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Jack Foley #1
Out of Sight
In his latest work, the unrivaled master of the crime novel once again breaks all the rules as he redefines the standards of the art. Out of Sight crackles with originality and wicked brilliance, displaying all the razor-sharp dialogue, inimitable wit, and memorable characters who have become the signature of "our greatest crime novelist...the best in the business" ( The Washington Post ).
Deputy U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is just stopping off to serve a summons and complaint on Florida's Glades Prison. She's all decked out in her black Chanel suit and heels, but ready with her pump-action shotgun when the breakout begins, minutes after she pulls into the prison parking lot. But she's not ready for Jack Foley, the celebrity con who disarms her, invites her to climb into the trunk of her own car, and then joins her as his pal Buddy guns the blue Caprice onto the highway, heading for freedom. Squeezed into a trunk littered with handcuffs and tactical gear, the escapee bank robber is a perfect gentleman who shares her passion for movies and wonders if it would be different if they'd met in a bar.
Karen escapes and they do meet again. Only this time she's part of the federal task force hunting the escapees. This time she's sitting in the bar of the Detroit Westin, nursing a sour mash and watching a blizzard outside. This time Foley finds her. First some cocktails and conversation. Then Time Out. In Karen's suite. "You like taking risks," she says. "So do I."
Next morning Foley's gone and Karen's out to get him. She cruises Detroit's mean street and boxing hangouts looking for Foley, Buddy, and a hardcase named Maurice, one step behind them as they plot the biggest heist of their careers--and a double cross that will leave only one man holding the goods. This time Karen means business as she races toward a hair-raising climax that careens pell-mell into suspense-writing history.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is just stopping off to serve a summons and complaint on Florida's Glades Prison. She's all decked out in her black Chanel suit and heels, but ready with her pump-action shotgun when the breakout begins, minutes after she pulls into the prison parking lot. But she's not ready for Jack Foley, the celebrity con who disarms her, invites her to climb into the trunk of her own car, and then joins her as his pal Buddy guns the blue Caprice onto the highway, heading for freedom. Squeezed into a trunk littered with handcuffs and tactical gear, the escapee bank robber is a perfect gentleman who shares her passion for movies and wonders if it would be different if they'd met in a bar.
Karen escapes and they do meet again. Only this time she's part of the federal task force hunting the escapees. This time she's sitting in the bar of the Detroit Westin, nursing a sour mash and watching a blizzard outside. This time Foley finds her. First some cocktails and conversation. Then Time Out. In Karen's suite. "You like taking risks," she says. "So do I."
Next morning Foley's gone and Karen's out to get him. She cruises Detroit's mean street and boxing hangouts looking for Foley, Buddy, and a hardcase named Maurice, one step behind them as they plot the biggest heist of their careers--and a double cross that will leave only one man holding the goods. This time Karen means business as she races toward a hair-raising climax that careens pell-mell into suspense-writing history.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
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About the author
Elmore Leonard
213 books3,714 followersElmore John Leonard lived in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis before settling in Detroit in 1935. After serving in the navy, he studied English literature at the University of Detroit where he entered a short story competition. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
Father of Peter Leonard.
Father of Peter Leonard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
August 30, 2013
Ace bank robber Jack Foley breaks out of jail with every intention of resuming his old ways until he runs into US Marshal Karen Sisco. Sparks fly and each find themselves conflicted. Will Karen be able to do her job and bring Foley in when the time comes?
Out of Sight is the story of Jack Foley, bank robber extraordinaire, and Karen Sisco, bad ass US Marshal bent on bringing him in after he escapes from a prison and the two of them get locked in the trunk of a car when she happens to be in the prison parking lot.
Like all Leonard books, the lines between good and bad are as blurred as a photo of the Loch Ness monster. Jack and Buddy, while bank robbers, don't seem like bad guys. I like that Leonard made Jack likeable without feeling the need to Robin Hood him up. Karen's a capable lady and I love the relationship she has with her PI father.
Leonard did a good job with the relationship between Foley and Sisco as well. In lesser hands, it could have easily degenerated into romantic comedy drivel but Leonard makes it work. Without giving it away, they don't ride out into the sunset at the end and you get the feeling the time period in the book is all they'll ever have.
The really bad guys in this one, Maurice, Kenneth, and White Boy, are pretty bad by Leonard standards. I don't recall many of Leonard's other antagonists being rapists. They made Foley and Buddy look like angels by comparison.
Like a lot of Leonard's books, the tension builds until the shootout at the end. Can Karen set aside her feelings and bring Jack in when the chips are down? You'll have to read and see. As always, the dialog is as smooth as 40 year old whiskey.
For my closing remarks, it was interesting that one of the characters mentioned Pulp Fiction since Tarrantino's next movie was Jackie Brown, based on Rum Punch, an Elmore Leonard novel that features Ray Nicolette, who is briefly in this book. Also interesting, Karen's contact in Detroit is Raymond Cruz, hero of City Primeval!
Some Elmore Leonard books are awesome and some are just ok. This one is out of sight! Get it? 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Out of Sight is the story of Jack Foley, bank robber extraordinaire, and Karen Sisco, bad ass US Marshal bent on bringing him in after he escapes from a prison and the two of them get locked in the trunk of a car when she happens to be in the prison parking lot.
Like all Leonard books, the lines between good and bad are as blurred as a photo of the Loch Ness monster. Jack and Buddy, while bank robbers, don't seem like bad guys. I like that Leonard made Jack likeable without feeling the need to Robin Hood him up. Karen's a capable lady and I love the relationship she has with her PI father.
Leonard did a good job with the relationship between Foley and Sisco as well. In lesser hands, it could have easily degenerated into romantic comedy drivel but Leonard makes it work. Without giving it away, they don't ride out into the sunset at the end and you get the feeling the time period in the book is all they'll ever have.
The really bad guys in this one, Maurice, Kenneth, and White Boy, are pretty bad by Leonard standards. I don't recall many of Leonard's other antagonists being rapists. They made Foley and Buddy look like angels by comparison.
Like a lot of Leonard's books, the tension builds until the shootout at the end. Can Karen set aside her feelings and bring Jack in when the chips are down? You'll have to read and see. As always, the dialog is as smooth as 40 year old whiskey.
For my closing remarks, it was interesting that one of the characters mentioned Pulp Fiction since Tarrantino's next movie was Jackie Brown, based on Rum Punch, an Elmore Leonard novel that features Ray Nicolette, who is briefly in this book. Also interesting, Karen's contact in Detroit is Raymond Cruz, hero of City Primeval!
Some Elmore Leonard books are awesome and some are just ok. This one is out of sight! Get it? 4.5 out of 5 stars!
April 30, 2019
3.5★
“Another guy, he goes in the bank holding a bottle he says is nitroglycerin. He scores some cash off a teller, he's on his way out when he drops the bottle. It shatters on the tile floor, he slips in the stuff, cracks his head and they've got him. The nitro was canola oil. I know more f**ked-up bank robbers than ones that know what they're doing.”
And there are more stories of stuffed-up jobs where this came from. Entertaining, good dialogue and action, but. . . I just couldn’t bring myself to accept the relationship that develops that was the crux of the story. I completely forgot that I’d seen the 1998 film made not long after this was written. George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez? Yeah, believable.
But the characters in this didn’t seem to have their kind of charisma, and I would never have picked them for these roles (although I'm sure they would have helped the movie). Maybe I’m just in a grouchy reading mood, but this didn’t hit the heights for me that I was hoping for. Mind you, it’s still a good read, so I’m rounding up to 4 stars.
Briefly, she is a federal marshal, they are bank robbers in prison, she’s outside the prison waiting to go in when they bust out and grab her and her car. Action!
Karen Sisco’s experienced with prisoners because part of her job is picking them up and escorting them across the country to other prisons. So she’s not as helpless and shocked as you or I would be in kidnapping circumstances. She also grew up with a father working in law enforcement, and this is almost second nature for her, so I have to make allowances for all that.
But dad’s not thrilled with an assignment..
“They were quiet for a while in the last of the day's light. Her dad said, ‘I don't want to lose you. I think I’m gonna live forever and I need my daughter around. I lost your mother, that's enough.’ There was a silence again. This time he said, 'You're too smart to pack a gun and deal with felons. You're too smart and you're too nice a person.’”
She talks everything over with Dad. Even in her imagination, she hears his advice, his opinion. It’s a bit like the “What would your mother say?” voice that many people hear as their conscience. But this is about practical, on-the-spot advice about how to judge people or handle a situation.
He talks about her dodgy former boyfriends, cool guys, except they turned out to be criminals. She makes excuses that she didn’t know, but he knows she’s a better judge of character than that.
The crooks in this escapade range from silly, dim-witted guys who are a bit like the slippery fellow in the opening quotation to cold-blooded psychopaths. Jack Foley, one of the prison escapees is a well-known bank-robber and he considers himself pretty cool. But he’s starting to think there’s more to life.
“‘You know, after a while it gets to be the same old thing. You try to come up with ways to make it interesting.’
‘Like any job, sure, it gets boring,’ Buddy said. ‘But there other trades, like burglary, home invasion ...’
Foley shook his head. ‘I couldn't be a burglar, it's too sneaky. And it's hard work. You pick up TV sets, you need a truck. You swipe jewelry you have to know if it's worth anything.’”
I guess all jobs have a downside, and Jack’s resigned to his. Whenever he needs money, he just walks into a bank and takes some. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is. This is 20 years old, but I expect there are still some of these tricks that might work in the right circumstances.
All in all, entertaining and one that's been enjoyed by thousands of Elmore Leonard fans.
“Another guy, he goes in the bank holding a bottle he says is nitroglycerin. He scores some cash off a teller, he's on his way out when he drops the bottle. It shatters on the tile floor, he slips in the stuff, cracks his head and they've got him. The nitro was canola oil. I know more f**ked-up bank robbers than ones that know what they're doing.”
And there are more stories of stuffed-up jobs where this came from. Entertaining, good dialogue and action, but. . . I just couldn’t bring myself to accept the relationship that develops that was the crux of the story. I completely forgot that I’d seen the 1998 film made not long after this was written. George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez? Yeah, believable.
But the characters in this didn’t seem to have their kind of charisma, and I would never have picked them for these roles (although I'm sure they would have helped the movie). Maybe I’m just in a grouchy reading mood, but this didn’t hit the heights for me that I was hoping for. Mind you, it’s still a good read, so I’m rounding up to 4 stars.
Briefly, she is a federal marshal, they are bank robbers in prison, she’s outside the prison waiting to go in when they bust out and grab her and her car. Action!
Karen Sisco’s experienced with prisoners because part of her job is picking them up and escorting them across the country to other prisons. So she’s not as helpless and shocked as you or I would be in kidnapping circumstances. She also grew up with a father working in law enforcement, and this is almost second nature for her, so I have to make allowances for all that.
But dad’s not thrilled with an assignment..
“They were quiet for a while in the last of the day's light. Her dad said, ‘I don't want to lose you. I think I’m gonna live forever and I need my daughter around. I lost your mother, that's enough.’ There was a silence again. This time he said, 'You're too smart to pack a gun and deal with felons. You're too smart and you're too nice a person.’”
