Rating: 
Summary: Better late than never . . .
Review: "The Sweet Forever" is the first George P. Pelecanos book that I've read, but it won't be the last. Like most gifted writers, Pelecanos writes rich-bodied characters with all of their phallacies and strengths. However, what sets Pelecanos apart from the others is his ability to capture the time and the place so successfully. Gary Phillips, author of the Ivan Monk Mysteries, which are set in Los Angeles, and Grace Edwards, author of Mali Anderson Mysteries, set in Harlem, New York, have similiar gifts for capturing the essense of the era in the black community. Washington, DC, in the mid-1980's is no easy read. A city where the mayor and those close to him were convicted of crimes while congress sat less than a mile away issuing edicts and strangling the eagle until it screamed and caused the city's infrastructure to fail. On a philosophical level, Pelecanos is on target with the sermons that he sometimes delivers through his characters, but he fails to go far enough. Washington, D. C. was in the 80s and is today the last working plantation.
Rating: 
Summary: sex, drugs, rock & roll ... perhaps the best from Pelecanos?
Review: 'The Sweet Forever' is one of several novels from Pelecanos based in urban Washington, this time in the mid-1980s. The city is an absolute mess; violence, drugs and corruption reign supreme. In this backdrop Pelecanos weaves a story of inter-racial strife, heartbreak, disillusionment, and despair. Yes, this books packs it all in without appearing to be forced, preachy, or sentimental. While most books from Pelecanos sort of delve into these areas in one way or another 'The Sweet Forever' really succeeds in every way. [As you can tell, I really liked it. :-)]But the book isn't perfect. Without trying to explain its somewhat complex and interwoven story let me just say the ending seems to fit together just a bit too nicely. I would have liked a least one loose end, which would a been a better reflection of reality. The ending wasn't disappointing, but rather it could have been just a bit more powerful. Bottom line: my favorite so far from Pelecanos after reading nearly of his books. Strongly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: sex, drugs, rock & roll ... perhaps the best from Pelecanos?
Review: 'The Sweet Forever' is one of several novels from Pelecanos based in urban Washington, this time in the mid-1980s. The city is an absolute mess; violence, drugs and corruption reign supreme. In this backdrop Pelecanos weaves a story of inter-racial strife, heartbreak, disillusionment, and despair. Yes, this books packs it all in without appearing to be forced, preachy, or sentimental. While most books from Pelecanos sort of delve into these areas in one way or another 'The Sweet Forever' really succeeds in every way. [As you can tell, I really liked it. :-)] But the book isn't perfect. Without trying to explain its somewhat complex and interwoven story let me just say the ending seems to fit together just a bit too nicely. I would have liked a least one loose end, which would a been a better reflection of reality. The ending wasn't disappointing, but rather it could have been just a bit more powerful. Bottom line: my favorite so far from Pelecanos after reading nearly of his books. Strongly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: I Must Be Shallow Or Something
Review: I must be shallow or something, because I just don't see what the big deal is about Sweet Forever. Before I go on, however, let me qualify my statements by telling you that Sweet Forever is the only G.P. novel I've picked up so far, and so maybe my opinion is based upon a small-scale conclusion. That out of the way, let me just say, Pelacanos seems to be 80% setting, 10% Characters, 10% story. After finishing Sweet Forever, I didn't want to hear another reference to an 80's band for the next several weeks. Pelacanos seems compelled to remind the reader that it is 1986, roughly fifteen times per page. He mentions cars every now and again. He mentions political figures sometimes. But mainly, he establishes setting through music, and Basketball. And it's silly, if you ask me. Every one of his characters, at some point in the story - which only takes place over a couple of days - goes to some sort of music show. Music seems to be the most important thing each of the characters lives. And the College Basetball thing? Come on. It was popular, I don't deny that, but he makes it seem as though it - and Len Bias - were bigger than life. Maybe he should have made the setting 1987, and used the Redskins as a Prop. Anyway, after all was said and done, I wanted to yell at the author, "Enough! I KNOW it's 1986; I get the point, already." The characters were OK, but I couldn't identify with any of them. The story was TV cop show quality at best. All in all. The novel was readable. If you're Pelacanos, and you happen to read this review: Sorry. I get the feeling yo can do much better.
