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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Western Con Men Mix It Up With Cuban Revolutionaries in 1898, 14 May 2004
To me, the strength of Elmore Leonard has always been in his dialogue. He has an ability to capture the venacular that is almost unsurpassed, and his crime novels "ring" true with an amazing resonance as a consequence. When we hear those cadences and accents, we know the real nature of the characters and their thoughts in a subliminal and subconscious way. Moving this "crime story" to Cuba during the Spanish American war means that the currency of the dialogue is lost on us. So the book becomes dependent on the plot and characterizations to entertain us. Both areas are a little stronger than usual for Mr. Leonard, but not as strong as they should be. The descriptions of the geographic settings are much better than Mr. Leonard usually does, and that element greatly improves this book.The book's concept is an intriguing one. Take some Americans in Cuba who are directly and indirectly involved in the Spanish-American War, and use that plot complication to develop their relationships and characters. The execution unfortunately falls short of the full potential of the concept. The Americans and Cuban revolutionaries are pretty cynically "in it for the money" whenever there is any to be made. Their sense of honor is most seriously engaged when they are not being treated fairly in business dealings. Ho hum! The book's action begins with the American battleship, Maine, recently sunk in Havana's harbor. Two Americans have arrived ostensibly to sell some horses and cattle, but really to smuggle in weapons for the Cuban revolutionaries who oppose the Spanish. Things start to go wrong when the Spanish offend one of the Americans, leading to a shooting. Matters get worse when the horse buyer reneges on his offer of full payment. Following the shooting, the two Americans find themselves in prison while the Spanish try to find the weapons that were smuggled in. Things look bleak, and they get bleaker. Along the way, Ben Tyler finds that a fellow prisoner is a Marine from the Maine who is wrongfully imprisoned by the Spanish as well. With the help of the revolutionaries, Tyler finds himself able to pursue his opportunities to find love and a fortune in Cuba. The second half of the book involves a very detailed scam in which the double crosses pile on top of each other quite rapidly in classic Leonard style. The Tyler character parallels that of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. You learn what he is about by how he handles his trials. A man of great perseverance, his weakness is striking to take what he feels to be his by right . . . even when that doesn't make much sense. As a result, he finds himself getting into unnecesary and dangerous trouble. But on occasion, his ability to strike like a rattlesnake enables him to serve himself and others well. He certainly is a good man to have as your friend, and a bad man to have as your enemy. If you are feeling lonely for a western-style novel, this one may fit the bill. If you have read relatively few, I suggest that you read Owen Wister's, The Virginian, instead. After you finish enjoying this novel, I suggest that you think about how you respond to challenges to your honor and safety. Are you too aggressive, not aggressive enough, or oblivious? What do you need to change in order to respond quickly and appropriately? Remember what Davey Crockett used to say, "Be sure you're right, then go ahead."
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by Graham Greene
by Elmore Leonard
by Elmore Leonard
by Pedro Juan Gutierrez
~ Seasick Steve
