i've got a comment on the sweet forever. first i should
mention that i claim the right to read whatever i want to
into a book, regardless of the author's intentions. so much
for disclaimers...
most everybody in the book are elbows deep in crime and greed
and drugs and hate and just plain nastiness. and although
they have to keep an eye on their backs to watch for the next
knife, EVERYBODY has their eye on the playoffs. i think they
were all worshipping at the basketball altar. i don't mean
that in a bad way. the playoffs were viewed as something
separated from the ugly world they all inhabited. the
playoffs were a world where you knew who stood behind you. a
world where a single person could make a difference. a world
where a person could rise above the stink and slime and filth
of the streets. a world where you could be a hero.
(whoa, yeah, baby! gimme that pulpit!)
and i think thats why len's overdose death at the end is so
tramatic. its not just one person's death. senseless death
and drugs have come to basketball... its just as dirty as the
rest of the world. its the death of hope and faith, and the
belief in something better.
beautifully done. inspiring. uh... elegant???
my apologies, george.
miker
***************************
THE SWEET FOREVER - Again this is by George Pelecanos. It is
the view of those who must live within the city permanently
as opposed to Hagerty's from the distance of its suburbs. As
in 'Devil' there are constant references to music. The two
previous Pelecanos novels were set in the
'90's. As I stopped paying attention to popular music in the
'80's the music references annoyed me. This book is set in
1986 so I caught a few. When I read George's books set in
earlier times I should know virtually all of them.
Late in the book the quote, "when the legend becomes fact,
print the legend" is mentioned but never attributed to its
source. I had just given that quote to my son when were
discussing the movie from which it came. Most novels would
have done so. The novel is set at the time of the NCAA final
four. Len Bias is mentioned throughout yet his fate is only
hinted at. .I think George feels he is not responsible to
explain anything. He puts in what he feels is relevant. It's
up to the reader to investigate something he does not
know.
I did not like Suckerman, but these two novels caused me to
want to read the rest. I will have to treat them as I do the
books of British fantasy novelist, Tom Holt or Canadian
author, Mordecai Richler. I know I miss a few references that
would cause me to enjoy their work even further, but I what I
do understand is easily enough to cause me seek out and read
their books. Mark
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