Rating:
Summary: I Must Be Shallow Or Something
Review: I must be shallow or something, because I just don't see what the big deal is about Sweet Forever. Before I go on, however, let me qualify my statements by telling you that Sweet Forever is the only G.P. novel I've picked up so far, and so maybe my opinion is based upon a small-scale conclusion. That out of the way, let me just say, Pelacanos seems to be 80% setting, 10% Characters, 10% story. After finishing Sweet Forever, I didn't want to hear another reference to an 80's band for the next several weeks. Pelacanos seems compelled to remind the reader that it is 1986, roughly fifteen times per page. He mentions cars every now and again. He mentions political figures sometimes. But mainly, he establishes setting through music, and Basketball. And it's silly, if you ask me. Every one of his characters, at some point in the story - which only takes place over a couple of days - goes to some sort of music show. Music seems to be the most important thing each of the characters lives. And the College Basetball thing? Come on. It was popular, I don't deny that, but he makes it seem as though it - and Len Bias - were bigger than life. Maybe he should have made the setting 1987, and used the Redskins as a Prop. Anyway, after all was said and done, I wanted to yell at the author, "Enough! I KNOW it's 1986; I get the point, already." The characters were OK, but I couldn't identify with any of them. The story was TV cop show quality at best. All in all. The novel was readable. If you're Pelacanos, and you happen to read this review: Sorry. I get the feeling yo can do much better.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!!
Review: I read this in 3 days and couldn't put it down. Excellent characterizations, a la Big Blowdown, believable characters and dialogue, good story. If you enjoy crime fiction, you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Song of Redemption
Review: I read this violent, raunchy-to-the-point-of-hardcore book immediately after having read Gail Godwin's *Father Melancholy's Daughter*, which is about the much calmer, more chaste life of an Episcopal priest and his daughter. But, at heart, they were the same book - both tales of redemption unlike anything else I've seen. Pelecanos is not for everybody, due to the violence and sex. (None of it is gratuitous, IMO.) But for those who can deal with it, this gritty, wonderful novel is a joy.
Rating:
Summary: Dude Knows His Junkies
Review: I think Pelecanos is much, much more interested in his characters than the average suspense writer, and he knows that adulthood changes in point-of-view and lifestyle are much more hard fought than what you see on Melrose Place. That is what makes this work a superior novel. The action/violence/posturing is a direct extention of the characters and their interaction and not some hackneyed device used to advance the plot or juice it up. My only disappointment is that the author reveals a sentimental side once too often (the resolutions are a bit too tidy), and, in places, it was roll-your-eyes forced. Since the world he creates is so bleak and brutal, that is a forgivable offense. In fact, it was kind of a nice break to see some humanity anywhere, even if it was clearly coming from the writer and not his characters.
Rating:
Summary: This is one heck of a beautiful book--A real stunner!
Review: If you haven't read George P. Pelecanos, you're missing one hell of an experience! This is easily his best book and that's saying alot, since he's yet to make a misstep with any of his crime/detective novels. _The Sweet Forever_ is a beautifully- done book (one of the jacket blurbs likens it to a crime-thriller version of _Bonfire of the Vanities_, a particularly apt comparison, I think). It is the second book to feature the team of Dimitri Karras/Marcus Clay (first introduced in _King Suckerman_), two old friends now running a chain of D.C.-based record stores. The book is set in 1986, when cocaine was at its peak of popularity and just before the advent of crack. The streets of Washington D. C. are growing ever more dangerous and the town continues to dwindle and wither away, ignored by a corrupt, drug-using mayor and his regime. Dimitri and Marcus run afoul of a gang of cocaine runners in the neighborhood of Marcus' new store,located in a particularly run-down part of the city. He's trying to put something back into the community, so he's willing to put up with slow sales. But when the gang members start pushing around young kids in the area, Marcus gets involved, almost against his better judgement. One of the neat things about the book is that Dimitri himself is hooked on cocaine and his habit is dragging him down further and further, only he himself is not aware of this yet. The novel gets only that much more morally complex when one of the two leads is involved, however slightly, in the very drug trade that is ruining the city and which the characters must battle with. There are so many great scenes here and great characters. Marcus has a huge heart and is willing to go out on the line for people that some might ignore or turn their backs on. Add in a corrupt cop whose conscience keeps digging at him and a drug runner who isn't sure about what he's doing, and you've got one memorable mixture. I'm a sucker for emotional movies, I'll admit. Play my heartstrings and I get a lump in my throat just like that. But I very seldom, if ever, have the same response to the written word. When reading this book, however, I had more "throat-lump" moments than I could keep track of. This is very highly recommended and a perfect example of how the lowly "crime thriller" can operate far outside the boundaries of its genre. This is literature, folks!
Rating:
Summary: Pelecanos is a Master
Review: Just finshed Sweet Forever and it blew me away. This is not only the best crime fiction book I have ever read, but it is one of the best books period. Pelecanos puts you right in the middle of D.C. in the mid 80s, and you actually feel like you are there. Do yourself a favor and read this book you will not be sorry.
|
