Gary K. Wolf

Cleverly written, lots of fun dialogue and descriptions. Homage to The Maltese Falcon, DOA, the Arabian Nights, and all the other hard-boiled detective stories with femmes fatales. 'Toons are treated like second-class citizens. The ending was unexpected and satisfying.

Twenty-five years after Zemeckis establishes Roger and Jessica Rabbit as nostalgic icons in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," I was delighted to discover that the rather silly film from my youth is in fact based on a novel by Gary K. Wolf published six years earlier: Who Censored Roger Rabbit?

Wolf's novel again demonstrates the familiar adage that the book is better than the movie. While Zemeckis' film is goofy and cute but ultimately shallow (to memory - it's been a very long time), Wolf's novel show more is a brilliant and entertaining satire. A parody of gritty noir novels, Wolf's novel paints a grim picture of racism and prejudice, establishing Toons as a second class of citizens trying to better their own lives. Responding to a rumor that someone is attempting to buy his contract and make him a star, Roger hires Eddie to look into his employer, who apparently refuses to sell. Along the way it comes to light that Jessica Rabbit has left Roger for this same employer, and it's not to play patty-cake.

The further Eddie gets into Roger's case, the more complicated it becomes, as elements of racism and criminal activities compound the seemingly useless investigation. Eventually bodies start piling up, and Eddie is left with conclusions that some character's don't want to hear.

For me, it is the conclusion that makes this story: the ridiculous resolution at first seems to challenge narrative development, but in reflection is perfectly suited to the Toons involved. Ultimately, it is the characterization - and the confirmation that even good guys can be bad guys - that makes the story so satisfying, regardless of the turn of events.

I am so glad I found Wolf's novel; Roger Rabbit will never seem the same, and I like him better for it. show less

It's a Good Mystery - But Takes Too Long to Get There

I really enjoyed Wolf's first Roger Rabbit novel - and I enjoyed the film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", quite a bit - so, I expected to like this book a good deal. I did, more or less. The problem is that it overindulges in some of the pulp fiction tropes to the point where the novel became a bit of a slog to read. I dug the characters and the mystery, but it was just exhausting to get through this book at times. I could only recommend it to show more mega Roger Rabbit fans. show less

At the start of this book, I felt I would not enjoy it as much as the first, but as soon as a short relative of Jessica’s was introduced, I laughed all the way to the end. Gary has the witty patter down p-p-p-perfectly. I have such fond memories of the film, but feel as though the rabbit written here is worth loving all over again. I’m also left feeling a mite sorry for him, which only adds to the charm of these stories. Another surprise to enjoy was a whole new take of how Gone With the show more Wind was cast. show less