Maximum Bob

Rating:
Summary: Great characters, lackluster plot
Review: A little plot-heavy, but laced with terrific characters, this Leonard novel departs a bit by being less entertaining than his previous (or subsequent) works.

The story of Bob Isom Gibbs (who likes to be called "Big" and whom Time Magazine named "Maximum Bob" for his tendency to impose maximum penalties on culprits) and his run-ins with Kathy Baker (not the actress) and a huge alligator are simply not as interesting as the plotlines of, say, Get Shorty and Out of Sight. However, Leonard--as always--is a genius at creating memorable characters. I would definitely like to know more about these people--especially Leanne, the new-agey wife of Gibbs who is also possessed by 12-year-old slave girl Wanda Grace.

If you are already a Leonard fan, you'll likely enjoy this offering as well. However, do not make this your first trip to Leonard territory, as it is definitely not his best. Best to start with Rum Punch, Out of Sight, or Get Shorty and move on from there.

Rating:
Summary: Meandering Elmore
Review: Although Leonard bestowed this book with a great title and two of his more memorable characters, he does none of them justice in this rather aimless story. Like much of his work, this is a quick-moving piece set in South Florida, and features a full parade of small-time criminals, cops, one or two truly nasty folks, and a wide array of curious characters who spout crackling dialogue. The catalyst for the action is hanging judge "Maximum" Bob Gibbs (who is said to resemble Harry Dean Stanton), a racist, sexist, philandering, cracker, caricature of a fella' who doesn't mind speaking his mind. Of course, this gets people mad at him, most notably recent sentencee Dale Crowe Jr. and his ex-con Uncle Elvin, recently returned from 15 years for killing a man. They plot to off him, with the assistance of a drug-addled doctor under house arrest, and his mincing "houseboy." All these folks are also in the orbit of the real protagonist, parole officer Kathy Baker and her love interest, cop Gary. Kathy is one of most engaging of Leonard's female leads, but her job sort of restricts her ability to influence events. So, enter Gary, a cool, low key hero type, who has the power to move events along, but also somehow manages to bore one to death. It all meanders along in Leonard's typical farcical fashion until a somewhat discordant murder or two heralds the beginning of the end. It's a rather mundane and anticlimactic conclusion for a Leonard novel, and one wonders if he just got bored by it. Another weakness is the judge's wife, a new-agey type who is sometimes possessed by the spirit of a young black slave girl, but whose interludes serve only to break the flow of things. There's also the houseboy, Hector, whose oddity is mentioned repeatedly by several characters, but never explained or explored. It's not awful, but it's not as crisp as most of his work, hopefully he'll bring Kathy back for a more fully realized adventure in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Call it above-average Bob
Review: Having read 10 or so of EL's books previously, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this one. And it has many of the same elements which make his books so enjoyable. At the same time, there are a number of distractions which make this read a little less enjoyable than others.

Leanne, Bob's wife, doesn't contribute a lot to the story, and to me, seems to detract from it. Also, maybe most noteworthy is the slowness with which the main characters act. I won't blame it on Kathy, who isn't really in a position to enforce the law, but instead on Gary, who is a strangely lethargic Leonard character. Slow to get a haircut, slow to investigate, slow to draw ...

Despite these minor details, it's interesting to see where Kathy might show up in the future. She's sharp. I wouldn't recommend this as "the" Leonard book to read, but it's still well worth spending a day on and a lot of fun, as EL is always. What's better? Bandits, Get Shorty, among others, in my opinion.

Rating:
Summary: Another fun read!
Review: I picked up MAXIMUM BOB, as I always enjoy E.L. I can get into his books in one short sitting, and I'm most often captivated by his characters, with their very human characteristics and quirks. This is what I find makes good writing - if it's a little bizarre, then I find it that much more realistic. Leonard, Hiaasen and others have the gift to create something more than your average paint-by-number grist. I purchased this book through Amazon.com right after another great purchase, THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez, about an unlucky writer addicted to the personals. Both are fun, recommended books. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Read
Review: I read this book because I knew Leonard was a master of pacing and I wanted a refresher course. I wasn't expecting the tapestry of characters, the elegant choreography of the plot, the inevitability of both the violence and the redemption at the end. This is sophisticated writing that rocks so well on the page you don't notice how fine it is. If you want to know how to write, study Leonard and Maximum Bob.

Rating:
Summary: An Enjoyable Book
Review: Judge Bob Gibbs takes his job seriously. So much so that he tends to mete out the maximum punishment possible to offenders brought before him, earning him the nickname "Maximum Bob".

The book's protagonist is Kathy Baker who works as a probation officer which puts her in occasional contact with Judge Gibbs. It seems that Judge Gibbs takes a liking to her, so much so that he comes up with a very imaginative way to remove his wife from the picture to leave him free to pursue Kathy. What has escaped the lust-filled judge's attention is that his affection is not being returned.

As a probation officer, her job also puts Kathy in contact with criminals and this is where the third main character is introduced. Elvin Crowe is a mean piece of work who has recently been released from prison and it's obvious the rehabilitation didn't stick. Elvin somehow comes across someone who is willing to pay him to kill Judge Gibbs, who just happened to be the presiding judge during Elvin's case in which he drew...yep, that's right, the maximum penalty.

