have been voicing for centuries, that the people in Kyle's apartment complex voiced each evening? Alarm clocks, layoffs, cigarette breaks, backaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, company parties, and always the steady little checks."
"She was a great lady," said Kyle. "Great lady." He ate a chip.
"When people act sappy after someone's dead, that means they feel guility."
"What do I feel guilty about?"
"How would I know?"
"I was always good to her."
"Not guilty about how they treated the person; guilty to have life and not know what to do with it."
"Your neighbor in the next condo is your best customer. His day job is carving cedar elves. A big company bought him out of his copyright, but they still sell a select line of elves hand-carved by the inventor. This man hates sleep. He hates to let time pass while he's not watching, and does not want to say, one day, that his life was short. He measures time in elves."”
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily? Was that so enticing, getting a tiny check made tinier by taxes every two weeks for the rest of your life, continually voicing the same stale complaints that working stiffs have been voicing for centuries, that the people in Kyle's apartment complex voiced each evening? Alarm clocks, layoffs, cigarette breaks, backaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, company parties, and always the steady little checks."
"She was a great lady," said Kyle. "Great lady." He ate a chip.
"When people act sappy after someone's dead, that means they feel guility."
"What do I feel guilty about?"
"How would I know?"
"I was always good to her."
"Not guilty about how they treated the person; guilty to have life and not know what to do with it."
"Your neighbor in the next condo is your best customer. His day job is carving cedar elves. A big company bought him out of his copyright, but they still sell a select line of elves hand-carved by the inventor. This man hates sleep. He hates to let time pass while he's not watching, and does not want to say, one day, that his life was short. He measures time in elves."”
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
5.0
Like a Trentino film on paper
I really enjoyed this novel. I could picture the Coen brothers making a great movie version out of it. Fun stuff.
I really enjoyed this novel. I could picture the Coen brothers making a great movie version out of it. Fun stuff.
pearseanderson's review against another edition
5.0
Arkansas is going up there as one of the best crime novels I have ever read. Everything makes so much sense. The characters are brilliantly fleshed out, realistic, charming. The plot is aimless and emotional. The prose is so fucking stellar I want to steal it for my works or hang it on my walls. For a first novel, Brandon has knocked it out of the park. Holy shit. No shit Davy Rothbart loves this. No shit the Coen Brothers probably would. 10/10.
joshhornbeck's review against another edition
5.0
John Brandon's novel about drug runners and finding your place in the world is an engaging and literate piece of fiction. (5/5)
mariek212's review against another edition
4.0
This is part of my McSweeney's book of the month subscription. It's nice to get random books in the mail that I may not have read otherwise.
Very well written tale of some drug d
Very well written tale of some drug d