She talks everything over with Dad. Even in her imagination, she hears his advice, his opinion. It’s a bit like the “What would your mother say?” voice that many people hear as their conscience. But this is about practical, on-the-spot advice about how to judge people or handle a situation.
He talks about her dodgy former boyfriends, cool guys, except they turned out to be criminals. She makes excuses that she didn’t know, but he knows she’s a better judge of character than that.
The crooks in this escapade range from silly, dim-witted guys who are a bit like the slippery fellow in the opening quotation to cold-blooded psychopaths. Jack Foley, one of the prison escapees is a well-known bank-robber and he considers himself pretty cool. But he’s starting to think there’s more to life.
“‘You know, after a while it gets to be the same old thing. You try to come up with ways to make it interesting.’
‘Like any job, sure, it gets boring,’ Buddy said. ‘But there other trades, like burglary, home invasion ...’
Foley shook his head. ‘I couldn't be a burglar, it's too sneaky. And it's hard work. You pick up TV sets, you need a truck. You swipe jewelry you have to know if it's worth anything.’”
I guess all jobs have a downside, and Jack’s resigned to his. Whenever he needs money, he just walks into a bank and takes some. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is. This is 20 years old, but I expect there are still some of these tricks that might work in the right circumstances.
All in all, entertaining and one that's been enjoyed by thousands of Elmore Leonard fans.
April 8, 2018
The westerns or crime fiction by Elmore Leonard drift like the mouth watering aromas or sounds coming from a kitchen, but their pleasures do tend to fade as quickly for me. His books are conversations that are a joy to eavesdrop on, but don't usually provoke me as great literature. I can't say I've read a "great" novel by him. Until now. Published in 1996, Out of Sight not only introduces new characters and features dialogue and violence executed flawlessly, but is a beautiful realization of the concept of the "loyal opposition," two dutifully sworn enemies who ponder whether having a drink together might lead to other possibilities.
The novel shoots out of the gate at Glades Correctional Institution in Florida, where Jack Foley is serving a thirty year sentence for prolific unarmed bank robbery. On his third fall, Foley's boxing acumen has earned him the respect of a convict named Chino, a washed up boxer who hacked a promoter to death with a machete. Chino and his pals have tunneled under the fence and invited Foley to break out with them. Foley turns Chino down, reaching out to his ex-partner Buddy Bragg (a good ole boy whose sister, a nun, once dropped a dime on him) and ex-wife Adele Delisi, an underemployed magician's assistant in Miami willing to help out her fun ex.
Arriving at GCI is Karen Sisco, a U.S. marshal serving a summons on behalf of a convict alleging that the macaroni and cheese violates his civil rights. Karen observes Chino coming out of the ground and on his heels, Foley, covered in mud and a uniform he took off a dim-witted trustee Foley clobbered over the head. Taking too long deciding whether Foley or Buddy is the threat, Foley disarms her and climbs into the trunk of Karen's blue Chevy Caprice with her while Buddy improvises a new getaway plan. Clutching her Sig Sauer .38 but unable to turn it on Foley in the trunk, she can do nothing but spoon against the bank robber, and to pass the time, talk.
She felt Foley's fingertips moving idly on her thigh, his voice, quiet and close to her, saying, "You're sure easy to talk to. I wonder--say we met under different circumstances and got to talking--I wonder what would happen."
"Nothing," Karen said.
"I mean, if you didn't know who I was."
"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?"
"See, that's what I mean you're easy to talk to. There isn't any bullshit, you speak your mind. Here you are locked up in the dark with a guy who's filthy, smells like a sewer, just busted out of prison and you don't even seem like you're scared. Are you?"
"Of course I am."
"You don't act like it."
"What do you want me to do, scream? I don't think it would help much."
Foley let his breath out and she felt it on her neck, almost like a sigh. He said, "I still think if we met under different circumstances, like in a bar ..."
Karen said, "You have to be kidding."
After that, for a few miles, neither of them spoke until Foley said, "Another one Faye Dunaway was in I liked. Three Days of the Condor."
"With Robert Redford," Karen said, "when he was young. I loved it, the lines were so good. Faye Dunaway says--it's the next morning after they've slept together, even though she barely knows him, he asks if she'll do him a favor? And she says, 'Have I ever denied you anything?'"
Foley said, "Yeah ..." and she waited for him to go on, but now the car was slowing down, coasting, then bumping along the shoulder of the road to a stop.
Karen got ready.
Foley and Buddy met at Lompoc State Penitentiary, where they became friendly with a flaky car thief named Glenn Michaels. Buddy has arranged for Glenn to pick them up and switch cars, but while Foley and Buddy argue over what to do with Karen, she talks Glenn into ditching his pals. In a tussle over the steering wheel, Glenn crashes and Karen wakes up in a hospital in Miami, where an FBI agent grills her over Foley's escape, suspicious of Karen, who was once romantically involved with a man who turned out to be a bank robber. Foley and Buddy also end up in Miami, where Foley is less interested in laying low than investigating what happened to Karen and Glenn.
Karen receives a brief visit from her boyfriend, a cowboy ATF agent named Ray Nicolette who's sort of separated from his wife. Chino and Foley have both evaded Nicolette and Karen thinks she might have more luck speaking to Foley's ex-wife than the feds did. Chino, who suspects Foley ratted him out, pays a visit to Adele at the same time and once captured by Karen, is used as the chip to get her onto the federal task force pursuing Foley. Buddy suspects that Glenn has hightailed it to Detroit, where an embezzling ex-con named Dick "The Ripper" Ripley lives and bragged to Glenn in Lompoc that he has five million in liquid assets on hand.
Foley takes $3,780 from a bank using only his persuasion. Karen takes the bits of trunk conversation with Foley to locate Buddy's sister and find out where Buddy lives in Miami, but when Foley locks eyes with the marshal in the lobby, the robbers evade the feds waiting for them. Foley and Buddy head to Detroit, in January, where Glenn has pitched his Dick Ripley ripoff to Lompoc alumnus Maurice "Snoopy" Miller, a boxing junkie who's diversified from stolen credit cards to the occasional home invasion, assisted by his girlfriend's sociopath brother Kenneth and his bodyguard "White Boy" Bob. Karen pursues Foley to Detroit, where a newspaper reveals her arrival. Foley tracks her down to the Westin, picking up at the bar where they left off in the trunk.
"You asked me if I was afraid. I said of course, but I wasn't really. It surprised me."
"I might've smelled like a sewer, but you could tell I was a gentleman. They say John Dillinger was a pretty nice guy."
"He killed a police officer."
"I hear he didn't mean to. The cop fell as Dillinger was aiming at his leg and got him through the heart."
"You believe that?"
"Why not?"
"You said you wondered what would happen if we'd met a different way."
"And you lied to me, didn't you? You said nothing would've happened."
"Maybe that's when I started thinking about it. What if we did?"
"Then how come you tried to kill me?"
"What did you expect? You could've been dumping the car for all I know, hiding it somewhere, and I'm locked in the fucking trunk. I warned you first, didn't I? I told you to put your hands up."
While the B-movie fan in me wishes that Elmore Leonard could've staged the entire story around the trunk (that title is just too good not relate to the action at hand), Out of Sight is one of the most thrilling novels I've read. It's a damn near perfect synthesis of two forms Leonard had been playing in: a dialogue driven story where the reader is slipped into the middle of a lighthearted conversation, and a caper where sudden violence can erupt at any moment. Other authors can do one or the other, but as so many of the film adaptations of Leonard's work have proven, both at the same time takes finesse.
"You know your divisions. You like the fights? Like the rough stuff? Yeah, I bet you do. Like to get down and tussle a little bit? Like me and Tuffy, before she got run over, we use to get down on the floor and tussle. I say to her, 'You're a good dog, Tuffy, here's a treat for you.' And I give Tuffy what every dog love best. You know what that is? A bone. I can give you a bone, too, girl. You want to see it? You close enough, you can put your hand out and touch it."
Karen shook her head. "You're not my type."
"Don't matter," Kenneth said, moving his hand across his leg to his fly. "I let the monster out, you gonna do what it wants."
"Just a minute," Karen said. Her hand went into her bag, next to her on the chair.
Kenneth said, "Bring your own rubbers with you?"
Her hand came out of the bag holding what looked like the grip on a golf club and Kenneth grinned at her.
"What else you have in there, Mace? Have a whistle, different kinds of female protection shit? Telling me you ain't a skeezer, or you don't feel like it right now?"
Karen pushed out of the chair to stand with him face-to-face. She said, "I have to go, Kenneth," and gave him a friendly poke with the black vinyl baton that was like a golf club grip. "Maybe we'll see each other again, okay?" She stepped aside and brushed past him, knowing he was going to try to stop her.
And when he did, grabbing her left wrist, saying, "We gonna tussle first."
Karen flicked the baton and sixteen inches of chrome steel shot out of the grip. She pulled an arm's length away from him and chopped the rigid shaft at his head. Kenneth hunching , ducking away, yelling, "God damn," letting go of her and Karen got the room she needed, a couple of steps away from him, and when he came at her she whipped the shaft across the side of his head and he howled and stopped dead, pressing a hand over his ear.
"What's wrong with you?"
Scowling at her, looking at his hand and pressing it to his ear again, Karen not sure if he meant because she hit him or because she turned him down.
"You wanted to tussle," Karen said, "we tussled." And walked out.
Characters enter and exit Out of Sight and all contribute something memorable. My favorites were Adele, who no longer depends on Foley or expects him to change but likes him so much she helps her ex out without second thought, and Maurice, a hoodlum whose overconfidence is revealed in the way he insists on coaching boxers ringside at the Friday night fights. What's most remarkable is how Leonard subverts behavior we've come to expect from our archetypes, playfully suggesting that if two factions called a timeout and went for a drink, they might start to question their roles and find another way to resolve their differences. It's a fantastic read.
The novel shoots out of the gate at Glades Correctional Institution in Florida, where Jack Foley is serving a thirty year sentence for prolific unarmed bank robbery. On his third fall, Foley's boxing acumen has earned him the respect of a convict named Chino, a washed up boxer who hacked a promoter to death with a machete. Chino and his pals have tunneled under the fence and invited Foley to break out with them. Foley turns Chino down, reaching out to his ex-partner Buddy Bragg (a good ole boy whose sister, a nun, once dropped a dime on him) and ex-wife Adele Delisi, an underemployed magician's assistant in Miami willing to help out her fun ex.
Arriving at GCI is Karen Sisco, a U.S. marshal serving a summons on behalf of a convict alleging that the macaroni and cheese violates his civil rights. Karen observes Chino coming out of the ground and on his heels, Foley, covered in mud and a uniform he took off a dim-witted trustee Foley clobbered over the head. Taking too long deciding whether Foley or Buddy is the threat, Foley disarms her and climbs into the trunk of Karen's blue Chevy Caprice with her while Buddy improvises a new getaway plan. Clutching her Sig Sauer .38 but unable to turn it on Foley in the trunk, she can do nothing but spoon against the bank robber, and to pass the time, talk.