It was hard to decide how to treat this book. While it contains quite a few scenes that border on the farcical thanks to some offbeat characterisations, there is also the ever-present undertone of menace tinged with despair. What kept wrenching me back whenever I began losing myself in the book's humour was the realisation that lives were constantly in danger.

Maximum Bob is an enjoyable book exposing us to Florida complete with heat, psychos, druggies and alligators.

Rating:
Summary: Another fun read!
Review: Judge Bob Gibbs, otherwise known as Maximum Bob, usually sentences anyone for to long. Now he may pay. He is also someone you hope will get whats coming to him before the book ends. Kathy Baker, a probation officer, ends up being the girl he wants. An alligator makes the scene, scaring Bobs wife into leaving. Elvin and Dale Crowe Jr. are the real bad men, mainly Elvin. They are funny as well as bad. The book moves very slowly in lots of places. I never did find out what happened to Crown Jr. It justs leave a lot to be desired. Leonard has done better. The ending could have been better if one more person had been taken care of. Which one? Have to read to see.

Rating:
Summary: Not Altogether a Maximum Bore
Review: Lets' get straight to it. This book has wit. It has quintessential Leonard dialogue. It is quick-paced. It has Leonard's intimate understanding of the low-lifes in our society.

But, none of those qualities are excluded in any of Leonards novels.

So what is the matter? You come to expect all those things going into reading Elmore Leonard's books. Either because he has been recommended to you, or you have been a life long fan so you know what to expect. But, this book is still not the best of his bunch.

Why? For one, it simply is not memorable.

Sure, the judge is a memorable character and a year from now, if I try to explain this book to someone, Judge Gibbs will be the central memory. Of course the book is named after him, so he should stand-out in this book. Yet, all the other characters lack a certain spark that Leonard is known for. Any of the other supporting characters could wind up in his other books. It's almost like he is recycling old character ideas from previous books. Perhaps ones that never fit into another story, but he liked them so much he blended them all into this book.

Elmore Leonard is pure guilty pleasure. His books translate well into this era because of his ear for speech, his heart-racing pace and his understanding of the low-life in today's Jerry Springer/COPS society. It's no wonder than dozens of screen writers have emulated him in the past 20 years. Its not hard to see Leonard's influence in any of today's action/crime movies.

You may enjoy "Maximum Bob," as I did, but it won't be the Leonard novel that you will savor and re-read at a later date. 3 stars because it's still enjoyable, but not memorable.

Rating:
Summary: Good characters; Great dialogue; Very uneven
Review: Maximum Bob's a frightening Judge to end up with if you're a defense attorney. An old fashioned hanging judge, he makes State's Attorneys relax, police witnesses calm down, and defendants shiver. He's also kind a promiscuous man, chasing women with utter disregard for the EEOC and HR. Along comes Kathy Baker, a DOC (Department of Corrections) Probation Officer. She's like many of the Leonard heroines, attractive, gritty and while not amoral clearly someone willing to go all the way to get her man. This is excellent news for Sergeant Gary Hammond, one of the good guys. The bad news for Elvin Crowe and his nephew Dale, two lifetime, recidivist convicts, is that she also means them.

The alligator, Dickey Campeau, Leanne, Earlene, Dr. Tommy, Wesley and Hector all add to the United Nations mish-mash of dysfunction, crime, love and humor.

The dialogue, always a Leonard strong suit, gets better and better. Unfortunately, the plot seems unfocused. It takes a long time to get up a head of steam. We keep floundering around the set-up. What's Elvin going to do? What's Gary going to do? Is Leanne coming home? Is there a second alligator? But then it speeds up and we are led to believe that now, finally, the thrilling climax . . . . only to discover that it slows down . . .to speed up. Tedious. And a lot of unanswered issues and characters.

That's why they give awards to film editing. There was none here.

Good for the charcters and the dialogue; poor for the story and the finale. Larry Scantlebury

Rating:
Summary: memorable characters, disappointing novel
Review: There are few enough decent television series these days for us to be able to let a good one slip away. Unfortunately, the TV version of Maximum Bob, starring Beau Bridges, lasted only a few short weeks. Unfortunate because in this book Elmore Leonard introduces an interesting cast of characters, Kathy Baker, one of his rare female leads, is okay, but Bob "Maximum Bob" Gibbs, a notoriously lecherous and racist judge prone to harsh sentences, and Leanne, the judge's wife, former mermaid at the Weeki Wachee aqua bar, who--since a close encounter with an alligator--has developed a psychic link with a twelve year old slave girl, are both terrific.

These characters, and a copious serving of lowlifes, combine with Leonard's trademark dialogue to make for a colorful story. However, the plot just kind of meanders towards a conclusion and the prodigious final body count seems to reflect the author's desire to end the tale rather than any necessary mechanics of the plot.

Television, which is almost totally character and dialogue driven, and where lack of a coherent plot is to be expected, was an ideal medium for this collection of oddballs. Alas, the show disappeared quickly and though several folks in this intermittently amusing novel are memorable, it doesn't rank among Elmore Leonard's best efforts.

GRADE : B-