tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post4355155531906105396..comments2024-03-18T11:01:42.459-05:00Comments on Pretty Sinister Books: The Monkey's Raincoat - Robert CraisJ F Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-35396240632517171732015-07-30T11:10:35.399-05:002015-07-30T11:10:35.399-05:00I've been meaning to get around to MONKEY'...I've been meaning to get around to MONKEY'S RAINCOAT for years, as I'm trying to read the great modern detective novels. This one turns up on lots of lists. Your criticisms seem valid although I think I might like that retro TV vibe. And I'm intrigued by this relationship between Cole and Joe Pike--I wonder how it compares to, say, Robicheaux and Cletus Purcel in James Lee Burke's novels or Easy Rawlins and Mouse in Walter Mosley's. Love that stuff!Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-22615386133194961072015-07-30T02:19:00.010-05:002015-07-30T02:19:00.010-05:00I've had this one on the TBR, along with LA RE...I've had this one on the TBR, along with LA REQUIEM, for years and years - must dislodge one of his books (I used to like his stuff on TV in the 80s) - thanks for the detailed review John - hard not to want to start with this one but I'll make sure I try a later one too, as you suggest (when I type, I listen ... sic)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-55967431284809834412015-07-25T19:19:59.583-05:002015-07-25T19:19:59.583-05:00I'm convinced that your sister-in-law is right...I'm convinced that your sister-in-law is right on the money, John. I hope you won't give up on Crais. I suppose I'll wait and see. We can still be friends no matter what. Maybe. :)Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-54445824220730397332015-07-24T17:42:45.505-05:002015-07-24T17:42:45.505-05:00"brand name dropping like some kind of verbal..."brand name dropping like some kind of verbal product placement gone wild, jokes based on TV pop culture, [...] "<br /><br />When I see writing like this I blame Stephen King. His books, especially from the 70s and 80s were glutted with those kind of references.<br /><br />But to be fair, in his case, he was working to tie supernatural plots to some kind of day-to-day reality. Jee Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18217405064210778890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-19261884633744452822015-07-24T13:27:54.212-05:002015-07-24T13:27:54.212-05:00I got a glimmer of that friendship here. There is ...I got a glimmer of that friendship here. There is a discussion of that intimacy you refer to in THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT. It's almost offhand in an exchange of dialogue Elvis has with Ellen Lang. My sister-in-law used to talk about how a certain type of man is drawn to the military in order to seek out that kind of nonsexual male intimacy because it seems completely unattainable in the real world. Some men need to be with men in order to grow and they develop genuine love for each other not just loyalty or respect. She described how one of her sons when he became a Marine had a closer, deeper, almost profound relationship with his colleagues than with any of his family including her.<br /><br />I do plan to read a few more of Crais' books. I didn't completely slam this book, you know. I was just harsher on it than most people would be.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-20278681870760385572015-07-24T11:36:47.459-05:002015-07-24T11:36:47.459-05:00Never mind the humor, John, though it is attractiv...Never mind the humor, John, though it is attractive (at least to me). It's about the friendship. THAT'S what is best about this series. And I must say that when Robert is writing about Joe and Elvis' more serious doings, he's just as effective. Near the end of LA REQUIEM he breaks my heart. Oh, I do want you to like this series. Don't give up. Begin with the titles I mentioned. Or work backwards as Robert suggests. This guy is really doing terrific work, John.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-80811263916812542822015-07-24T00:44:19.523-05:002015-07-24T00:44:19.523-05:00Oh I knew you would chime in, Yvette! :^D You...Oh I knew you would chime in, Yvette! :^D You're right -- there are great moments. The one you mention made me smile. I also liked the bit where he pretends to be a delivery guy in order to gain entry into an exclusive apartment complex. But overall I was not impressed by one of your favorite fictional characters in his debut. I'm willing to give these books a second try. I liked a lot of the book, but this just didn't Wow me as I expected it to. I think it's overpraised for it amounts to. People like it for its humor, I get that. It's just not my kind of humor. The whole plot just reeked of TV crime shows gone over the top. I wanted something different, not something familiar.