She felt Foley's fingertips moving idly on her thigh, his voice, quiet and close to her, saying, "You're sure easy to talk to. I wonder--say we met under different circumstances and got to talking--I wonder what would happen."
"Nothing," Karen said.
"I mean, if you didn't know who I was."
"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?"
"See, that's what I mean you're easy to talk to. There isn't any bullshit, you speak your mind. Here you are locked up in the dark with a guy who's filthy, smells like a sewer, just busted out of prison and you don't even seem like you're scared. Are you?"
"Of course I am."
"You don't act like it."
"What do you want me to do, scream? I don't think it would help much."
Foley let his breath out and she felt it on her neck, almost like a sigh. He said, "I still think if we met under different circumstances, like in a bar ..."
Karen said, "You have to be kidding."
After that, for a few miles, neither of them spoke until Foley said, "Another one Faye Dunaway was in I liked. Three Days of the Condor."
"With Robert Redford," Karen said, "when he was young. I loved it, the lines were so good. Faye Dunaway says--it's the next morning after they've slept together, even though she barely knows him, he asks if she'll do him a favor? And she says, 'Have I ever denied you anything?'"
Foley said, "Yeah ..." and she waited for him to go on, but now the car was slowing down, coasting, then bumping along the shoulder of the road to a stop.
Karen got ready.
Foley and Buddy met at Lompoc State Penitentiary, where they became friendly with a flaky car thief named Glenn Michaels. Buddy has arranged for Glenn to pick them up and switch cars, but while Foley and Buddy argue over what to do with Karen, she talks Glenn into ditching his pals. In a tussle over the steering wheel, Glenn crashes and Karen wakes up in a hospital in Miami, where an FBI agent grills her over Foley's escape, suspicious of Karen, who was once romantically involved with a man who turned out to be a bank robber. Foley and Buddy also end up in Miami, where Foley is less interested in laying low than investigating what happened to Karen and Glenn.
Karen receives a brief visit from her boyfriend, a cowboy ATF agent named Ray Nicolette who's sort of separated from his wife. Chino and Foley have both evaded Nicolette and Karen thinks she might have more luck speaking to Foley's ex-wife than the feds did. Chino, who suspects Foley ratted him out, pays a visit to Adele at the same time and once captured by Karen, is used as the chip to get her onto the federal task force pursuing Foley. Buddy suspects that Glenn has hightailed it to Detroit, where an embezzling ex-con named Dick "The Ripper" Ripley lives and bragged to Glenn in Lompoc that he has five million in liquid assets on hand.
Foley takes $3,780 from a bank using only his persuasion. Karen takes the bits of trunk conversation with Foley to locate Buddy's sister and find out where Buddy lives in Miami, but when Foley locks eyes with the marshal in the lobby, the robbers evade the feds waiting for them. Foley and Buddy head to Detroit, in January, where Glenn has pitched his Dick Ripley ripoff to Lompoc alumnus Maurice "Snoopy" Miller, a boxing junkie who's diversified from stolen credit cards to the occasional home invasion, assisted by his girlfriend's sociopath brother Kenneth and his bodyguard "White Boy" Bob. Karen pursues Foley to Detroit, where a newspaper reveals her arrival. Foley tracks her down to the Westin, picking up at the bar where they left off in the trunk.
"You asked me if I was afraid. I said of course, but I wasn't really. It surprised me."
"I might've smelled like a sewer, but you could tell I was a gentleman. They say John Dillinger was a pretty nice guy."
"He killed a police officer."
"I hear he didn't mean to. The cop fell as Dillinger was aiming at his leg and got him through the heart."
"You believe that?"
"Why not?"
"You said you wondered what would happen if we'd met a different way."
"And you lied to me, didn't you? You said nothing would've happened."
"Maybe that's when I started thinking about it. What if we did?"
"Then how come you tried to kill me?"
"What did you expect? You could've been dumping the car for all I know, hiding it somewhere, and I'm locked in the fucking trunk. I warned you first, didn't I? I told you to put your hands up."
While the B-movie fan in me wishes that Elmore Leonard could've staged the entire story around the trunk (that title is just too good not relate to the action at hand), Out of Sight is one of the most thrilling novels I've read. It's a damn near perfect synthesis of two forms Leonard had been playing in: a dialogue driven story where the reader is slipped into the middle of a lighthearted conversation, and a caper where sudden violence can erupt at any moment. Other authors can do one or the other, but as so many of the film adaptations of Leonard's work have proven, both at the same time takes finesse.
"You know your divisions. You like the fights? Like the rough stuff? Yeah, I bet you do. Like to get down and tussle a little bit? Like me and Tuffy, before she got run over, we use to get down on the floor and tussle. I say to her, 'You're a good dog, Tuffy, here's a treat for you.' And I give Tuffy what every dog love best. You know what that is? A bone. I can give you a bone, too, girl. You want to see it? You close enough, you can put your hand out and touch it."
Karen shook her head. "You're not my type."
"Don't matter," Kenneth said, moving his hand across his leg to his fly. "I let the monster out, you gonna do what it wants."
"Just a minute," Karen said. Her hand went into her bag, next to her on the chair.
Kenneth said, "Bring your own rubbers with you?"
Her hand came out of the bag holding what looked like the grip on a golf club and Kenneth grinned at her.
"What else you have in there, Mace? Have a whistle, different kinds of female protection shit? Telling me you ain't a skeezer, or you don't feel like it right now?"
Karen pushed out of the chair to stand with him face-to-face. She said, "I have to go, Kenneth," and gave him a friendly poke with the black vinyl baton that was like a golf club grip. "Maybe we'll see each other again, okay?" She stepped aside and brushed past him, knowing he was going to try to stop her.
And when he did, grabbing her left wrist, saying, "We gonna tussle first."
Karen flicked the baton and sixteen inches of chrome steel shot out of the grip. She pulled an arm's length away from him and chopped the rigid shaft at his head. Kenneth hunching , ducking away, yelling, "God damn," letting go of her and Karen got the room she needed, a couple of steps away from him, and when he came at her she whipped the shaft across the side of his head and he howled and stopped dead, pressing a hand over his ear.
"What's wrong with you?"
Scowling at her, looking at his hand and pressing it to his ear again, Karen not sure if he meant because she hit him or because she turned him down.
"You wanted to tussle," Karen said, "we tussled." And walked out.
Characters enter and exit Out of Sight and all contribute something memorable. My favorites were Adele, who no longer depends on Foley or expects him to change but likes him so much she helps her ex out without second thought, and Maurice, a hoodlum whose overconfidence is revealed in the way he insists on coaching boxers ringside at the Friday night fights. What's most remarkable is how Leonard subverts behavior we've come to expect from our archetypes, playfully suggesting that if two factions called a timeout and went for a drink, they might start to question their roles and find another way to resolve their differences. It's a fantastic read.
January 28, 2019
As career criminal, and bank robber extraordinaire, Jack Foley scans the prison yard, he can see how the rest of his life is going to play out and wants no part of it. He’s done doing time and past his third strike, so his only viable option is to plot his escape. But nowhere in all that planning did he account for someone like Karen Sisco.
Karen’s a U.S. Marshal, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And, in the chaos of the escape, the two end up locked in the trunk of her car, with Jack’s buddy behind the wheel.
Even though he’s just broken out of jail and covered in filth, she doesn’t seem the least bit scared. His cool, calm demeanor puts her completely at ease and there’s an immediate repartee. They get to talking about life and movies, and he soon wonders what would’ve happened if they met under different circumstances, like at a bar. Where would the night lead? Where would their lives lead?
Even though she’s got an arsenal within arm’s reach, he doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact, when their brief ride is over, he feels compelled to take her along, on the next leg of their journey, if only to continue their conversation.
Essentially, at the exact moment he was about to start his life over—live free or die trying—fate throws a monkey wrench in his best-laid plans. And, oddly enough, the feelings are mutual. She’s attracted to him in the same way she’s attracted to those cowboy cops who really aren’t all that much different than the bank robbers themselves.
After the two get separated, the rest of the story becomes a cat and mouse game, as she attempts to catch him, and he pines over the thought calling a timeout to let her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJmER...
So . . . I’m a little embarrassed to admit this was the first Elmore Leonard book I’ve read—jack of all genres, master of none, that’s me. Although, I’m a long-time fan of many of his adaptations; movies like Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, 3:10 to Yuma, the criminally underrated Life of Crime, and, of course, the terrific TV series Justified. But, out of all those Hollywood productions, Out of Sight is arguably the best of the bunch. I mean, who could forget that iconic trunk scene with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, or that terrible Albert Brooks toupee? And, you know the movie was playing with house money when actors like Michael Keaton, Viola Davis, and Samuel L. Jackson were doing cameos. So, after being impressed, but not blown away by the book, I was fully prepared to declare this as one of those rare exceptions where the movie was superior to its source material. However, after a recent rewatch that’s a much harder argument to make.
For one, the two were remarkably similar. All the major set pieces, scenes, and a surprising amount of the dialog were the exact same. While the differences were mostly minor, like using flashbacks and flash-forwards to play around with the timeline, expanding Ripley’s role from the book—it’s Albert Brooks, for Pete’s sake, why wouldn’t you?—and cutting a few irrelevant scenes to save time—mostly some daddy/daughter heart-to-hearts. All in all, it was a pretty faithful adaption . . . right up until the ending that is.
In the movie’s version of events, one of the main characters pulls off the miraculous feat of avoiding his fate. And, the film also ends on an upbeat note which sort of killed the fatalistic, noir vibe of the book. Oddly though, I thought both endings worked perfectly and were the correct choices for their mediums.
Where the movie actually did surpass the book was in its leads. The chemistry between Clooney and J.Lo was electric. Clooney nailed the smooth-talking criminal trope, and Lopez was the perfect blend of sexy and tough. When you compare that to the book version of Jack Foley, an over-the-hill, Joe Schmo, and Karen Sisco, a stereotypical skinny, blonde, bombshell, there’s really no comparison. Word is Leonard enjoyed the film so much that it inspired him to pen a sequel, in the hopes that Clooney might one day reprise his role as Jack Foley.
Bottom line: If you’re interested in the story, you can’t go wrong with whichever format you choose to inject it into your brain. The writing was solid, but a little too dialogue heavy for my taste—which is funny because I’m a huge fan of many dialogue-driven films, like Tarantino is famous for. But then, that style is easier to pull off in a visual medium where the cinematography can fill in much of the details, than in the written word when you’re relying solely on the dialog to flesh out the characters and set the scene.
There’s also an interesting bonus section at the end of the book that includes the short piece Elmore Leonard wrote for The New York Times in which he outlined his 10 Rules of Writing. It’s rather insightful and funny, and worth a quick read, even though I don’t agree with a lot of it.
You can check it out for yourself right here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08...
Karen’s a U.S. Marshal, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And, in the chaos of the escape, the two end up locked in the trunk of her car, with Jack’s buddy behind the wheel.
Even though he’s just broken out of jail and covered in filth, she doesn’t seem the least bit scared. His cool, calm demeanor puts her completely at ease and there’s an immediate repartee. They get to talking about life and movies, and he soon wonders what would’ve happened if they met under different circumstances, like at a bar. Where would the night lead? Where would their lives lead?
