esrosedotblog

ELMORE

I have finished the latest Elmore Leonard novel.

Up in Honey's Room takes place during WWII. It features Carl Webster who we met in The Hot Kid.

It is not as good as many other Leonards. Still excellent.

He has chosen to write what I consider a memoir of life in Detroit when he was a young adult.

Nostalgia.

Tons of detail.

Sometimes you can just hear the encyclopedia coming out of a character's mouth.

He also has to rehash Carl Webster's history which we already read but some readers have not.

This is always awkward where the same characters are used book to book.

This talkiness and descriptive stuff goes on for the first half of the book and it is a little annoying. Mostly as it is so transparent.

On the other hand, it is interesting because I was growing up at the same time. 12 years younger.

Midway through the book, things open up.

We get a good solid run for the money. All the usual Leonard fun.

I guess I can forgive him the nostalgia. He is 82 and this is his fortieth something book.

I met him once at a book signing.

I had him sign the page in his current book where I was reading at the moment. We also discussed our mutual interests in sobriety; a bit of personal history that he has not kept secret.

It was a very nice moment. In Chicago.

I was training and I timed the lunch so I could go see him.

Labels: books, nostalgia, reading