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Quick Change
“Grimm was the only one in town who knew he had them where he wanted them—overconfident.” The hero of Quick Change is just twenty minutes into a bank robbery, and so far everything is going according to his brilliant, meticulously thought-out plan. The bank’s employees and customers are in the vault, the security cameras have all been shot out, and he’s bagged close to a million dollars. But the police and a SWAT team are already outside. Can Grimm get out of the bank and out of New York, with the money and his two accomplices, and pull off this daring escapade?
And why is he dressed like a clown?
Jay Cronley delivers the answers in a rapid-fire narrative—with much more suspense and Cronley’s signature deadpan humor than made it into the French or American film versions (the latter starring Bill Murray and Geena Davis). In an introduction written for this new paperback edition, the author tells how the book came to be, what it’s like to go Hollywood, and where the book has taken him since it was first published in 1981.
And why is he dressed like a clown?
Jay Cronley delivers the answers in a rapid-fire narrative—with much more suspense and Cronley’s signature deadpan humor than made it into the French or American film versions (the latter starring Bill Murray and Geena Davis). In an introduction written for this new paperback edition, the author tells how the book came to be, what it’s like to go Hollywood, and where the book has taken him since it was first published in 1981.
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
2 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Jay Cronley
14 books20 followersJay Cronley (1948 - February 27, 2017) was a former columnist for the Tulsa World and the author of many works of humorous fiction.
Many of Cronley's novels have been made into feature films including, Good Vibes, Quick Change, Funny Farm and Cheap Shot.
Many of Cronley's novels have been made into feature films including, Good Vibes, Quick Change, Funny Farm and Cheap Shot.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 2, 2021
For a movie that has become something of a religion in my family, reading the source material was a great reveal.
+4 for a book that makes me laugh out loud
-1 for an ending that disappoints
I guess I wanted them to still get away with it after all.
Also, this book is a great study in the book -> movie conversion process, and I have a feeling that the writer/director of Romancing The Stone + Bill Murray played a huge part in making this the excellent movie that it turned out to be.
+4 for a book that makes me laugh out loud
-1 for an ending that disappoints
I guess I wanted them to still get away with it after all.
Also, this book is a great study in the book -> movie conversion process, and I have a feeling that the writer/director of Romancing The Stone + Bill Murray played a huge part in making this the excellent movie that it turned out to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2008
Very rarely have I laughed out loud while reading a book that didn't have illustrations. The way that Jay Cronley writes really helps you visualize this well, and a few times I had to put the book down, just so I could stop laughing in order to continue reading. Don't see the movie, it's nowhere near as funny as the book.
February 11, 2021
My 2nd Jay Cronley book (the 1st was Funny Farm).
This one was just as good and fast paced as the last. Like Funny Farm, it was also made into a movie. Starring Bill Murray, Geena Davis, and Randy Quaid, it is one of my favourites.
The book has more going on than the movie though, especially towards the end. It also has a completely different ending, so it was nice to be surprised by that. The writing is quick and funny. It's easy to get caught up in the story and the pages fly by.
Not my last Cronley book...if I can find more.
This one was just as good and fast paced as the last. Like Funny Farm, it was also made into a movie. Starring Bill Murray, Geena Davis, and Randy Quaid, it is one of my favourites.
The book has more going on than the movie though, especially towards the end. It also has a completely different ending, so it was nice to be surprised by that. The writing is quick and funny. It's easy to get caught up in the story and the pages fly by.
Not my last Cronley book...if I can find more.
September 16, 2018
The movie had a better ending.
Read
January 5, 2020Having fond memories of Bill Murray's film adaptation, I was excited to pick this one up. Similar to Donald E. Westlake's Dortmunder series (Cronley mentions Westlake in the dedication), it's tightly-plotted, economically written, and filled with whimsical characters, a helluva lot of fun.
Now I'm looking forward to rewatching the movie.
Now I'm looking forward to rewatching the movie.
April 23, 2025
A rare case of the movie being better than the book. The casting was perfect in the movie, right down to the background characters who didn’t even have any lines! The book had some great side stories, though, but since the movie is easily one of Bill Murray’s top 5 best it’s hard to beat.
August 22, 2014
Quick Change follows the misadventures of career criminal Grimm, his bombshell girlfriend Phyllis, and loose cannon cohort Lackey, as their getaway to the airport from a nearly flawless bank job is repeatedly delayed and complicated by one misfortune after another.