Even though she’s got an arsenal within arm’s reach, he doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact, when their brief ride is over, he feels compelled to take her along, on the next leg of their journey, if only to continue their conversation.
Essentially, at the exact moment he was about to start his life over—live free or die trying—fate throws a monkey wrench in his best-laid plans. And, oddly enough, the feelings are mutual. She’s attracted to him in the same way she’s attracted to those cowboy cops who really aren’t all that much different than the bank robbers themselves.
After the two get separated, the rest of the story becomes a cat and mouse game, as she attempts to catch him, and he pines over the thought calling a timeout to let her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJmER...
So . . . I’m a little embarrassed to admit this was the first Elmore Leonard book I’ve read—jack of all genres, master of none, that’s me. Although, I’m a long-time fan of many of his adaptations; movies like Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, 3:10 to Yuma, the criminally underrated Life of Crime, and, of course, the terrific TV series Justified. But, out of all those Hollywood productions, Out of Sight is arguably the best of the bunch. I mean, who could forget that iconic trunk scene with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, or that terrible Albert Brooks toupee? And, you know the movie was playing with house money when actors like Michael Keaton, Viola Davis, and Samuel L. Jackson were doing cameos. So, after being impressed, but not blown away by the book, I was fully prepared to declare this as one of those rare exceptions where the movie was superior to its source material. However, after a recent rewatch that’s a much harder argument to make.
For one, the two were remarkably similar. All the major set pieces, scenes, and a surprising amount of the dialog were the exact same. While the differences were mostly minor, like using flashbacks and flash-forwards to play around with the timeline, expanding Ripley’s role from the book—it’s Albert Brooks, for Pete’s sake, why wouldn’t you?—and cutting a few irrelevant scenes to save time—mostly some daddy/daughter heart-to-hearts. All in all, it was a pretty faithful adaption . . . right up until the ending that is.
In the movie’s version of events, one of the main characters pulls off the miraculous feat of avoiding his fate. And, the film also ends on an upbeat note which sort of killed the fatalistic, noir vibe of the book. Oddly though, I thought both endings worked perfectly and were the correct choices for their mediums.
Where the movie actually did surpass the book was in its leads. The chemistry between Clooney and J.Lo was electric. Clooney nailed the smooth-talking criminal trope, and Lopez was the perfect blend of sexy and tough. When you compare that to the book version of Jack Foley, an over-the-hill, Joe Schmo, and Karen Sisco, a stereotypical skinny, blonde, bombshell, there’s really no comparison. Word is Leonard enjoyed the film so much that it inspired him to pen a sequel, in the hopes that Clooney might one day reprise his role as Jack Foley.
Bottom line: If you’re interested in the story, you can’t go wrong with whichever format you choose to inject it into your brain. The writing was solid, but a little too dialogue heavy for my taste—which is funny because I’m a huge fan of many dialogue-driven films, like Tarantino is famous for. But then, that style is easier to pull off in a visual medium where the cinematography can fill in much of the details, than in the written word when you’re relying solely on the dialog to flesh out the characters and set the scene.
There’s also an interesting bonus section at the end of the book that includes the short piece Elmore Leonard wrote for The New York Times in which he outlined his 10 Rules of Writing. It’s rather insightful and funny, and worth a quick read, even though I don’t agree with a lot of it.
You can check it out for yourself right here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08...
December 4, 2015
This was my first Elmore Leonard book, but it won't be my last. I was drawn to this one because I loved the movie version with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, and I wanted to see how the original text compared.
Answer: The original text is remarkably good! Leonard's dialogue just pops off the page. His prose has a briskness and a clarity that make the novel fly by.
The story is that Jack Foley is in prison for robbing banks, but he's planning an escape. His friend, Buddy, will be driving the getaway car. Foley gets out of prison OK but he bumps into a federal marshal, Karen Sisco, and impulsively grabs her and forces her to get into the trunk of the car with him. While stuck together, Foley chats with Karen and discovers he likes her. He wants to spend more time with her.
Karen is able to escape from Foley and Buddy, but she can't stop thinking about Foley, and Foley can't stop thinking about her. Of course, Karen is also interested in trying to catch the prison escapees, and she tries to track them down.
This is a good crime thriller, and the plot doesn't let up. I enjoyed this one so much I wish there were a sequel, or at the very least, more stories featuring Karen Sisco. It's sad that Elmore Leonard has passed, so there's no chance of that happening, but at least I have the rest of his books to read and enjoy.
Favorite Quotes
[Karen's father, to Karen]
"What I was doing, I'd screen your boyfriends and tell you which ones were jerks, help you weed out the guys who were unfit. Take this guy Nicolet, he's okay, I guess, but he's a cowboy. The mag stuck in his jeans ... You like the wild ones, don't you? You know I've always said there's a thin line between the cowboy cops and the armed robbers, all those guys that love to pack. Maybe that accounts for your interest in Foley, the old pro bank robber."
[Foley, to Karen] "If you get serious on me, it's over. You have to stop thinking."
Answer: The original text is remarkably good! Leonard's dialogue just pops off the page. His prose has a briskness and a clarity that make the novel fly by.
The story is that Jack Foley is in prison for robbing banks, but he's planning an escape. His friend, Buddy, will be driving the getaway car. Foley gets out of prison OK but he bumps into a federal marshal, Karen Sisco, and impulsively grabs her and forces her to get into the trunk of the car with him. While stuck together, Foley chats with Karen and discovers he likes her. He wants to spend more time with her.
It was already set in Foley's mind she was going with them. He wasn't finished talking to her. He wanted to sit down her in a nice place and talk like regular people. Start over, let her get a look at him cleaned up. Even if he had time he wouldn't be able to explain why he wanted to talk to her some more, that wasn't clear in his mind, so all he said was, "She's going with us."
Karen is able to escape from Foley and Buddy, but she can't stop thinking about Foley, and Foley can't stop thinking about her. Of course, Karen is also interested in trying to catch the prison escapees, and she tries to track them down.
This is a good crime thriller, and the plot doesn't let up. I enjoyed this one so much I wish there were a sequel, or at the very least, more stories featuring Karen Sisco. It's sad that Elmore Leonard has passed, so there's no chance of that happening, but at least I have the rest of his books to read and enjoy.
Favorite Quotes
[Karen's father, to Karen]
"What I was doing, I'd screen your boyfriends and tell you which ones were jerks, help you weed out the guys who were unfit. Take this guy Nicolet, he's okay, I guess, but he's a cowboy. The mag stuck in his jeans ... You like the wild ones, don't you? You know I've always said there's a thin line between the cowboy cops and the armed robbers, all those guys that love to pack. Maybe that accounts for your interest in Foley, the old pro bank robber."
[Foley, to Karen] "If you get serious on me, it's over. You have to stop thinking."
September 8, 2019
Before Elmore Leonard passed away in2013, he left us with some forty-nine novels and a number of screenplays. Beginning with 1953’s The Bounty Hunters, Leonard wrote westerns and crime novels and was unique for his realistic dialogue. Many of his books were made into feature-length movies, including Hombre, The Big Bounce, The Moonshine War, Mr. Majestyk, Killshot, Get Shorty, and Jackie Brown. Three of his novels spawned televisions series: Justified (from Pronto), Maximum Bob, and Karen Sisco (from Out of Sight). Out of Sight, of course, made the big screen in 1998 featuring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez.
This is a book that you will want to set aside a day to read and not have much else on your agenda except perhaps eating and other necessary things. It is that good. The plot is fairly simple. Jack Foley has committed something like two hundred bank robberies. He has done time in two federal penitentiaries, the latest being a Florida facility. He is not about to finish his dying day in prison so when he hears about some other inmates about to break out, he piggybacks on their escape, meaning that when they are in the tunnel to freedom, Foley follows and, as the guards shoot after the gang escaping, Foley has his own ride waiting for him. Federal Marshal Karen Sisco is there getting ready to interview a convict, but gets swept up in the escape and ends up in a car trunk with Foley, too tightly squeezed in to get her weapon out. With his hand creeping up her thighs, they make small talk about Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, and other movies. Foley wonders if things would have been different between them if they had met in a bar and he wasn’t who he is and she wasn’t who she is. And, he finds it real hard to concentrate on escaping as she climbs up a hill in front of him in her short, tight skirt. Foley makes good his escape and Sisco is out to find him, possibly to bring him to justice, possibly to have a drink with him.
The action ranges from the Florida swamps to the cold wintery streets of Detroit where Foley and his aptly named buddy, “Buddy,” make an alliance with hardened street thugs and Sisco shows up, still determined to find Foley and company. The tension in the book exists between the confident gentleman bank robber and the street toughs and between whether Sisco will take Foley in when she finds him or run off to a tropical island with him.
The greatness of this book (and it is a great book) is in the witty dialogue between Foley and the other escapees and, most particularly, between Foley and Sisco, with sparks flying between them every time they cross paths. It is an unlikely story, but Leonard pulls it off. He has created here some terrific characters, fleshed out in their dialogue and actions.
This is a book that you will want to set aside a day to read and not have much else on your agenda except perhaps eating and other necessary things. It is that good. The plot is fairly simple. Jack Foley has committed something like two hundred bank robberies. He has done time in two federal penitentiaries, the latest being a Florida facility. He is not about to finish his dying day in prison so when he hears about some other inmates about to break out, he piggybacks on their escape, meaning that when they are in the tunnel to freedom, Foley follows and, as the guards shoot after the gang escaping, Foley has his own ride waiting for him. Federal Marshal Karen Sisco is there getting ready to interview a convict, but gets swept up in the escape and ends up in a car trunk with Foley, too tightly squeezed in to get her weapon out. With his hand creeping up her thighs, they make small talk about Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, and other movies. Foley wonders if things would have been different between them if they had met in a bar and he wasn’t who he is and she wasn’t who she is. And, he finds it real hard to concentrate on escaping as she climbs up a hill in front of him in her short, tight skirt. Foley makes good his escape and Sisco is out to find him, possibly to bring him to justice, possibly to have a drink with him.
The action ranges from the Florida swamps to the cold wintery streets of Detroit where Foley and his aptly named buddy, “Buddy,” make an alliance with hardened street thugs and Sisco shows up, still determined to find Foley and company. The tension in the book exists between the confident gentleman bank robber and the street toughs and between whether Sisco will take Foley in when she finds him or run off to a tropical island with him.
The greatness of this book (and it is a great book) is in the witty dialogue between Foley and the other escapees and, most particularly, between Foley and Sisco, with sparks flying between them every time they cross paths. It is an unlikely story, but Leonard pulls it off. He has created here some terrific characters, fleshed out in their dialogue and actions.
July 20, 2012
This is a boy meets girl story. Isn't it romantic? It must have been love at first sight.
Wait a moment: this is Elmore Leonard. It couldn't be love at first sight. Because they can't see each other, trapped inside the trunk of the getaway car. Plus, fate is against their romance right from the word GO, with Alex Foley a career bank robber who just escaped from prison and Karen Sisco a keen Texas Ranger waiting for a chance to shoot him with her service gun. I couldn't stop chuckling, following their conversation about the merits of different Faye Dunaway movies.
