Gone Fishin'

Rating:
Summary: Provided needed background to the lives of Mouse & Easy
Review: The general opinion of the circle was this was not his best work. After reading all of Mosley's other literary pieces, this was truly a disappointment. Realizing that this was his first work with respect to Mouse and Easy all is forgiven. The highlight of the book, would be the background knowledge that was offered, especially on Mouse. Why? Beacuse all the other pieces make great references to what took place in Texas. If this is your first Walter Mosley book, and you can get past the smell, you will be alright!!!!

Rating:
Summary: One of Mosley's Best
Review: This book, which constitutes the backgrounds of the allegiance between Mouse and Easy (two of popular modern literature's more interesting protagonists) not only fills in historical blanks, but is a great read all by itself. Mouse and Easy travel south (along with two hitchhikers) to try and pursuade Mouses's cruel stepfather to finance Mouse's wedding. By the end of the novel however, the stepfather and one of the hitchikers are dead, and Easy must deal with the fact that he took money to keep his mouth shut about the killings. What's most interesting is that Mosley wrote this book in the eighties, before he was published at all, and then could not sell it until the marketability of black authors had been established. Overall, a very worthwhile buy

Rating:
Summary: a marginal prequel to the Easy Rollins series
Review: This is a more serious book than the others in the Easy Rollins series. It is as much about race relations than the coming of age of the two main characters. After all their adventures in Pariah and all their efforts to get the things they want, the white lady who owns the land the town is on and all the land the blacks farm dies and the relatives come wipe out the town and disperse the entire population.

Rating:
Summary: Character study
Review: This was the first Mosely I've read. I know of his genre/style, and have seen the film of Devil in a Blue Dress. This though seemed a departure, at least from my expectations.

The opening short story Smoke is more L.A. sleuth/heavy Easy as he searches out a school bomber. Smoke seems to be more like the Mosely I'd heard of than the main piece, Gone Fishin'. Smoke is a serial piece, continued into Six Easy Pieces. It ended with my curiosity peaked....

Gone Fishin' is a character study of both Easy and Mouse, as they drive into Southeast Texas to seek money for Mouse's upcoming wedding to EttaMae. This story is incredibly written. The dialect/colloquealism'd language gives much to the charaters and the setting. As well, Mosely paints Mouse as the "funny-man" to Easy's "straight-man," in that Mouse's actions lead Easy to response, and truly progress the action. But Easy, being the conscience of the piece is fascinated by Mouse, haunted by dreams and visions and leads us through an eye opening experience in through late 30's south Texas. Throughout the story Easy is in one form of disorientation after another, overcome by the country people he encounters, realizing along the way that he is at a pivitol time in his life. I suppose that Gone Fishin' too is a serial piece, a prequel though to Easy and Mouse's later adventures.

I left Gone Fishin' liking Easy, sympathizing with his way in the world, and curious to read about his war experience, how he gets to California, as well as what becomes of Mouse and EttaMae.

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Footnote to the Rawlins Mysteries
Review: Though it was originally meant to be the first book in the Easy Rawlins series, _Gone Fishin'_ is only now seeing the light of day. Fans of Walter Mosley's series will want to read this book, as it provides important background information on his characters Easy and Mouse. Not a mystery per se, this book gives us a convincing and moving coming of age story that explains a lot about the adult Easy and his friend Mouse, filling in important details that are only hinted at in the rest of the series

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Footnote to the Rawlins Mysteries
Review: Though it was originally meant to be the first book in theEasy Rawlins series, _Gone Fishin'_ is only now seeing the light of day. Fans of Walter Mosley's series will want to read this book, as it provides important background information on his characters Easy and Mouse. Not a mystery per se, this book gives us a convincing and moving coming of age story that explains a lot about the adult Easy and his friend Mouse, filling in important details that are only hinted at in the rest of the series

Rating:
Summary: Can't ask for a more wonderful "prequel"!
Review: Zora Neale Hurston would be so-oooo proud! In addition to being a master storyteller, Mosley captures history and colloquial language like no other. Having read all of the Easy Rawlins mysteries, "Gone Fishin'" fills in a few holes with respect to the constant bonds between Easy and Raymond "Mouse" Alexander. In addition to a deft and economic usage of words, this book is full of vibrant images of places and characters who are not characters but living, breathing people with full lungs, and also brings us closer to understanding the man that 19-year old Easy is moving into. You couldn't ask for a more wonderful "prequel"; my personal wish is to see at least one more Easy Rawlins book which recounts his experience in the military during WWII and discovering Paris, France. Cannot wait. De'Loi