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-23418006918303439862015-07-24T00:22:27.083-05:002015-07-24T00:22:27.083-05:00I'm in complete disagreement with you on this,...I'm in complete disagreement with you on this, John. I love the Elvis and Joe books beginning at the beginning. I'm not saying they're all equally good, but on the whole, this is my favorite detective series. I find Elvis endearing and funny and competent. (I'm very big on competence.) I'm in awe of Joe Pike. These two make one whole far as I'm concerned - that's what the books are really about: friendship. While I consider LA REQUIEM, Crais' masterpiece of the series, I wouldn't recommend reading it first (even if Robert does), since, to my mind, there is much the reader would miss by not being familiar with the depth of Elvis and Joe's friendship. It's about complete trust between two men, something Robert writes about beautifully. I always say that Elvis and Joe are as close as two men can be without having sex. There's no other series that has this kind of connection for me. <br /><br />Some of the books have laugh out loud moments that I can actually remember - you know how that goes with old lady memory. A memorable moment from THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT that I remember even to this day: .Elvis goes in to the cop shop to be questioned on the murder case he's involved in and as he walks through the station, he notices the sexy female cop whom all the other cops have been eyeing and trying to date. He goes in to be interviewed and comes out quite a bit later. The female cop says something like, "I thought you weren't going to talk." Elvis says, deadpan, "They broke my spirit." The cop gives him her phone number while all the other guys groan. Well, I mean, how could she not? He makes her laugh.<br /><br />"They broke my spirit." SO funny. So typical Elvis. I also love when he answers the phone, "Hello, world's greatest detective speaking." I can't help it, it just makes me smile.<br /><br />Later in several other books, there are moments just as low-key funny. And some not so low-key as in the restaurant scene in FREE FALL. Then there's Joe Pike reaction to the kids who hire Elvis to find their father in INDIGO SLAM.<br /><br />There are also very serious moments - the scene in LA LULLABY near the end when a bunch of bad guys hunt Elvis and Joe in the woods - some of Robert's best writing and this was in an early book. Terrific stuff. Then the scene in FREE FALL when Elvis and Joe break out of jail. Fabulous. Occasionally I go back and just reread my favorite bits from the books and each time I'm delighted.<br /><br />In my opinion, I would read LA LULLABY, FREE FALL, INDIGO SLAM and LA REQUIEM, to get to really know Elvis and Joe. If that doesn't do it, then there's no hope for you. :)<br /><br />Sorry I ran on and on, but my affection for this series knows no limit.<br /><br />I also love the later Joe Pike books (told from Pike's point of view). But no one will ever replace Elvis. Sometimes I think that Pike wouldn't exist if it weren't for Elvis. But there, don't get me started again...Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-25907881813044275942015-07-23T14:51:40.015-05:002015-07-23T14:51:40.015-05:00Very helpful review, John. I have read this book a...Very helpful review, John. I have read this book and the 2nd one but that was probably ten years ago. I was curious how you would like this. I have no. 3 and I will probably go ahead and read that one, but may also hop ahead later to LA Requiem and see if I like that better. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-54388676748385510662015-07-23T10:53:21.396-05:002015-07-23T10:53:21.396-05:00John: I have read most of the Elvis Cole mysteries...John: I have read most of the Elvis Cole mysteries. I will disagree on this one. I thought Elvis was genuinely funny. I found him light hearted and a change from the dour sleuths I find so often in crime fiction. It this book I thought Joe Pike was a "good" character. I like the earlier Cole mysteries better. In particular, I find Joe's violence overwhelming in later mysteries.Bill Selneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-56703999169914542112015-07-23T04:12:10.100-05:002015-07-23T04:12:10.100-05:00I'm with you on this one - I read it, quite en...I'm with you on this one - I read it, quite enjoyed it, but could never see what all the fuss was about it. I didn't read any more, thinking I had given him his chance: I'll be interested to see what you make of his later ones, see if I should be reading them. I bet you are right about his writing it earlier, I see that quite often in books.Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-14531839055498894132015-07-22T23:15:56.772-05:002015-07-22T23:15:56.772-05:00Did not appeal much to me too, John. The character...Did not appeal much to me too, John. The characters were for the most part predictable and Ellen Lang's transformation simply did not ring true.neerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01986509319841061021noreply@blogger.com