I am lucky in having missed the movie version of Out of Sight , so the story was unspoiled and I didn't have some A-list faces stamped on my imagination. This is one of the better books I've tried by Elmore Leonard, with his signature snappy dialogue, lean prose and amoral crooks that you can't help cheering for. The author deserves all the praises he gets for the ease of his transitions in tone from comedy to romance, from laid back quips to bloody violence and for the nuanced characterization and attention given not only to the main couple but to all the secondary characters, even if they have only one or two scenes in the story. Another point of attraction for me is the unpredictable directions his plots are liable to take after the setup of story and characters.
It's hard to pick a favorite scene, but if you put a (metaphoric) gun to my head I'll go with Jack Foley's first visit to the bank after his escape. He checks the loan brochures: "Are you in need of money? You've come to the right place!" . He later quips to his partner: "It's like they ask for it!"
Now that I've finished the book, I feel the need to revisit some of the movies discused by Jack and Karen, especially Three Days of the Condor and Stranger Than Paradise .
Wait a moment: this is Elmore Leonard. It couldn't be love at first sight. Because they can't see each other, trapped inside the trunk of the getaway car. Plus, fate is against their romance right from the word GO, with Alex Foley a career bank robber who just escaped from prison and Karen Sisco a keen Texas Ranger waiting for a chance to shoot him with her service gun. I couldn't stop chuckling, following their conversation about the merits of different Faye Dunaway movies.
I am lucky in having missed the movie version of Out of Sight , so the story was unspoiled and I didn't have some A-list faces stamped on my imagination. This is one of the better books I've tried by Elmore Leonard, with his signature snappy dialogue, lean prose and amoral crooks that you can't help cheering for. The author deserves all the praises he gets for the ease of his transitions in tone from comedy to romance, from laid back quips to bloody violence and for the nuanced characterization and attention given not only to the main couple but to all the secondary characters, even if they have only one or two scenes in the story. Another point of attraction for me is the unpredictable directions his plots are liable to take after the setup of story and characters.
It's hard to pick a favorite scene, but if you put a (metaphoric) gun to my head I'll go with Jack Foley's first visit to the bank after his escape. He checks the loan brochures: "Are you in need of money? You've come to the right place!" . He later quips to his partner: "It's like they ask for it!"
Now that I've finished the book, I feel the need to revisit some of the movies discused by Jack and Karen, especially Three Days of the Condor and Stranger Than Paradise .
October 4, 2023
Out of Sight is one of my favorite Elmore Leonard novels, which is saying something because I love virtually all of them. This book has all the trademarks of an Elmore Leonard novel, including great characters, fantastic dialogue, a wry, intelligent sense of humor; and a plot that is more than serviceable. The author hits all the marks here and at an especially high level.
Jack Foley is an exceptionally talented bank robber who has something approaching two hundred scores under his belt. The only problem is that occasionally he gets caught. Of course that can happen to the best of them, and as the book opens, Jack is doing a thirty-year stretch in the Glades Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison in Florida. Jack has no desire to spend the prime years of his life in prison, and so when he learns that a group of his fellow inmates are tunneling out of the prison, Jack decides to go along for the ride.
Just as the inmates are emerging from their tunnel near the prison's parking lot, U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is arriving to serve some papers. Sadly, her weapons are not close at hand, and she winds up a captive, locked in the trunk of a car with Jack Foley, as Foley's buddy, Buddy, drives them away. Foley and Karen spend an interesting few minutes together in the trunk, just long enough to develop some chemistry, before Karen makes good her escape, leaving Jack and Buddy by the side of the road.
In prison, Jack has befriended some other criminals who are planning to pull a job in Detroit. Jack and Buddy eventually make their way to the Motor City and hook up with these guys. Karen Sisco is determined to arrest Jack and return him to prison, while at the same time she hopes to recover her favorite gun, which Jack had taken from her in the trunk. She follows the trail to Detroit.
From that point, the plot unfolds with Foley and Buddy circling the big crime that Foley's friends are planning, while Karen tries to track down Jack, and while Jack and Karen both try to decide what to do about the feelings that they may or may not have for each other. It's all great fun, and this book was made into a terrific movie starring George Clooney as Jack and Jennifer Lopez as Karen Sisco. The supporting cast members are all great as well and after seeing the film, it's impossible to go back and read the book without seeing these actors in their respective roles. Both the book and the movie should appeal to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and both illustrate once again what a great talent Elmore Leonard was.
Jack Foley is an exceptionally talented bank robber who has something approaching two hundred scores under his belt. The only problem is that occasionally he gets caught. Of course that can happen to the best of them, and as the book opens, Jack is doing a thirty-year stretch in the Glades Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison in Florida. Jack has no desire to spend the prime years of his life in prison, and so when he learns that a group of his fellow inmates are tunneling out of the prison, Jack decides to go along for the ride.
Just as the inmates are emerging from their tunnel near the prison's parking lot, U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is arriving to serve some papers. Sadly, her weapons are not close at hand, and she winds up a captive, locked in the trunk of a car with Jack Foley, as Foley's buddy, Buddy, drives them away. Foley and Karen spend an interesting few minutes together in the trunk, just long enough to develop some chemistry, before Karen makes good her escape, leaving Jack and Buddy by the side of the road.
In prison, Jack has befriended some other criminals who are planning to pull a job in Detroit. Jack and Buddy eventually make their way to the Motor City and hook up with these guys. Karen Sisco is determined to arrest Jack and return him to prison, while at the same time she hopes to recover her favorite gun, which Jack had taken from her in the trunk. She follows the trail to Detroit.
From that point, the plot unfolds with Foley and Buddy circling the big crime that Foley's friends are planning, while Karen tries to track down Jack, and while Jack and Karen both try to decide what to do about the feelings that they may or may not have for each other. It's all great fun, and this book was made into a terrific movie starring George Clooney as Jack and Jennifer Lopez as Karen Sisco. The supporting cast members are all great as well and after seeing the film, it's impossible to go back and read the book without seeing these actors in their respective roles. Both the book and the movie should appeal to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and both illustrate once again what a great talent Elmore Leonard was.
May 10, 2025
Traducerea în română a titlului și imaginea de pe copertă te duce cu gândul la o poveste de dragoste siropoasă. Ei bine o poveste de dragoste e, dar e una dintre un șerif federal și un jefuitor de bănci evadat, o poveste care poate avea doar un final nefericit pentru unul dintre ei. Acesta carte este o poveste polițistă tipică, nu un thriller modern și este atât de bine scrisă că nu o poți lăsa din mână.
May 11, 2024
A Love Story From Elmore Leonard
I had been reading and brooding over some difficult books and some merely pretentious books and found I needed a lighter touch. Elmore Leonard (1925 -- 2013) is a writer I have come increasingly to appreciate, and I turned to his novel "Out of Sight" (1996), in part because it was the only novel in the Library of America's four-novel compilation of late Elmore Leonard novels that I hadn't read. This novel gave me what I needed and more. It is a crime novel with Leonard's light touch and snappy dialogue, but it is also a surprisingly touching love story and character study.
Set in Florida and in Leonard's beloved Detroit, the book tells of the relationship between Jack Foley and Karen Sisco. Foley, 49, is a lifelong bank robber while Sisco, 27, is an ambitious Deputy U.S. Marshall in Miami. The unlikely pair meets by chance as Foley is escaping from a Florida prison at the same time that Sisco arrives at the prison to serve a summons. Foley and his cohorts worry that Sisco will foil their escape. Thus he and Sisco are bundled together in the trunk of the escape vehicle and, at close awkward quarters, get to know each other and to develop an undeniable chemistry as they share their love of movies. After a series of events in Miami, Foley, as a wanted fugitive and felon, finds himself in Detroit and Sisco is sent in pursuit. The two -- the fugitive and felon and the law -- meet up and continue in an unlikely but moving way.
The novel is strong on character development as the two lovers learn about each other, about themselves, and about the gulfs between them. Leonard also develops the two individuals independently. He shows Sisco's relationship to her overbearing father and to her earlier romantic interests, which included another felon. Sisco also is dedicated to her career and to moving ahead in the face of men who are reluctant to take her entirely seriously. Foley has had a life of crime in and out of prison. He maintains a relationship with his sister, a former nun, and tries to come across as humane and cultivated.
The book has a host of secondary characters, including Foley's partners in his escape, Sisco's colleagues, and several unsavory criminals and hangers-on in Detroit. The characterizations are well-individuated but the story has its slow moments. The initial scenes in the prison and in Foley's and Sisco's initial meeting are slower-paced than much of Leonard but well done. I found some of the scenes in Miami slow-going but the book and the writing pick up markedly in the second half of the work with the Detroit setting. Leonard's dialogue in the Detroit scenes becomes snappy and sharp and the criminal characters are menacing indeed. There are effective scenes of Detroit life, including the world of boxing. But the most moving part of the book is the continuation of the love affair and of its affect on the two protagonists. The book features passionate, and convincing feelings between Sisco and Foley before the inevitable unraveling as the parties to the relationship return to pursue their own conflicting ways of life.
"Out of Sight" showed me a facet of Leonard I hadn't seen before. The book was made into a film directed by Steven Soderbergh, and Leonard brought back the character of Jack Foley in his less-successful 2009 novel, "Road Dogs". The book deserves its inclusion in the LOA volume. I enjoyed reading this tough-minded yet romantic portrayal of a difficult love.
Robin Friedman
I had been reading and brooding over some difficult books and some merely pretentious books and found I needed a lighter touch. Elmore Leonard (1925 -- 2013) is a writer I have come increasingly to appreciate, and I turned to his novel "Out of Sight" (1996), in part because it was the only novel in the Library of America's four-novel compilation of late Elmore Leonard novels that I hadn't read. This novel gave me what I needed and more. It is a crime novel with Leonard's light touch and snappy dialogue, but it is also a surprisingly touching love story and character study.
Set in Florida and in Leonard's beloved Detroit, the book tells of the relationship between Jack Foley and Karen Sisco. Foley, 49, is a lifelong bank robber while Sisco, 27, is an ambitious Deputy U.S. Marshall in Miami. The unlikely pair meets by chance as Foley is escaping from a Florida prison at the same time that Sisco arrives at the prison to serve a summons. Foley and his cohorts worry that Sisco will foil their escape. Thus he and Sisco are bundled together in the trunk of the escape vehicle and, at close awkward quarters, get to know each other and to develop an undeniable chemistry as they share their love of movies. After a series of events in Miami, Foley, as a wanted fugitive and felon, finds himself in Detroit and Sisco is sent in pursuit. The two -- the fugitive and felon and the law -- meet up and continue in an unlikely but moving way.
The novel is strong on character development as the two lovers learn about each other, about themselves, and about the gulfs between them. Leonard also develops the two individuals independently. He shows Sisco's relationship to her overbearing father and to her earlier romantic interests, which included another felon. Sisco also is dedicated to her career and to moving ahead in the face of men who are reluctant to take her entirely seriously. Foley has had a life of crime in and out of prison. He maintains a relationship with his sister, a former nun, and tries to come across as humane and cultivated.