A bit more nihilistic and hard-edged than the 1990 Bill Murray adaptation of the same name, Quick Change is an 80s crime farce in the tradition of authors like Carl Hiaasen, although quite possibly lesser known than it's American film adaptation. It's a straight forward "What else could go wrong?" comic vehicle, as unforeseen errors in judgement and cruel twists of fate keep getting in the way of Grimm's gang and the airport while enraged police chief Rotzinger slowly gains on their trail. Much of the incidents they become involved in along the way mirror absurd societal norms and inner-city frustrations that can make life difficult on even a normal day, which goes a long way towards humanizing the predicaments of the lead characters.
Part of the humor in the novel comes from the narrator's asides into the thoughts and histories of major and minor characters alike, which may be a bit distracting to some readers when time dilates during active scenes in order to diverge into brief insights of a minor character's motivation, but they are generally performed to solid effect. The witty banter the makes up most of the novel's dialogue, however, feels a bit stiff and clunky in some spots, and does less to demonstrate the personalities of characters than the meandering narrator. Sometimes the dialogue isn't as clever as the characters (or author) think it is, but you're guaranteed to laugh when it does hit the mark.
Despite these minor setbacks, it's an overall fun read, especially if you've never seen the 1990 film Quick Change. The 1985 French adaptation Hold-Up bears little resemblance to the source material beyond the clown costume bank robbery, so having seen that beforehand should be less of a hindrance.
A bit more nihilistic and hard-edged than the 1990 Bill Murray adaptation of the same name, Quick Change is an 80s crime farce in the tradition of authors like Carl Hiaasen, although quite possibly lesser known than it's American film adaptation. It's a straight forward "What else could go wrong?" comic vehicle, as unforeseen errors in judgement and cruel twists of fate keep getting in the way of Grimm's gang and the airport while enraged police chief Rotzinger slowly gains on their trail. Much of the incidents they become involved in along the way mirror absurd societal norms and inner-city frustrations that can make life difficult on even a normal day, which goes a long way towards humanizing the predicaments of the lead characters.
Part of the humor in the novel comes from the narrator's asides into the thoughts and histories of major and minor characters alike, which may be a bit distracting to some readers when time dilates during active scenes in order to diverge into brief insights of a minor character's motivation, but they are generally performed to solid effect. The witty banter the makes up most of the novel's dialogue, however, feels a bit stiff and clunky in some spots, and does less to demonstrate the personalities of characters than the meandering narrator. Sometimes the dialogue isn't as clever as the characters (or author) think it is, but you're guaranteed to laugh when it does hit the mark.
Despite these minor setbacks, it's an overall fun read, especially if you've never seen the 1990 film Quick Change. The 1985 French adaptation Hold-Up bears little resemblance to the source material beyond the clown costume bank robbery, so having seen that beforehand should be less of a hindrance.
September 1, 2021
It’s like “After Hours” but with bank robbers. And like “After Hours”, it’s kind of exhausting. You really want them to get away with it, if only so they don’t have to keep getting stuck in zany mishaps.
The humor skews a little too boomer-y for my taste, but it’s funny more often than not. It’s that sense of humor that shows up in those ‘80s comedies starring SNL alums. All things considered, it’s a fun, breezy ride.
The humor skews a little too boomer-y for my taste, but it’s funny more often than not. It’s that sense of humor that shows up in those ‘80s comedies starring SNL alums. All things considered, it’s a fun, breezy ride.
March 10, 2014
The writing has problems. It's clunky at times, the moments where the characters think they're being funny usually fall flat, and it was a bit of a slog at times. When the author goes off on a tangent, it is only occasionally rewarding.
But as an outline for a better movie, it was three stars all the way.
But as an outline for a better movie, it was three stars all the way.
July 10, 2009
I sought out this book as a HUGE fan of the 1990 film. It followed a slightly different path from the movie, and the ending was completely different, but it's still hilarious. There were pages that made me laugh out loud. It's a great, entertaining read.
April 25, 2013
A churlish clown, a hot broad and a bumbling sidekick rob a bank and the escape goes haywire, resulting in some comic misadventures. Funny critic quote on the back cover of my copy of this novel. "Amusing!" --Chattanooga Times. Says it pretty aptly.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews