Fantastic dialogue. Follows all the conventions of noir, except of course for the inclusion of karma points as a means to control society, the monstrously adult babies, and the bad-mouthed, gun-happy kangaroo. ( )

Months after first reading this I'm still talking about it and recommending it to people, so I suppose that's a good thing, eh? It took me a while to get into it, especially as the main character didn't seem too likable at first. But by the end of the story I was rooting for Conrad and booing the bad guys, so I suppose that's another good thing, eh?

Would recommend for fans of detective stories, dystopias, and kangaroos. ( )

This is an interesting concept. I enjoy both Hard Boiled detective fiction and Science fiction, so a blending of the 2 should be fantastic. Unfortunately, while interesting and well written, there are parts of this book that drag and seem to lost focus. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, or wouldn't recommend it to others. This book takes place in the far future where questions and the printed word are outlawed and only people that are licensed to do so can ask any question at all. A murder takes place and an innocent man is taken down. When our hero, the private-I, digs around he discovers corruption that goes all the way up the chain. All told a good, not great detective / Sci-fi novel, that makes for an interesting read, but ultimately lacks a good finish. ( )

Jonathan Lethem’s Gun, With Occasional Music is excellent noir as well as excellent speculation. For once, I think even the back cover synopsis does a good job of introducing the story.

(Full review at my blog) ( )

This is a curious book, pleasing in many ways. In the bottom of it, Gun, with Occasional Music is a hard-boiled detective story. It's told in first person by a private detective, who becomes involved in a murder case that isn't quite as simple as the law enforcement would like it to be. There are temptresses, gangsters, corrupt law enforcement, all the basic building blocks.

However, there are also developed animals (one particularly nasty kangaroo, for example), legal drugs to keep the population happy, dystopian society where printed word is banned and asking questions requires a permit and all sorts of science fiction weirdness. The combination is slightly odd but as I said, rather pleasing.

Lethem has created a monster, but it's a good monster. The plot is filled with detective genre cliches, but it's not a joke or parody. Events unfold pleasantly quickly and the final twist is delicious. This was a quick read, but left me rather satisfied. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

(Original review at my review blog) ( )