Rum Punch

Rating:
Summary: The most overrated writer of mystery novels
Review: I enjoy mystery novels. Over the past several years when I read mystery novels, the authors and their stories were oftentimes portrayed as being "in a class with great writers such as Elmore Leonard". So I decided to give Mr. Leonard a read. "Rum Punch" was the choice I made for the first novel. I felt the story was as dull as any I have ever read. The characters were for the most part uninteresting and the humor that was supposed to be a big part of the story was not there. I'm willing to give a writer a second chance. All I'll say is that I later read "Maximum Bob" and found it about as bad as "Rum Punch". I'll also throw in the fact that I think "Get Shorty", also based on a Leonard novel, was one of the dullest movies I've seen in the past five years. So needless to say, I don't care for Elmore Leonard's works. I frankly don't know how anybody who likes to be entertained while reading can like him. He has met with great success in his career and he, his agent and his publisher should be commended for their PR approach. But when I read mystery in the future, it'll be works of Sue Grafton, Carl Hiaasen or Lawrence Shames, very talented writers who write funny, sharp and plausible mysteery fiction. They deserve the plaudits they receive.

Rating:
Summary: Decent
Review: I found the book mildly entertaining, but pretty shallow.

Rating:
Summary: I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
Review: I have come to love Leonard's work.I didn't think he could top Maximum Bob, but this book has witty scoundrels that are credible. In fact Ordell could live down the block. I loved the plot configurations wherein justice is served, albeit in a wicked , twisted way. Leonard's books read like screenplays and all the characters that are in the movie version come to life here. One of the main characters race is changed but this does not take away from the story. I loved the streetwise dialogue.The rationalizations the characters give for their lives, the messes they have made of it, are a hoot. Ordell is completely amoral and considers his indiscretions as the natural order of things. Every character gets what is coming to them, and it feels right

Rating:
Summary: Rum-Punch the book is better than the movie Jackie Brown
Review: I highly recommend this book to any one who likes Leonard and wants a good short read with a great story line. If you saw the movie "Jackie Brown", dissregaurd anything you remember from the movie when you are reading the book. The book is ten-thousand times better than the movie. Lenord is one of the best crime writers that we have today. If you like Elmore I really sugest that you read anything from James Ellroy.

Rating:
Summary: good but not his best
Review: I like this book quite a lot, but it isn't quite as funny and snappy as the best Elmore Leonard books.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great novel
Review: I love Elmore Leonard and I think that this is his best novel. Everyone is a bad guy underneath, even the law enforcement officers. Again, Leonard writes excellent dialogue for all of his characters and writes a very entertaining story. If you liked the movie Jackie Brown then you should definately give the book that inspired Tarantino to make the movie. If you like stories where everything gets messed up and nobody really wins then give Rum Punch a read.

Rating:
Summary: Not Great, but maybe worth the read
Review: I was a little disappointed. This was my first Elmore Leonard book, so maybe I'm missing out on something better. But there were some great characters. There were also some memorable scenes. But the plot just wasn't compelling enough. Even so, I can't say I didn't enjoy the book.

Rating:
Summary: Ok, but not great...
Review: I would prefer to give it two and a half stars, but I'll have to stick with two. Perhaps I criticize the book unfairly -- I saw "Jackie Brown" before reading the novel. I have read several other Leonard books, and this was just not my favorite. He has a fantastic ear for dialogue, but here I often found that it overshadowed the plot, storyline and characters. Although I enjoyed Max Cherry's more substantial role, I found it hard to care about Jackie Burke, Louis, Melanie or Ordell. The over attention to dialogue also led to lags in the story. This is ok for a plane ride, but for a better taste of Elmore Leonard (in this reader's humble opinion)read "Get Shorty" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Ok, but not great...
Review: I would prefer to give it two and a half stars, but I'll have to stick with two. Perhaps I criticize the book unfairly -- I saw "Jackie Brown" before reading the novel. I have read several other Leonard books, and this was just not my favorite. He has a fantastic ear for dialogue, but here I often found that it overshadowed the plot, storyline and characters. Although I enjoyed Max Cherry's more substantial role, I found it hard to care about Jackie Burke, Louis, Melanie or Ordell. The over attention to dialogue also led to lags in the story. This is ok for a plane ride, but for a better taste of Elmore Leonard (in this reader's humble opinion)read "Get Shorty" instead.

Rating:
Summary: The Godfather of crime fiction does it again.
Review: If you've never read an Elmore Leonard book, you better get your ass up and get reading! For a man in his seventies it would be suffice to say that he isn't an out of touch old man, but quite the opposite. He's so observeant of peoples traits that his casts personas never miss a beat. The plot in this novel comes secondary to the sharp dialogue and the querky characters- as in all Elmores stories. He captures beautifully, the walk and talk of every character. A slow ex-con, a disenchanted bail bondsman, a cowboy ATF agent, a street smart gun dealer, a hopped up beach babe and last but not least-Jackie Burke; an air stewardess with brains, balls and panache to help get her through her problems with the ATF and the hip-cat killer Ordell Robie. So trust me on this, Elmore's one of the master writers out there today that deserves every word of praise he can get. And oh yeah if you're thinking of getting 'Jackie Brown' I'd advise you to get 'The Switch' first as it is the first story about Melanie, Ordell and Louis Gara.