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Summary: The best book I have read in quite a while.
Review: "Night Dogs" is a tough, gritty view of life on the streets and the way police officers deal with their constant exposure to this madness. It is very realistic and presents a variety of characters, some of which you might encounter in any big city. I look forward to Mr. Anderson's next book.
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Summary: Deeply honest, beautifully written, brutal, unforgettable.
Review: A truly astonishing book. Hanson is as memorable a character as you're likely to encounter. He is an amazing and utterly believable mix of contradictions, and there's nothing about him that seems anything but deeply and nakedly real. A startlingly honest book, especially since it's apparently autobiographical. Unfortunately, Anderson's Sympathy for the Devil is out of print, but I just got it through inter-library loan. Can't wait to read it, after which I'll read Night Dogs again. Kent Anderson tells the truth, and he can flat-out write.
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Summary: Not your typical cop story...
Review: Although you can find NIGHT DOGS in the suspense/thriller section at your neighborhood bookstore, Kent Anderson's story of the stark reality of a Portland cop's beat in the aftermath of the Vietnam War is much more than your everyday thriller. Officer Hanson is a character you will not soon forget. A Vietnam veteran haunted by his military experience, Hanson finds purpose in his job as a cop in the North Precinct, a proud but poor Portland neighborhood, where the police are more often at odds with the residents than protecting them.But this is not your typical cop-story or your run of the mill thriller. The language is brutal, the characters peculiar, the overall tone is murky, dark. This book is not for the timid. Hanson's motivations are disturbing, and the whole story has an abrasiveness to it that is not often found in suspense novels, where that final confrontation between good and evil is what keeps you turning the pages. The reader of NIGHT DOGS is not necessarily motivated by that imminent conflict with the antagonist, but the nagging wonder of whether or not Hanson will ultimately destroy himself. The showdown between good and evil is nullified because the line between the two has been erased and they have melded into one gruesome blur. As an exclusive reader of thriller novels, this is the first that I have felt strongly enough about to write a review. The characters, not just Hanson but his supporting cast as well, will likely stick in your memory for some time. I have read a half dozen novels since finishing NIGHT DOGS, but Anderson's images remain as strong as ever. This is an important book. I recommend it highly to readers of all genres.
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical cop story...
Review: Although you can find NIGHT DOGS in the suspense/thriller section at your neighborhood bookstore, Kent Anderson's story of the stark reality of a Portland cop's beat in the aftermath of the Vietnam War is much more than your everyday thriller. Officer Hanson is a character you will not soon forget. A Vietnam veteran haunted by his military experience, Hanson finds purpose in his job as a cop in the North Precinct, a proud but poor Portland neighborhood, where the police are more often at odds with the residents than protecting them. But this is not your typical cop-story or your run of the mill thriller. The language is brutal, the characters peculiar, the overall tone is murky, dark. This book is not for the timid. Hanson's motivations are disturbing, and the whole story has an abrasiveness to it that is not often found in suspense novels, where that final confrontation between good and evil is what keeps you turning the pages. The reader of NIGHT DOGS is not necessarily motivated by that imminent conflict with the antagonist, but the nagging wonder of whether or not Hanson will ultimately destroy himself. The showdown between good and evil is nullified because the line between the two has been erased and they have melded into one gruesome blur. As an exclusive reader of thriller novels, this is the first that I have felt strongly enough about to write a review. The characters, not just Hanson but his supporting cast as well, will likely stick in your memory for some time. I have read a half dozen novels since finishing NIGHT DOGS, but Anderson's images remain as strong as ever. This is an important book. I recommend it highly to readers of all genres.
Rating:
Summary: Intense.......Sad..........Comical.....NEVER boring........
Review: Anderson's novel involving the on duty and off duty activities of Hanson is quite an eye opener......he brought Vietnam to Portland to try to sort it all out as he was sorting out the problems on the streets here....I have never had much interest in watching 'police' drama on television as I suspect that much of it is nowhere near the truth.....perhaps we cannot take the truth and maybe that is why Anderson said that his book might not be for everyone.....certainly not for the faint of heart.....politically correct......or squealmish but I rate it as a five because it does allot of soul searching....gives us valuable insight into the daily routine on the streets.....I think he is a sad character.....allot of demons....I was afraid while reading it that he might 'eat his gun' the way allot of police officers do when they no longer have the street to go to everyday......at least that is what my ex told me who is a police officer, a gold badge now........and in the end I was pleased that he moved on with Truman.....to better pastures..
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Summary: Honest, hard hitting and refreshingly politically incorrect
Review: As a 29 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and having worked the mean streets of this city during the 1970's, I find Kent Anderson's insight into police work to be 100% on target. Night Dogs takes you inside the head and heart of police officers in the most desperate situtations. Officer Hanson is so real you can almost hear his night stick clicking in its ring holder as he walks the streets of Portland's North Precinct
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Summary: Very realistic
Review: As an ex Army Ranger and current police officer I can see myself and my co-workers in this book. It does not get anymore real than this.
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Summary: one of the best post-nam vet stories i've ever read.
Review: Finely drawn, Kent Anderson paints his anti-hero Hanson, in real terms, edgy, taut, hypr-alert. As a Viet Nam vet, I can all to easily relate to him . As a special forces Sgt. (SOG), serving out of Quang-Tri, I can tell you that his recollections and their impact today are right on target. Keep up this style of harsh, gritty prose, and Ill keep coming back for more.
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Summary: One of the best Cop books I have read!
Review: Great characters, gritty action, and the low life of the streets. Hanson, an ex-special forces Viet Nam Veteran is a cop on the streets in Portland Oregon in the mid 70s. He has an attitude problem, especially with his superiors, and has to deal with enemies within and without the PD. But Hanson also has a sense of justice and he is not really a bad guy. Go along for the ride.
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Summary: Fantastic piece of fiction!!
Review: I met Kent Anderson as a student when he was teaching at Boise State University. While working on a paper which dealt with trying to understand the "combat high," I read his fantastic "Sympathy for the Devil" and got hooked on his Hanson character. Years before "Night Dogs" came out, he talked about some of the things he was going to put into the book, so I had been waiting a long time to see Hanson re-emerge. Alas, I was not disappointed, "Night Dogs" has that same pushing-the-envelope realism I loved in "Sympathy." The Hanson character is an amazing paradox of savagery and kindness wrapped up like a too-tightly-bound rubber band ready to explode or implode at any moment. Like "Sympathy," "Night Dogs" has the same feel of sanity in a world of insanity, of living hard with memories and the realities of a street cop's life. The streets of Portland take on the same insane, sad, and humorous elements that Hanson's Vietnam had. "Night Dogs" has an expertly woven surreal quality that few authors can capture. Anderson makes mention of author James Crumley in "Night Dogs". On a whim, I researched his works and have also become addicted to his fiction. He too writes of Vietnam and hard living, and I recommend any of his works as well. Kent Anderson is an amazing writer who I hope will continue to share Hanson with us and, for that matter, anything else he might grace us with.
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