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Loading... The Prone Gunman (original 1982; edition 2006)by Jean-Patrick Manchette (Author)
Work InformationThe Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette (1982)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Beautifully written and spare, this story of a less-than-brilliant gunman looking to retire is a bit reminiscent of something James Sallis at his best might write. The situations and the settings are all very well done. There is even a bit of humor. This is about as noir as it gets. Obviously, a great translation! Martin Terrier is an excellent and highly compensated assassin. But now, at age 28, it is time for him to retire. Ten years previously he left his hometown as an impoverished youth, telling Anne the rich girl he loved that he would be back in ten years to claim her after having made his fortune. Unfortunately, the organization he works for does not want to let him go. Murder and mayhem ensue--this is noir, noir most violent and gory. I lost track of the body count early on. The author wrote ten short novels in the 1970's and early 1980's which were described as "violent existential explorations of the human condition and French society." His books have many fans, and a couple have been reissued as NYRB books. I found the prose and writing of this book to be good, but I found the story became a bit farcical--I'm just not a fan of crime books (or movies) that are "all action." I've now read two books by this author, and I'm done. 2 1/2 stars no reviews | add a review
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Mystery.
HTML: Martin Terrier is a hired killer who wants out of the game so he can settle down and marry his childhood sweetheart, Anne. After all, that's why he took up this profession in the first place. But the organization won't let him goâ??they have other, more deadly plans for him. There's a visiting politician, an Arab oil magnate, whom they want assassinated, and Terrier is their man. Once again, the gunman must assume the prone shooting positionâ??but not everything goes according to plan. A tour de force, this violent tale shatters as many illusions about life and politics as it does bodies. It is perhaps the finest work from the pen of Jean-Patrick Manchette No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)843.914Literature French and related languages French fiction Modern Period 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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There are murders and kidnappings that Martin gets caught up in, caused by his former boss at the shadowy firm. He’s meant to be a scapegoat. There’s the Anne issue. Maybe he comes out on top – it’s subject to interpretation. And then there’s his father’s legacy. There’s more to the story than assassinations, murder and conspiracies. That’s what set this book aside from others of the genre. ( )