Old school ...
Have begun reading the latest "Spenser" novel.
Am reading an actual book. The Kindle thing
gets old fast. I'm a product of my own upbringing
and the physical book is a comfort to me ...
no matter the advantages of computer technology.
(One reason is, the protagonist keeps referring
to locations in Boston that I can look for on the map
printed inside the front cover. Sorta keep my orientation
correct.)
Am not sure that I care for this particular "Spenser" story.
When Robert B. Parker died in 2010, I sorta figured
that Spencer and Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall
would all disappear from the fictional world of
the New England that Parker used as his settings.
Jesse Stone has become Tom Selleck's movie
character and will continue to live at CBS.
There appears to now be some effort afoot at
keeping Spenser alive as well.
This novel that I'm reading, titled "Lullaby," is
one such attempt. It's been ghost-written by one
Ace Atkins, a published crime novelist who I'd never
before heard of. While he makes a valiant effort to
capture that insouciant demeanor of Spenser, he doesn't
quite pull it off. The once easy, teasing, dialogue
between Spenser and Hawk seems put on, now forced.
As protagonist and narrator, Spenser's use of language
does not ring true to my inner ear, to my memory of
dialog in books past. Close ... but no cigar.
It may be that I'm just a prejudiced olde phart
longing for what used to be but for right now,
I'll give this book a grade of C.
-Fini
PS: How good is this book?
Well, I'm almost done reading it and am so bored that I
don't care what happens to any of the cast of characters.
Am not sure I'll finish it.
PPS: I finished it. I'll let the grade of C stand.
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