Rating: 
Summary: Revised Opinion
Review: Ages ago I wrote a review of this book complaining that the violent sex seemed gratuitous. However, recently I was browsing through Andrew Vachss' website and I learned a thing or two about how he 'uses' sex in his novels. Apparently, when the lives of the characters revolve around sex, then sex in the plot is called for; when sex is not a driving force to the characters, then you won't find much of it in the plot. I'm probably not conveying it correctly, but it made sense to me when I read it! Anyhow, check out his website. It's really an eye-opener.
Rating: 
Summary: Andrew H. Vachss, Esq. - Master of the Dark Side
Review: By "Dark Side," I don't mean the occult. Real-life attorney Vachss has an intimate grasp on all that that is offensive to the majority of us who live quiet, (semi-)organized lives. We gasp and recoil at the real-life occurrence of a brutal act by one human against another. The world of Vachss is the opposite. Therein we are non-plussed by an act of kindness. His world is real; it is simply a world that most of us chose to deny the existence of. (<-Dangling participle - sorry!) Vachss' fictional characters and situations are damn close to reality. And it's often tough to take.In this latest outing, Vachss takes his main character, Burke, to the upper class suburbs to fulfill a longstanding "debt." Burke, an abandoned and abused former ward of the state, (both in childhood and occasionally in adulthood) is a urban survivalist, con artist and city animal. He is also presently mourning his "accidental" killing of a small child. (I told you it was tough stuff to take!) But he adapts to this new, ritzy environment as only a true survivor can. (Vachss' fans will recall that he pulled this off before, in exurban Indiana, in "Blossom.") And, as always, he solves the underlying crisis through a combination of detective work, technological assistance, sheer bravado and unrelenting violence. The common theme to all Burke novels is moral outrage. Once Vachss has overwhelmed us with the horror of the situation (and it always involves the sexual and physical abuse of children), we applaud his character as a vengeful angel. Burke consciously believes that he does what he does for the money. Nonsense. He's driven by the demons of his own abusive upbringing. And I wouldn't want him "cured' for the world... Keep writing 'em, Andrew. I'll keep reading them and recommending them.
Rating:
Summary: Andrew H. Vachss, Esq. - Master of the Dark Side
Review: By "Dark Side," I don't mean the occult. Real-life attorney Vachss has an intimate grasp on all that that is offensive to the majority of us who live quiet, (semi-)organized lives. We gasp and recoil at the real-life occurrence of a brutal act by one human against another. The world of Vachss is the opposite. Therein we are non-plussed by an act of kindness. His world is real; it is simply a world that most of us chose to deny the existence of. (<-Dangling participle - sorry!) Vachss' fictional characters and situations are damn close to reality. And it's often tough to take. In this latest outing, Vachss takes his main character, Burke, to the upper class suburbs to fulfill a longstanding "debt." Burke, an abandoned and abused former ward of the state, (both in childhood and occasionally in adulthood) is a urban survivalist, con artist and city animal. He is also presently mourning his "accidental" killing of a small child. (I told you it was tough stuff to take!) But he adapts to this new, ritzy environment as only a true survivor can. (Vachss' fans will recall that he pulled this off before, in exurban Indiana, in "Blossom.") And, as always, he solves the underlying crisis through a combination of detective work, technological assistance, sheer bravado and unrelenting violence. The common theme to all Burke novels is moral outrage. Once Vachss has overwhelmed us with the horror of the situation (and it always involves the sexual and physical abuse of children), we applaud his character as a vengeful angel. Burke consciously believes that he does what he does for the money. Nonsense. He's driven by the demons of his own abusive upbringing. And I wouldn't want him "cured' for the world... Keep writing 'em, Andrew. I'll keep reading them and recommending them.
Rating:
Summary: A good start...
Review: Despite its laid back approach to a mystery, I liked its down-to-earth descriptions of how the rich think and feel. I would have liked it better if they had spent a little more time on Burke, but I'm sure I'll get that in other books. All in all an enjoyable adventure.
Rating:
Summary: A good start...
Review: Despite its laid back approach to a mystery, I liked its down-to-earth descriptions of how the rich think and feel. I would have liked it better if they had spent a little more time on Burke, but I'm sure I'll get that in other books. All in all an enjoyable adventure.
Rating:
Summary: burke takes us into a raw subconcious pocket of reality
Review: His writing is poetic, real, entrancing. Andrew is grossly analytical. Burke becomes very real, Fancy, Sonny, even Cherry seem to nest themselves in my thoughts even still. One of the best authors of this time. This book has created an impact on me.
Rating: 
Summary: Burke can get on your nerves after a while...
Review: I feel a little disloyal critisizing one of Andrew Vachss' books. I wasn't sorry I bought this because I like contributing to his cause, but this one bugged me a bit. The sado-masochistic sex seemed disturbingly gratuitous. It almost seemed thrown in to titillate the reader -- ironic, since Vachss abhors the connection "freaks" make between sex and violence. And listen here, Burke: You love Judy Henske,you love women with big butts (want my number?), and you respect dogs more than you respect most people. I got it. Again. Actually, I love Burke. Keep it up.
Rating:
Summary: A fan's opinion
Review: I first picked up Andrew Vachss because I heard his name mentioned in connection with Batman. Figuring it was going to be fiction in the Raymond
Chandler vein, I picked up one of his books.
Needless to say, the hard steel nightmare that
Burke and his "family" live through daily floored
me. Down In the Zero is a very good book in that we
get more of an insight on Burke. Vachss refers to
events in other novels; it helps if you read the whole series in order. We get an insight into Burke's
soul that is both entrancing and disturbing.
This isn't a poetic book, and Burke is not a likable person. The entire novel is told from
Burke's point of view, that of a hardened, callous
criminal. And any poetry would get in the way.
The novel is sharp, quick, and to the point. The
cutting edge of detective fiction, well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A fan's opinion
Review: I first picked up Andrew Vachss because I heard his name mentioned in connection with Batman. Figuring it was going to be fiction in the Raymond Chandler vein, I picked up one of his books. Needless to say, the hard steel nightmare that Burke and his "family" live through daily floored me. Down In the Zero is a very good book in that we get more of an insight on Burke. Vachss refers to events in other novels; it helps if you read the whole series in order. We get an insight into Burke's soul that is both entrancing and disturbing. This isn't a poetic book, and Burke is not a likable person. The entire novel is told from Burke's point of view, that of a hardened, callous criminal. And any poetry would get in the way. The novel is sharp, quick, and to the point. The cutting edge of detective fiction, well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Burke in the 'burbs
Review: I have read all of the Burke novels, and this is not one of the better ones. I guess after the absolute horror at the end of the previous book, "Sacrifice," it is understandable that Burke had to back off a bit. But his adventure in suburban Connecticut just isn't terribly compelling and leads to perhaps the least satisfying climax of the whole series. Who would have thought that Burke's legendary "Zero" is situated among the strip malls and housing developments! Burke beginners should start elsewhere (I recommend "Flood" or "Blue Belle"). This one's for hard core fans only.
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