The book has a host of secondary characters, including Foley's partners in his escape, Sisco's colleagues, and several unsavory criminals and hangers-on in Detroit. The characterizations are well-individuated but the story has its slow moments. The initial scenes in the prison and in Foley's and Sisco's initial meeting are slower-paced than much of Leonard but well done. I found some of the scenes in Miami slow-going but the book and the writing pick up markedly in the second half of the work with the Detroit setting. Leonard's dialogue in the Detroit scenes becomes snappy and sharp and the criminal characters are menacing indeed. There are effective scenes of Detroit life, including the world of boxing. But the most moving part of the book is the continuation of the love affair and of its affect on the two protagonists. The book features passionate, and convincing feelings between Sisco and Foley before the inevitable unraveling as the parties to the relationship return to pursue their own conflicting ways of life.
"Out of Sight" showed me a facet of Leonard I hadn't seen before. The book was made into a film directed by Steven Soderbergh, and Leonard brought back the character of Jack Foley in his less-successful 2009 novel, "Road Dogs". The book deserves its inclusion in the LOA volume. I enjoyed reading this tough-minded yet romantic portrayal of a difficult love.
Robin Friedman
April 10, 2011
Bank robber Jack Foley didn't plan to take U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco hostage when he escaped from prison, it just sort of happened. It's one of those in the wrong place at the wrong time scenarios. And as so often happens when two people spend any quality time together in the cramped trunk of a car, especially if one has just spent part of the evening crawling through a tunnel carved out of the odiferous Everglades muck and the other is hiding a Sig Sauer between her thighs, love and attraction quickly blossoms. And they say romance is dead.
What follows is typical Elmore Leonard, which is to say amazing: snappy dialogue, complex characters, and a fast moving narrative. Leonard books aren't traditional crime/mystery novels. Sure, there's usually a crime and unsavory characters abound, but that's not the point of his books. Leonard's novels are character studies. He examines the lives of the not-so-bad-guys while simultaneously acknowledging that there is plenty of badass evil in the world. Take Jack for example. Leonard doesn't sugarcoat the fact that Jack is a criminal. He robs banks, he's good at what he does, and it's the only life he's ever known. He's no Robin Hood; his only interest is self-preservation and making easy money. He knows it's too late to go straight and try to live a normal life. However, does this automatically negate the fact that, in terms of personality, Jack is just a damn likable guy? No. And that's what draws Karen to him, despite her instincts. These two aren't idiots: they know there's no happy ending for them. There's a moment that they can choose to take advantage of or not. And does any of this negate the fact that Jack has gotten himself mixed up with some truly bad people? Nope.
This is one of those cases of "wish I had read the book before I saw the movie." I really hate it when this happens because I can't help but picture the actors as the characters, which robs me of the opportunity to "see" them for myself (which was particularly jarring in the case of Karen Sisco who, in the book, is slim, willowy, and blonde--in other words, the physical opposite of Jennifer Lopez, though Lopez was good in the role).
And in a continuation of Why I Hate the Kindle: I was sitting in Bass Pro Shop (not my favorite place in the world, but heaven on earth to my husband) in St. Louis and reading this book. A very nice lady sat down on the bench next to me and asked if I had seen the FX show Justified, which led to a very serious and intellectual literary conversation (okay, so maybe it was just about how hot Timothy Olyphant is in that role and what Leonard books the series is based on). My point being: would she have approached me if I had been sitting with my non-descript Kindle? Maybe, but maybe not.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
What follows is typical Elmore Leonard, which is to say amazing: snappy dialogue, complex characters, and a fast moving narrative. Leonard books aren't traditional crime/mystery novels. Sure, there's usually a crime and unsavory characters abound, but that's not the point of his books. Leonard's novels are character studies. He examines the lives of the not-so-bad-guys while simultaneously acknowledging that there is plenty of badass evil in the world. Take Jack for example. Leonard doesn't sugarcoat the fact that Jack is a criminal. He robs banks, he's good at what he does, and it's the only life he's ever known. He's no Robin Hood; his only interest is self-preservation and making easy money. He knows it's too late to go straight and try to live a normal life. However, does this automatically negate the fact that, in terms of personality, Jack is just a damn likable guy? No. And that's what draws Karen to him, despite her instincts. These two aren't idiots: they know there's no happy ending for them. There's a moment that they can choose to take advantage of or not. And does any of this negate the fact that Jack has gotten himself mixed up with some truly bad people? Nope.
This is one of those cases of "wish I had read the book before I saw the movie." I really hate it when this happens because I can't help but picture the actors as the characters, which robs me of the opportunity to "see" them for myself (which was particularly jarring in the case of Karen Sisco who, in the book, is slim, willowy, and blonde--in other words, the physical opposite of Jennifer Lopez, though Lopez was good in the role).
And in a continuation of Why I Hate the Kindle: I was sitting in Bass Pro Shop (not my favorite place in the world, but heaven on earth to my husband) in St. Louis and reading this book. A very nice lady sat down on the bench next to me and asked if I had seen the FX show Justified, which led to a very serious and intellectual literary conversation (okay, so maybe it was just about how hot Timothy Olyphant is in that role and what Leonard books the series is based on). My point being: would she have approached me if I had been sitting with my non-descript Kindle? Maybe, but maybe not.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
November 12, 2022
Enjoyable read. I can see George Clooney in the film version as the love struck bank robber Jack Foley. Here he falls for a federal Marshall Karen Sisco in the trunk of a car while escaping jail.
My first Elmore Leonard. Enjoyed his writing style. Fleshed out characters and cracking dialogue and action.
My first Elmore Leonard. Enjoyed his writing style. Fleshed out characters and cracking dialogue and action.
February 14, 2019
Lovable felon meets deputy US Marshall trying to be taken seriously.
Jack Foley breaks out and is on the run. Of course, he just happens to meet the woman of his dreams--and she has her own handcuffs. Karen Sisco: Chanel suit, heels, and packing heat, what guy wouldn't fall in love. Question is, why would she?
This is an entertaining mashup of romance and cat and mouse thriller in a Thomas Crown Affair meets Pulp Fiction way. There's some great repartee which really works for me and the relationship between Sisco and her dad is spot on. Made me smile something fierce. Story moves fast, and while I just shook my head the whole time I was totally flipping pages. Basically, replace everything Sisco's dad says with me--I'm pretty much every cranky, cynical, old dude in every show/movie/book.
"Yeah, I'd be there. I'd personally cuff his hands behind his back. And I'd make sure he hit his head getting in the police car."
Jack Foley breaks out and is on the run. Of course, he just happens to meet the woman of his dreams--and she has her own handcuffs. Karen Sisco: Chanel suit, heels, and packing heat, what guy wouldn't fall in love. Question is, why would she?
This is an entertaining mashup of romance and cat and mouse thriller in a Thomas Crown Affair meets Pulp Fiction way. There's some great repartee which really works for me and the relationship between Sisco and her dad is spot on. Made me smile something fierce. Story moves fast, and while I just shook my head the whole time I was totally flipping pages. Basically, replace everything Sisco's dad says with me--I'm pretty much every cranky, cynical, old dude in every show/movie/book.
"Yeah, I'd be there. I'd personally cuff his hands behind his back. And I'd make sure he hit his head getting in the police car."
November 27, 2016
Not a bad story all in all. Just left wanting more in the end. A bit slim. The dialogues were fun at times. I was expecting more from them as I had seen them being extolled.
October 23, 2014
There wasn't much doubt as to how this would end, but it was a fun, short trip told by a master. As usual, Leonard set up an interesting scenario & played it to the hilt, skirting the edge of disbelief in the odd way people can interact. I loved the heroine. She, like the hero, was quite the tough cookie, but both had a gooey center & that made the story.
I would have rated this book higher if there had been some doubt as to the ending or there had been any other redeeming qualities other than pure entertainment, but there weren't. Still, Leonard continues to be one of my favorite authors & I look forward to reading more by him.
I would have rated this book higher if there had been some doubt as to the ending or there had been any other redeeming qualities other than pure entertainment, but there weren't. Still, Leonard continues to be one of my favorite authors & I look forward to reading more by him.
June 5, 2016
This is in essence Leonard's Romeo and Julliet story in which a bankrobber and a US Marshall meet during a prison break and feel a strong mutual attraction. Which leads to some sloppy work by Karen Sisco, the Marshall, when it comes to Jack Foley the bankrobber. The story begins in a Florida prison and ends in a cold Detroit where the two will meet again and the ending is an unescapable one.
A very well written book that does not fail to deliver. I admit having seen the movie quite a few times with Clooney and La Lopez starring that they were the actual faces I saw while reading. The movie does the book credit.
A nice little tale that gives you a fast en exciting read if you need one.
A very well written book that does not fail to deliver. I admit having seen the movie quite a few times with Clooney and La Lopez starring that they were the actual faces I saw while reading. The movie does the book credit.
A nice little tale that gives you a fast en exciting read if you need one.
July 1, 2015
My first book by this author and I was very impressed. The genre was crime, but it was quite different from your run of the mill crime novel. The main character, Jack, is a professional bank robber who, when the story begins, is spending 25 years in prison. He escapes prison and meets Kate, a law enforcement officer who really should be arresting him but ends up doing other things instead. It is a great story with many really well written characters. Despite his crimes Jack is just lovely and his relationship with Kate is so good Elmore Leonard is particularly good at witty and realistic dialogue which shows to best advantage between Kate and Jack and also between Kate and her father. There is a fair amount of violence in the book but there is also lots of humour and laugh aloud moments. This was really worth reading and I shall look for more of his work.
May 15, 2024
Elmore Leonard has a way with words. No, not the NPR radio show... the skill that only a handful of authors have ever seemed to match in which his dialogue serves to carry the story. No need to describe what's happening for the reader's benefit, nor to further the plot. No, Leonard simply has his characters speak to one another, which draws the reader directly into the scene, like a fly on the wall.
And it is this talent that is so captivating in this, and many others, excellent novels by the author.
Jack Foley is a very successful bank robber. Well, mostly successful, because as the book opens, he's serving 30 years in a Florida prison. Coincidentally, the very same prison where U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is arriving to conduct some business. As fate would have it, her visit happens to coincide with a breakout, which brings her and Foley into contact for the first, but on the last, time.
Marshal Sisco winds up a temporary hostage in the trunk of a car, along with one of her captors, Jack Foley, in there with her, sort of "spooning her" as his former prison pal, Buddy, drives them away from Florida's Glades Prison. Jack Foley successfully escapes, but so does Karen, away from Foley and Buddy and a third accomplice. This sets the stage for her to become determined to track him down and put Foley back in prison. But there’s something that passed between them while in that trunk-- a powerful sense of mutual attraction, one that will haunt both of them throughout the remainder of the story. I won't give away more on this point, but it really does make the story feel more unique than the typical ex-con looking for the next big score theme. And speaking of that, some bad men whom Foley had known while serving time have planned a big heist and Foley & Buddy have been invited to join in the caper. But as you might guess, there's no honor among thieves, and double crosses are served up plentifully.
