Rating: 
Summary: Nothing too exciting...
Review: A bit slower than what I expected. I was more interested in the quick flashback sequences between Jack Ryan and Leon Woody. It was entertaining, but slowed to the pace of a geriatric bingo game, at times. The plot's not too engaging, but Leonard's knack for writing from a character's point of view keeps you amused.I'd recommend "Maximum Bob" as my favorite Leonard book, so far. A sidenote, but Detroit Tiger fans may get a kick out of the last few chapters.
Rating: 
Summary: PSYCHO-BABE
Review: Bouncing around is what Nancy Hayes does best, flitting out into the resort town, shooting out windows, leading men astray, planning for that big, cheap, yet dangerous, thrill. But Jack Ryan stays oh so close to her, hoping, hoping ... for what? Certainly Nancy is stylish and cunning, but a psycho-babe is not what he needs, now that he's escaped from the dangers of migrant work. Why doesn't he just go home to Detroit, grab himself a beer and a nice woman? Elmore Leonard, author of THE BIG BOUNCE, probes his daring hero's motivation, but can never give us a clear answer to Jack's attraction. Why would anyone want to climb into Nancy's web willingly? Why get that close to such a manipulator, unless, oh the horror, he's just too stupid to leave? Once again, Leonard creates a fictional woman we've read about in our local papers. She's the babe who got our friend in jail on trumped-up sex charges. She's the one who was involved with the captain of the college basketball team, causing him to lose his scholarship. She's the one who smiled as the TV cameras whirred, designating her as the most dangerous woman in black. Oh boy, she loves fame, and she doesn't mind taking you to your own grave, while she shovels the first load of dirt on top. Gentlemen, read this cautionary tale before some mysterious lady winks at you in the cocktail room of your neighborhood motel, and you go along with one of her intrigues. Larry Rochelle, author of the mysteries DEATH & DEVOTION, DANCE WITH THE PONY and TRACETRACKS.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Be Fooled - The Book Is NOT Going to Be The Movie
Review: Don't be fooled by the slick new paperback cover and the movie promotion to sell you this book. This volume, written in 1969 (and a bit dated as a result), is set in the "thumb" of Michigan (Port Austin area) - not Hawaii, as in the 2004 movie. The book mostly traces the behavior of two characters, Jack and Nancy, neither of whom are interesting enough to care about. Actually, Jack isn't a bad guy - he's just not given a good story to be part of. There is the start of a good story and a potential theft of some money, but that all falls off the bone - the promise of a good yarn is as deceptive as the cover of the new paperback. It had been a long time since I'd read any Elmore Leonard and I really wanted to give him a try again. This book fell flat, had no resolution to my liking, and left me puzzled about why not one but two movie adaptations had been made from it. The reason for two stars is: 1) decent dialogue, a Leonard trait; and 2) set in Michigan, where my grandparents lived so I recognized the descriptions of the area.
Rating: 
Summary: A gripping story by a great storyteller
Review: Dutch Leonard doesn't like to let you relax. He keeps you wondering if Jack Ryan is a bad guy or a good guy with some bad habits. Every time you begin to get comfortable with the direction of the story, a new twist triggers the anxiety attack that won't allow you to set it down. And then there's Nancy, I've known a few like her and she's downright scary. A book that will genuinely hold your interest.
Rating: 
Summary: Two good characters, Plot doesn't hold together
Review: Elmore Leonard has done much better than this and I am usually a big fan. Jack Ryan and Nancy Hayes are two very good characters and are well developed.
Unfortunately, a lot of Elomore Leonard's usual humor is missing from this book. Somehow the pacing seems off as well.
Leonard's ability to find distinct locations for his capers and describe them well works here as usual. I would never have suspected that cucumber farms and Michigan beach vacation spots for a crime novel
Rating:
Summary: Two good characters, Plot doesn't hold together
Review: Elmore Leonard has done much better than this and I am usually a big fan. Jack Ryan and Nancy Hayes are two very good characters and are well developed.
Unfortunately, a lot of Elomore Leonard's usual humor is missing from this book. Somehow the pacing seems off as well.
Leonard's ability to find distinct locations for his capers and describe them well works here as usual. I would never have suspected that cucumber farms and Michigan beach vacation spots for a crime novel
Rating:
Summary: What happened to the ending?
Review: I am an avid Elmore Leonard fan. While this book is dated, the basic premise of the story had all the traditional earmarks of a Leonard novel. Once the book begins hitting the climax, the book takes a totally different direction. The main storyline is aborted. I was listening to an unabridged audio version of this book. I returned the book to Amazon since I thought I had an incomplete book. The book ended on the 5th tape with no warning that it was complete. A sixth tape was added which started with an Elmore Leonard short story that was included in a previous book. Don't waste your time with this book.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to the ending?
Review: I am an avid Elmore Leonard fan. While this book is dated, the basic premise of the story had all the traditional earmarks of a Leonard novel. Once the book begins hitting the climax, the book takes a totally different direction. The main storyline is aborted. I was listening to an unabridged audio version of this book. I returned the book to Amazon since I thought I had an incomplete book. The book ended on the 5th tape with no warning that it was complete. A sixth tape was added which started with an Elmore Leonard short story that was included in a previous book. Don't waste your time with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Smooth Vintage Leonard
Review: I picked up a paperback of THE BIG BOUNCE somewhere and was thrilled because I thought it was a new Elmore Leonard. It wasn't until I was halfway through the book that I discovered it was written in 1969, almost 35 years ago. That is how well this book has held up: it reads like a fresh story. And smooth. That is the word that comes to mind: the writing in THE BIG BOUNCE is smooth. It flows and moves along easily. Maybe the best writing I've read of Elmore Leonard's works and I've read many. It's a subdued, subtle story with a great fight scene and a tense house B&E scene. It features Jack Ryan, maybe a little slow en la cabeza but who can swing a bat (or a tree limb) and knows a 100 ways to break into a house, and Nancy as the ambitious rich guy's GF who is more than a little psychotic. Rather than a roller coaster ride of plot twists, this novel is like like a fine vintage wine to be savored and enjoyed on the veranda with a good cigar. Get this book and light one up.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful
Review: I've read all of Leonard's (non-Western) novels. Some were very good...La Brava, Glitz, Pronto. The Big Bounce is one of Leonard's worst. It is truly awful. There is absolutely no plot. Ryan and Nancy's plan to steal $50,000 never happens and the Mr. Majestyk character is completely different from the self-titled Leonard classic. Leonard must have been on an alcoholic binge when he wrote this novel.
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