The Box

Rating:
Summary: Interesting...........
Review: I read this book a couple of months ago, I think I bought it based on Ed Gorman's recommendation in "The Big Book of Noir" in which he describes Peter Rabe as "probably the most original of the GM (Gold Medal) writers" if not necessarily the best. Gorman suggests "The Box"(published in 1962) along with "Kill The Boss Good-by" and "Anatomy of a Killer" as mandatory Rabe reads. Anyway "The Box" is a somewhat quirky, reasonably entertaining story about a guy whose punishment for losing out on a gangland feud in NYC is to get shipped halfway across the world, trapped in a box on a freighter.The story is about his slow resurection once he gets out of the box in the North African coastal town of Okar-which is where most of the story takes place. The book is short-only 160 pages-and moves along nicely.I almost feel like I need to read it again at some point because the first time around it didn't leave that strong of an impression on me. In any case, I have "Kill The Boss Good-By" and with a great title like that I'll definately give Rabe another try.