The Choirboys

Written in the 70s by an ex-cop, this is a darkly funny and bitter book, with a sharp edge of reality. 'Choir practice is where your average cop meets up to let off steam through drink, drugs and group sex. It's a secret and by invite only so when something bad happens, all hell breaks loose.

There are two great things about this: firstly the mix of tone from intensely funny to sad and disturbing and secondly the odd story structure. I was doubtful at first as it indicated a short story approach as each pair of partnered cops get their own chapter interspersed with glimpses of choir practice. But to my surprise the author makes it work very well, gently building layers upon layer of character and plot until the we catch up with current show more events. So as understanding grows so does the plot and you are slowly reeled in and hooked, especially towards the end as we begin to understand what happened and what the outcome will be.

All of the cops are flawed, some are deeply unpleasant sadists but at heart sympathy lies with them, highlighting that the number one cop killer is suicide. All the authors disgust for the upper echelons of the police force and it's here that the book really shines. Cops on the beat are ignored and blamed with equal measure and that makes a dark reality invade the book and gives even more of an edge.

A must for any lover of crime novels or black humour. This is a great big noisy book, that gets in your face and won't let go. Highly recommended. show less

Very Good

Blackly humorous look at cop culture in the 1970’s

Waumburgh establishes a cast of very memorable and very flawed characters through a series of interconnected stories. The cops who take part in “choir practise” go to a local park to let off steam through drink, drugs and group sex. Each partnership is explored through episodes of investigation and glimpses of choir practise. Inexorably leading to the inevitable denouement where it all comes crashing down.

Overall - It reads like a darker vision of the humour of MASH.

St. Bart's 2015 #1 - Slow-starter that eventually picked up steam & led to a somewhat sad, but powerful conclusion. Dated with respect to attitudes of the time in the 1970's towards blacks, gays, etc., yet those attitudes reveal so blatantly the impossible task LA policemen had in attempting to carry out their duties. Such a thankless job.....then & today, I'm sure. Constant conflicts between right & wrong, between accepted behavior amongst police & an offence if done by the public, and an entire system established to attempt to uphold moral standards of society run by an insidiously corrupt hierarchy. Normal guys, mostly younger, struggling with their own demons while sent out to police those of others. Sometimes funny, oftentimes show more surprising, powerful & disturbing all rolled into one. Wambaugh succeeds by never letting us lose touch with the inherent human goodness always lurking in most of the cops. I surprised myself with the ranking I am giving...much better than I would have predicted partway through....definitely worth finishing to the end, in spite of the sadness. show less

Obviously Wambaugh was able to tell this story because he experienced some parts of it, whether directly or indirectly, during his years with the LAPD. Although fiction, you could substitute the familiar phrase "the names have been changed to protect the innocent" in it's place. This is a fascinating look at what it was like to be a patrol cop in LA in the very early 70's, from angles of young, old, black, white, smart, dumb, dark twisted humor and unintentional acts with tragic consequences. Introducing the officers by how they were partnered was ingenious. Partners, even those that hated each other, had a bond that was like no other relationship in their lives. At the end, you can't help but feel compassion for all involved, knowing show more they were all basically decent people living in a very strange place and time. show less

I read this book years ago when it first came out. It is definitely a snapshot in time and given everything that has come out about the LAPD since it was written, it really speaks to the culture that existed in the past.

This is the 1970’s and sexism, free love and political incorrectness runs rife. A group of police officers convene an unofficial support group/drunken bacchanal in the park at Echo Lake where they vent about their job as police officers.

Each chapter focuses on a pair of officers and the things that occur on their shifts. Sometimes the stories are funny, sometimes they are sad and at others they are terribly tragic.

Don’t look for anything other than a dated portrait of policing in Los Angeles circa the 1970’s and show more an entertaining novel. It is just a fun romp. If you haven’t read any Wambaugh, this is an easy introduction to him and an opportunity to get to read his style.

There may be more current books but Wambaugh was one of the earliest writers to pull the curtain back on 20th century police work. show less

The Choirboys is a well written story of a group of hard-drinking cops. But it is a classic bloke's novel. The plot is a guy plot, the humor is man humor, the primary characters are guys - you have to accept it, like it or dislike it, and move on. A tale that features often raunchy humor and situations, it's not the type of story that everyone will enjoy.
I'm still not sure how I feel about this one - I swung between wanting to beat them all round the heads to the edge of my seat.

Shocking, moving and frequently hilarious, this is a standout novel. Why don't American Lit programs teach Wambaugh instead of posers like Delillo, Pynchon and Mailer?