Book Tour: Things Get Ugly by Joe R. Lansdale
- In the 1950s, a young small-town projectionist mixes it up with a violent gang.
- When Mr. Bear is not alerting us to the dangers of forest fires, he lives a life of debauchery and murder.
- A brother and sister travel to Oklahoma to recover the dead body of their uncle.
- A lonely man engages in dubious acts while pining for his rubber duckie.
The short story: Violent, clever, at times funny, crime stories
Things Get Ugly by crime author Lansdale is a compilation of his best short stories and together they pack quite a punch. If you are not familiar with the setting of Lansdale’s characters, prepare yourself; it's a dark, gritty, dog-eat-dog world and not for the faint of heart. Lansdale drills down into the genesis of crime: greed, jealousy, desperation and a total absence of morality. His characters are laced with violence, anger, a strong survival instinct and a total lack of compassion for their fellow humans. For every bad dude there’s an ever badder one lurking around the corner. Most would probably terrify their psychiatrist, if they had one.
The stories, for the most part, are set in rural Texas locations which lends them a Deliverance vibe. Most are contemporary but my favorite, Driving to Geronimo’s Grave, is set in the past and is laugh out loud funny with a killer ending.
It’s not just the humans that are committing the crimes, as the author offers up stories of talking bears, ghosts and ghouls. Nothing and no one is off limits.
Well crafted with a stiletto sharp wit, Lansdale carves up his victims with imaginative glee, dispatching them in the most horrific of manners. Hannibal could take lessons from this book.
08/08/23 |
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08/08/23 |
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08/09/23 |
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08/09/23 |
BONUS Stop |
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08/10/23 |
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08/11/23 |
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08/12/23 |
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08/13/23 |
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08/14/23 |
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08/15/23 |
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08/15/23 |
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08/16/23 |
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08/17/23 |
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I LOVE this review -- you perfectly get your point across that whatever Lansdale is writes, he delivers in aces. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYour review is spot on. I appreciate your POV and agree Mr. Lansdale pulls no punches and adds surprises along the wild read.
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