I really enjoyed this book and give it 4.5 stars. It is among Leonard's more memorable and entertaining efforts, and for any fan of the author that somehow hasn't already shelved this one, it's a must-read. If you're new to the author, this is a perfectly good starting point; just prepare to become addicted.
And it is this talent that is so captivating in this, and many others, excellent novels by the author.
Jack Foley is a very successful bank robber. Well, mostly successful, because as the book opens, he's serving 30 years in a Florida prison. Coincidentally, the very same prison where U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco is arriving to conduct some business. As fate would have it, her visit happens to coincide with a breakout, which brings her and Foley into contact for the first, but on the last, time.
Marshal Sisco winds up a temporary hostage in the trunk of a car, along with one of her captors, Jack Foley, in there with her, sort of "spooning her" as his former prison pal, Buddy, drives them away from Florida's Glades Prison. Jack Foley successfully escapes, but so does Karen, away from Foley and Buddy and a third accomplice. This sets the stage for her to become determined to track him down and put Foley back in prison. But there’s something that passed between them while in that trunk-- a powerful sense of mutual attraction, one that will haunt both of them throughout the remainder of the story. I won't give away more on this point, but it really does make the story feel more unique than the typical ex-con looking for the next big score theme. And speaking of that, some bad men whom Foley had known while serving time have planned a big heist and Foley & Buddy have been invited to join in the caper. But as you might guess, there's no honor among thieves, and double crosses are served up plentifully.
I really enjoyed this book and give it 4.5 stars. It is among Leonard's more memorable and entertaining efforts, and for any fan of the author that somehow hasn't already shelved this one, it's a must-read. If you're new to the author, this is a perfectly good starting point; just prepare to become addicted.
October 27, 2015
Forbidden romance, a prison break, necessary violence, and a score too big to ignore – Jack Foley, a career bank robber has his hands full in Elmore Leonard’s OUT OF SIGHT.
On the run following a successful prison break, Foley, dressed as a guard runs into US Marshal Karen Sicsco just as he breathes the faint scent of freedom. In no time Karen’s bounded up in the truck with Foley as his getaway driver makes for greener pastures. The two get to talking and an instant rapport is formed that plays out as the novel progresses – even after the two are separated by circumstances both of which they control their connection is continually referenced and forms a large part of the broader plot mechanics.
Like any novel written by Elmore Leonard, the dialogue is crisp, clever and straight to the point – you won’t find any filler content in OUT OF SIGHT. The plot is multifaceted; from the original prison break to the two robberies that play out leading to Karen and Foley’s reunion – a lot happens but it’s written in such a way as the reader doesn’t get lost in the different perspectives.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
On the run following a successful prison break, Foley, dressed as a guard runs into US Marshal Karen Sicsco just as he breathes the faint scent of freedom. In no time Karen’s bounded up in the truck with Foley as his getaway driver makes for greener pastures. The two get to talking and an instant rapport is formed that plays out as the novel progresses – even after the two are separated by circumstances both of which they control their connection is continually referenced and forms a large part of the broader plot mechanics.
Like any novel written by Elmore Leonard, the dialogue is crisp, clever and straight to the point – you won’t find any filler content in OUT OF SIGHT. The plot is multifaceted; from the original prison break to the two robberies that play out leading to Karen and Foley’s reunion – a lot happens but it’s written in such a way as the reader doesn’t get lost in the different perspectives.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
September 17, 2016
Starting Words:Foley had never seen a prison where you could walk right up to the fence without getting shot.
Ending Words:"My little girl"her dad said,"The tough babe".
The first Elmore Leonard book I read was 'Riding the Rap',though it was interesting to an extent but a friend suggested I read 'Out of Sight' by the same author and promised to send it to me and he did.
Reluctantly I picked it up and started reading it,behold it was a good one.
To be honest this is an interesting book unlike 'Riding the Rap',the characters are loveable and the plot a great one,I totally enjoyed it and wish it never end.
I will give it 3.5 Star.
Ending Words:"My little girl"her dad said,"The tough babe".
The first Elmore Leonard book I read was 'Riding the Rap',though it was interesting to an extent but a friend suggested I read 'Out of Sight' by the same author and promised to send it to me and he did.
Reluctantly I picked it up and started reading it,behold it was a good one.
To be honest this is an interesting book unlike 'Riding the Rap',the characters are loveable and the plot a great one,I totally enjoyed it and wish it never end.
I will give it 3.5 Star.
January 28, 2019
Forgot I read this one quite a while back. Love Elmore Leonard!!
September 21, 2023
If I’m not careful I’m going to run out of Elmore Leonard books that I haven’t read at least once. I saw the excellent movie version of this first so I thought that I’d write two reviews at once.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie, even Jennifer Lopez puts in a more than adequate performance. There are at least a dozen other people in the film who could walk off into their own sequel. I call that good directing, and Soderbergh is among the best at his best.
Out of Sight is by far the best adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel—Justified runs close but that was a series so please don’t make me choose. Shit, I almost forgot about Get Shorty. Let me think about this for a bit. His books are often perfect blueprints for films as almost everything cool that happens in the movies comes right off the page.
Leonard was in to making politically correct novels way before anyone else had considered it. He writes a great female protagonist years before anyone else had done it. This in itself means little to me, but he also wrapped it into a great little novel.
Talking about Joe Lewis:
"The Brown Bomber," Foley said, "it sounds racist. You have to be careful these days, you can sound like a racist without even trying.”
You can say that twice. You have idiots today who think they are saving the world by inventing new shit they think is racist, and exhuming rotten corpses from the past to hold up for public execution in mock Cultural Revolution-style trials.
I love the fact that Leonard has more than two colors in his box when painting his bad guys. They are never cartoonishly evil like you see in most films today. He can also write some decent romantic lines:
They made love and she didn't speak or make a sound until she began to say his name again, "Jack?" He asked her what. But that's all she was doing, saying his name, saying it over and over until she was saying it pretty loud and then stopped saying it. No woman had ever said his name like that before.
The ending was excellent, better than the book. The big split between the novel and the film is the movie’s fairy tale ending of Foley sharing a ride back to prison with Hajirrah, something of a wizard on prison escapes and played by Sam Jackson, all of this orchestrated by Karen Sisco.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie, even Jennifer Lopez puts in a more than adequate performance. There are at least a dozen other people in the film who could walk off into their own sequel. I call that good directing, and Soderbergh is among the best at his best.
Out of Sight is by far the best adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel—Justified runs close but that was a series so please don’t make me choose. Shit, I almost forgot about Get Shorty. Let me think about this for a bit. His books are often perfect blueprints for films as almost everything cool that happens in the movies comes right off the page.
Leonard was in to making politically correct novels way before anyone else had considered it. He writes a great female protagonist years before anyone else had done it. This in itself means little to me, but he also wrapped it into a great little novel.
Talking about Joe Lewis:
"The Brown Bomber," Foley said, "it sounds racist. You have to be careful these days, you can sound like a racist without even trying.”
You can say that twice. You have idiots today who think they are saving the world by inventing new shit they think is racist, and exhuming rotten corpses from the past to hold up for public execution in mock Cultural Revolution-style trials.
I love the fact that Leonard has more than two colors in his box when painting his bad guys. They are never cartoonishly evil like you see in most films today. He can also write some decent romantic lines:
They made love and she didn't speak or make a sound until she began to say his name again, "Jack?" He asked her what. But that's all she was doing, saying his name, saying it over and over until she was saying it pretty loud and then stopped saying it. No woman had ever said his name like that before.
The ending was excellent, better than the book. The big split between the novel and the film is the movie’s fairy tale ending of Foley sharing a ride back to prison with Hajirrah, something of a wizard on prison escapes and played by Sam Jackson, all of this orchestrated by Karen Sisco.
July 15, 2024
This novel comes so close to perfection that the few flaws which are there stick out much more than they would have in a lesser book.
At the core of the plot is an unlikely love story between a gentleman master thief named Jack Foley and the woman federal marshall named Karen Sisco chasing him, as they along the way get entangled in several other conflicts. Author Elmore Leonard does not just switch effortlessly between this handful of interweaving main storylines, he also frequently jumps forward and backwards in time. Nonetheless, the plot at no point feels confusing or difficult to follow for the reader. Leonard also has a great sense of humour, full of inside jokes but unlike many storytellers working in the crime genre Leonard keeps it subtle enough that you never get a "trying too hard" vibe.
That kind of sums up what I liked about the book in general: Elmore Leonard uses many storytelling techniques that have become commonplace in the genre, maybe as a result of his influence since he's been writing since the 1950's, yet he uses them with an exceptionally sharp level of finesse. This also means that the few slip-ups in the narrative become downright glaring: In the third act, where the main characters go from Florida into Michigan where Jack Foley plans his big job, the author introduces a lot of new characters constantly scheming among each other according to their own hidden agendas... and due to the novel's climax being resolved in an extremely abrupt manner, the handling of these subplots struck me as a bit lazy.
The film adaptation by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney as Jack Foley and Jennifer Lopez as Karen Sisco, fixes these issues. As a result, I would mention it as a good example of a film based on a book that improves upon its source material.
At the core of the plot is an unlikely love story between a gentleman master thief named Jack Foley and the woman federal marshall named Karen Sisco chasing him, as they along the way get entangled in several other conflicts. Author Elmore Leonard does not just switch effortlessly between this handful of interweaving main storylines, he also frequently jumps forward and backwards in time. Nonetheless, the plot at no point feels confusing or difficult to follow for the reader. Leonard also has a great sense of humour, full of inside jokes but unlike many storytellers working in the crime genre Leonard keeps it subtle enough that you never get a "trying too hard" vibe.
That kind of sums up what I liked about the book in general: Elmore Leonard uses many storytelling techniques that have become commonplace in the genre, maybe as a result of his influence since he's been writing since the 1950's, yet he uses them with an exceptionally sharp level of finesse. This also means that the few slip-ups in the narrative become downright glaring: In the third act, where the main characters go from Florida into Michigan where Jack Foley plans his big job, the author introduces a lot of new characters constantly scheming among each other according to their own hidden agendas... and due to the novel's climax being resolved in an extremely abrupt manner, the handling of these subplots struck me as a bit lazy.
The film adaptation by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney as Jack Foley and Jennifer Lopez as Karen Sisco, fixes these issues. As a result, I would mention it as a good example of a film based on a book that improves upon its source material.
November 24, 2023
I have finished reading my second Elmore Leonard book. I remember distinctly seeing the movie when I was a kid. George Clooney (bank robber) and Jennifer Lopez (US Marshal) are stuck in the trunk of a car as Clooney escapes prison.
Elmore was a master of dialogue. His characters love to talk, which is probably why Quentin Tarantino liked his works and ended up adapting his book 'Rum Punch', which he called 'Jackie Brown' into a movie.
His characters love to yap their mouths off, and that can be off-putting for some readers. Don't expect big shootouts or car chases. It's all about the cat-and-mouse game between the robbers and the US Marshal and their connection. Can you mix business with pleasure? You will find out, but you will have to read 340 pages to find out.
