One of The Book Shopper’s charter members Dave from Seattle recently sent me two book reviews to post at my leisure on crime novelist George V. Higgins (1939-1999). He wrote both The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1970) and Cogan’s Trade (1974). I vaguely remember the former since I read it while I was high school, and I believe it received a fair amount of attention because the author was an Assistant United States Attorney in Boston at the time he wrote his debut novel Coyle.
Dave is eminently qualified. Not only does he obtain books with thrift in mind (as you will see in his review), but he is also familiar with the genre. His wife the poet/writer Laurie Blauner once gave him the boxed set of the Library of America’s Crime Novels of the 1960s for his birthday.
Coincidently, crime noir is enjoying a revival locally as A Cappella Books, a major Atlanta bookseller has added pulp fiction to its long list of Reading Clubs to start in January. The second book on the list—you guessed it!—The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Here’s Dave’s thoughts:
George V. Higgins: The Friends of Eddie Coyle, 1970. Another book from one of our local Free Little Libraries. While not the sort of crime fiction in my usual rotation, I recalled praise for this one in the context of the filmed version done some years later. And I was not disappointed. The novel (the first for Higgins, who had been an Assistant US Attorney in Boston) is told almost exclusively in dialog, with minimal omniscient narration. The book works because it’s short and the dialog incredibly vivid. To be clear however, this is not pulp fiction—with apologies to Gertrude Stein, there’s most definitely a “there there” behind the dialog.
Like much good literature, I wouldn’t call The Friends of Eddie Coyle a fast easy read. To his credit, Higgins makes you work a bit. New characters are introduced mostly with fresh dialog—this may require you to go back a few times to get your bearings, but it is definitely worth the effort.
Reportedly, Higgins based his characters (and their way of speaking) on listening to hours of court-ordered wiretaps. In summary, one of the most vivid “you are there” novels I have ever read. Highly recommended with bonus points for frequent mention of Boston locations for extra authenticity.
George V. Higgins: Cogan’s Trade, 1974. Coincidentally, I came across the one in a different Little Free Library. The second novel from Higgins is decidedly less compelling. Though also told almost exclusively in dialog, the dialog here is more long soliloquies and less short interaction between characters. I kept losing track of who was who and who did what and where and when they did it. Recommended only for serious Higgins fans.
Thanks, Dave. Coming soon: Best Books Read of 2024.
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