Soon the Rest Will Fall: A Novel

by Peter Plate

It seems like everyone in California is going to prison these days. And as another hot Christmas approaches in San Francisco, Robert Grogan and Slatts Calhoun are about to make the street after a stretch in San Quentin. On the inside Robert and Slatts were inmates and lovers, but Robert has a young wife and a daughter on the outside and they’re probably not going to be thrilled about sharing him with Slatts. Trouble waits for them in the whitened winter sunlight of the city.
Bleak and magical, afflicted with winos, yuppies, lawyers, tourists, parole officers, drug dealers, and cops, Soon the Rest Will Fall tells a tale of blight, recidivism, and transcendent love. Peter Plate brings us his best work to date—a manic, intensely human, and lyrical portrait of two cons trying to make it in the sweltering holiday madhouse of a three-time loser’s city by the bay.

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Named a Literary Laureate of San Francisco in 2004, PETER PLATE taught himself to write fiction during eight years spent squatting in abandoned buildings. He is the author of many novels, beginning with Black Wheel of Anger (1990) and continuing through his seven neo-noir "psychic histories" of San Francisco, where he still lives and writes today.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, disappointingly so. Shame really as I remember loving some of early novels.

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I'd been thinking about reading a Peter Plate book for a while now, since (a) he's a San Francisco-based author and (b) he spoke at the anarchist bookfair one year. Ok, so I did find him obnoxious at the book fair but I figured I'd give his books a chance, since I do like reading books by SF authors.

Unfortunately, this book sucked.

First, please - the book takes place during a major heat wave in SF in December. Um, I don't think so. Unless you consider a heat wave 70 degrees. Seriously, I've lived here a long time and I don't recall it ever getting up to the 90s in December for days on end. (Believe me, if it had I would have been rejoicing.) I guess it was supposed to be hot to add "grit" to the book, but come on, this is San Francisco, not L.A. Maybe this is a minor point but it pissed me off.

Second, I really wanted the asshat main character to get sent back to prison. What a waste of a life. Couldn't find any sympathy for him.

Third, something about his writing of female characters seemed off. He would say: "she was wearing..." and describe the women's clothes, but other than that I didn't get much sense of them as characters.

Oh well. I don't think I'll be reading another Peter Plate book for a while.

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

San Francisco noir under a sweltering Christmas heatwave, as told by someone who knows how to craft truly jaw-dropping imagery, among the parolees and whores cluster around the heart of the city that is 5th and Market. Plate can quote entire pages of his work from memory, and is one of the most mesmerizing orators I have ever heard. If Elmore Leonard was the guy herding 3 shopping carts down Bryant Street, this is the stuff he would write.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Plate's eighth novel, and while it brims with energy and street cred (Plate was a squatter for a while), the story itself isn't that interesting. There are countless books about the problems ex-cons face in trying to "make it" on the outside, and this one doesn't add much to genre. For full review, see http://www.amazon.com/review/R2PUEUXS...

[Melissa Rotkiewicz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing and depressing. The plot line had real potential, but Plate fell far short. His characters were all unlikable, even the dog and the kid. This story made me never want to visit San Fransisco. I read in the back that Plate is self-taught - that's obvious by this book. I wish he had had some training, as this had the potential to be a great book.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok, nothing mind blowing, but certainly kept me interested. quick read.

[Gregoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. It makes me want to read more from him though.