I give it a 3.8. A solid noir novel—the movie might be better. I will have to rewatch it.
Elmore was a master of dialogue. His characters love to talk, which is probably why Quentin Tarantino liked his works and ended up adapting his book 'Rum Punch', which he called 'Jackie Brown' into a movie.
His characters love to yap their mouths off, and that can be off-putting for some readers. Don't expect big shootouts or car chases. It's all about the cat-and-mouse game between the robbers and the US Marshal and their connection. Can you mix business with pleasure? You will find out, but you will have to read 340 pages to find out.
I give it a 3.8. A solid noir novel—the movie might be better. I will have to rewatch it.
October 11, 2023
I was a little disappointed in this one, because I expected more, I think. It was a fun story, with good dialog and interesting characters, but it seemed like it couldn't end well, which was kind of tragic. I liked the main characters, and wished they could succeed, but couldn't see a way for that to happen short of them running away to some remote island; but neither of them was rich, so that would be hard.
I guess it's basically a tragic love story with a bunch of entertaining crooks. Reminds me of the TV show Justified, spun off from his series, with all the really dumb crooks. In one story, a guy is making his getaway, driving along legally, but then gets pissed off at another driver who might have thought he was driving slow because he was old or something, so he goes after the guy, bumps him, and ends up disabling his car and getting caught. Or the bank robber who claimed to have a bottle of nitroglycerine, but dropped it on the way out, and it was full of canola oil, which caused him to slip and slide and get caught.
Good characters, but not that much of a story, really.
I guess it's basically a tragic love story with a bunch of entertaining crooks. Reminds me of the TV show Justified, spun off from his series, with all the really dumb crooks. In one story, a guy is making his getaway, driving along legally, but then gets pissed off at another driver who might have thought he was driving slow because he was old or something, so he goes after the guy, bumps him, and ends up disabling his car and getting caught. Or the bank robber who claimed to have a bottle of nitroglycerine, but dropped it on the way out, and it was full of canola oil, which caused him to slip and slide and get caught.
Good characters, but not that much of a story, really.
June 21, 2021
Somehow I never read this one. Gave me newfound respect for the film, which lifts whole passage of dialogue straight from the book, while also improving on the structure and stakes in other places. Any author would be lucky to have their work adapted so well. But, it all starts with the book, which is a delightful read and yet more evidence of why Leonard was peerless in the 80s and 90s.
April 27, 2017
I enjoyed this a lot (haven't been disappointed by Elmore Leonard yet). As always great characters and theme. Karen, a US Deputy Marshal reminded me a little of Raylan Givens in the Justified TV series (based on Fire In the Hole by Leonard). You would probably like the main bad guys (Jack & Buddy). The books kept me anticipating what was going to happen, and when it didn't happen like I thought it might, it just made it that more enjoyable and humorous. The reader of the audio-book, George Guidall, did an outstanding job.
June 25, 2015
Heresy: As much as I love books, as long as I've been reading, and even considering the degree to which I extol the importance of literature to anyone who will listen, I love movies more.
It's true.
If I were forced to make a choice between the two, movies would win, every day of the week. Don't get me wrong: I love savoring authors' language, diving deeply into story, and making personal relationships with characters, and it's no joke that reading is a more complex intellectual task than passively watching a film for two hours. As a teacher (and teacher educator), I can't underscore enough the importance of being a regular reader, and of challenging ourselves to read things that force us to grow in ability and humanity. But I'd be lying if I said I haven't always found movies more immediate, more affecting, more visceral. And maybe most importantly, I find myself becoming more emotionally invested in movie characters than I do in most book characters.
To top it off, some of the authors I currently love might never have popped up on my radar without the benefit of smart, talented directors (whereas I can rarely say a book has turned me on to a good movie). Elmore Leonard is Exhibit A and probably the best example I can use. I'd heard the name growing up but always associated it with boring genre fiction – hackneyed potboilers written to make a buck, just a step up from the Harlequin romance novels whose covers I giggled at as a kid. It wasn't until the solid-gold mid-90s triptych of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (based on Leonard's Rum Punch), Barry Levinson's Get Shorty, and especially Steven Soderbergh's masterful adaptation of Out of Sight that I sat up and took notice. There was clearly more going on here that I originally thought, and after poking around a little I suddenly realized the esteem attached to Leonard's name: the master of the modern American crime novel and quite likely the best writer of dialogue in the game.
Now, after reading fifteen of his books, I find myself in the unenviable position of having to review Out of Sight, a book based on a movie I adore which I've seen probably a dozen times. In other words, this will be short, because the movie is so indelibly scrawled in my mind. The book isn't lacking (it's Elmore Leonard, after all), but I've lost the ability to take it as its own entity. As I read, it was impossible not to see George Clooney as master thief Jack Foley or Jennifer Lopez as U.S. marshal Karen Sisco (even though in the book she's blonde) or Ving Rhames as Foley's good hearted accomplice Buddy (even though in the book he's a white Southern redneck). I heard their cadences in Leonard's typically whip-smart dialogue and saw their faces as each scene played out. It ceased, in other words, to be a pure reading experience and became a weird amalgam of movie and book, which is something I've never experienced to this degree.
One thing I'll say is that Out of Sight is (along with Get Shorty, maybe) the best entry point to Leonard's work. Leonard plays with his usual tropes – especially his tendency to people his books with con men who aren't nearly as clever as they think they are and brassy dames who are the smartest people in the room – in ways that are so original that they cease being tropes. Jack and Karen's halting romance – they're thrown together when he breaks out of jail and she's an unwitting witness to the escape – seems inevitable despite its unlikeliness. They Meet Cute™ in a way that's typically Leonardian – crammed together in Buddy's trunk as he speeds away from the jail – and the two characters' spiky banter (about Three Days of the Condor and Jack's bank robbing CV) betrays their tentative attraction to each other, despite being at opposite ends of the career spectrum. The job of the rest of the book is to keep them apart – while Jack and Buddy plan one last huge job in Detroit and Karen tries to track them down. We know they're going to meet up eventually, and the romantic promise of that first claustrophobic encounter hangs over everything.
The problem, as I've mentioned earlier, is that my familiarity with the movie means I don't really know how effective this situation is for those who come to the story cold. It feels like it works – Leonard's characters and dialogue are as sharply-drawn as ever, and the plot is lacking some of the overly complex twists I've occasionally found distracting in his other books – but there's just no good way for me to judge. I know too much.
Read all my reviews at goldstarforrobotboy.net
It's true.
If I were forced to make a choice between the two, movies would win, every day of the week. Don't get me wrong: I love savoring authors' language, diving deeply into story, and making personal relationships with characters, and it's no joke that reading is a more complex intellectual task than passively watching a film for two hours. As a teacher (and teacher educator), I can't underscore enough the importance of being a regular reader, and of challenging ourselves to read things that force us to grow in ability and humanity. But I'd be lying if I said I haven't always found movies more immediate, more affecting, more visceral. And maybe most importantly, I find myself becoming more emotionally invested in movie characters than I do in most book characters.
To top it off, some of the authors I currently love might never have popped up on my radar without the benefit of smart, talented directors (whereas I can rarely say a book has turned me on to a good movie). Elmore Leonard is Exhibit A and probably the best example I can use. I'd heard the name growing up but always associated it with boring genre fiction – hackneyed potboilers written to make a buck, just a step up from the Harlequin romance novels whose covers I giggled at as a kid. It wasn't until the solid-gold mid-90s triptych of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (based on Leonard's Rum Punch), Barry Levinson's Get Shorty, and especially Steven Soderbergh's masterful adaptation of Out of Sight that I sat up and took notice. There was clearly more going on here that I originally thought, and after poking around a little I suddenly realized the esteem attached to Leonard's name: the master of the modern American crime novel and quite likely the best writer of dialogue in the game.
Now, after reading fifteen of his books, I find myself in the unenviable position of having to review Out of Sight, a book based on a movie I adore which I've seen probably a dozen times. In other words, this will be short, because the movie is so indelibly scrawled in my mind. The book isn't lacking (it's Elmore Leonard, after all), but I've lost the ability to take it as its own entity. As I read, it was impossible not to see George Clooney as master thief Jack Foley or Jennifer Lopez as U.S. marshal Karen Sisco (even though in the book she's blonde) or Ving Rhames as Foley's good hearted accomplice Buddy (even though in the book he's a white Southern redneck). I heard their cadences in Leonard's typically whip-smart dialogue and saw their faces as each scene played out. It ceased, in other words, to be a pure reading experience and became a weird amalgam of movie and book, which is something I've never experienced to this degree.
One thing I'll say is that Out of Sight is (along with Get Shorty, maybe) the best entry point to Leonard's work. Leonard plays with his usual tropes – especially his tendency to people his books with con men who aren't nearly as clever as they think they are and brassy dames who are the smartest people in the room – in ways that are so original that they cease being tropes. Jack and Karen's halting romance – they're thrown together when he breaks out of jail and she's an unwitting witness to the escape – seems inevitable despite its unlikeliness. They Meet Cute™ in a way that's typically Leonardian – crammed together in Buddy's trunk as he speeds away from the jail – and the two characters' spiky banter (about Three Days of the Condor and Jack's bank robbing CV) betrays their tentative attraction to each other, despite being at opposite ends of the career spectrum. The job of the rest of the book is to keep them apart – while Jack and Buddy plan one last huge job in Detroit and Karen tries to track them down. We know they're going to meet up eventually, and the romantic promise of that first claustrophobic encounter hangs over everything.
The problem, as I've mentioned earlier, is that my familiarity with the movie means I don't really know how effective this situation is for those who come to the story cold. It feels like it works – Leonard's characters and dialogue are as sharply-drawn as ever, and the plot is lacking some of the overly complex twists I've occasionally found distracting in his other books – but there's just no good way for me to judge. I know too much.
Read all my reviews at goldstarforrobotboy.net
July 27, 2025
I LOVED this book! Best dialogue in the game
May 20, 2017
Whatever it takes, make it through the first third of this book. It may seem like Leonard is phoning it in. The characters are good, but not as brightly unique as his characters usually are. The plot is good but it also seems driven to the point of predictability.
Then what you think is going to happen actually happens and it's amazing. You know it's going to happen but you don't think about the consequences. That's how he gets you. I've never had a book jump from 3 to 5 stars in the course of a single chapter. It was amazing and I knew it was going to happen.
And then it continues from there into this symphony of life turned upside-down. Morals become the only defining factor separating good from pure evil, and brutal honesty, the type of honesty that only lives inside of oneself, makes the ending a pit of truth.
Out of Sight is the best Elmore Leonard novel that I've read so far.
Then what you think is going to happen actually happens and it's amazing. You know it's going to happen but you don't think about the consequences. That's how he gets you. I've never had a book jump from 3 to 5 stars in the course of a single chapter. It was amazing and I knew it was going to happen.
And then it continues from there into this symphony of life turned upside-down. Morals become the only defining factor separating good from pure evil, and brutal honesty, the type of honesty that only lives inside of oneself, makes the ending a pit of truth.
Out of Sight is the best Elmore Leonard novel that I've read so far.
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