What do you think?
Rate this book
Citizen Vince
The highly acclaimed author of Over Tumbled Graves and Land Of The Blind delivers another deft and dazzling suspense novel, a tale of petty crime, local politics, and murder set in 1980, featuring Alan Dupree as a fresh young investigator not yet disillusioned by the job. Small-time East Coast criminal Vince Camden was relocated to Spokane under the Witness protection program after serving up a couple of his old buddies to the Feds. In his seedy suburban tract house Vince wakes up every morning at 1.59AM before his alarm goes off, and starts counting all the dead people he knows. On this particular day, Vince feels more paranoid than ever that someone's out to get him. The people he encounters are jittery and out of sorts. But the real games begin when his walk home takes him across the path of detective Dupree at the scene of a grisly shooting.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
374 people are currently reading
3793 people want to read
About the author
Jess Walter
49 books2,731 followersJess Walter is the author of eight novels and one nonfiction book. His work has been translated into more than 20 languages and his essays, short fiction, criticism and journalism have been widely published, in Details, Playboy, Newsweek, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe among many others.
Walter also writes screenplays and was the co-author of Christopher Darden’s 1996 bestseller In Contempt. He lives with his wife Anne and children, Brooklyn, Ava and Alec in his childhood home of Spokane, Washington.
Walter also writes screenplays and was the co-author of Christopher Darden’s 1996 bestseller In Contempt. He lives with his wife Anne and children, Brooklyn, Ava and Alec in his childhood home of Spokane, Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 641 reviews
July 7, 2016
”Voting is for assholes, like paying taxes. Or having a job. And guns--big fuckin’ deal. You can always find a gun on the street. Any felon can buy a gun. But just try to vote in jail. You can’t do it. It’s funny, you think about it, the only thing we can’t do...is something we don’t even care about doing.”
Carter...Anderson...Reagan...more choices than normal.
But the thing of it is it is 8 days away from the pivotal presidential election in 1980 and Vince Camden does care. For the first time in his life, due to some unfortunate youthful indiscretions that continue to haunt him as an adult this will be the first time he can vote in an election. Now that he can finally vote he is almost crippled by indecision. Reagan, Carter, Anderson parade through his brain with no separation. They are names not people, but he desperately wants to make the right the decision, after all, chances are it will be the only opportunity he ever gets to vote.
Vince is not a bad man, but nor is he a good man. With his new life in Spokane his routine is pretty simple. He makes donuts in the early hours of the morning; he then sleeps; when he wakes up he goes plays cards. He has a credit card racket going on the side, one of those youthful indiscretions I mentioned earlier that he just can’t seem to let go of. There are several wonderful scenes around playing cards in the book. This was one of my favorites because I love nonsensical sports talk almost as much as I like talking about books.
”At this table, there is no talk of work or parole or balls being busted. They talk about sports betting, how much they lost on this game or how that lousy spread was. If you didn’t know better, you might think this was a roomful of profane football coaches. They like the Packers with points against Pittsburgh (“My dick is smarter than Terry Bradshaw). Tampa over the hapless Giants (Fuckin’ Giants couldn’t score in Times Square), and the Jets plus nine at New England (My dick throws a better spiral than Steve Grogan).”
The much maligned Steve Grogan
Vince is a reader which is always a plus with me. Unfortunately the book Great Expectations betrayed him and changed his reading habits for life.
”He’d read Great Expectations at Rikers and had loved it--this story of a criminal secretly sponsoring some poor kid’s life--until the jail librarian pointed out that Dickens had written two endings. When he found the original ending VInce felt betrayed by the entire idea of narrative fiction. A book, like a life, should have only one ending. Either the adult Pip and Estella walk off holding hands, or they don’t. For him, the end of that book rendered it entirely moot, five hundred pages of moot. Every novel moot.
So he only reads the beginnings now.”
He starts to change his reading habits even more when the lovely Kelly starts coming into the donut shop. She makes a point of noticing what he is reading and so with the help of a bookselling croan he starts to try to read things that will impress a twenty-six year old woman.
”Kelly is wearing a red sweater and a sheer black skirt, and when she crosses her legs Vince can see the muscles in her thighs through the material and he wonders if anyone hears the slight whimper he makes.”
Yes... a bit of inspired lust that had me laughing out loud. I too have whimpered from time to time when confronted with the magnificent beauty of a seemingly unattainable goddess.
Vince had a Sharon Stone moment
Mixed within the humorous and at times inept life of Vince Camden, Jess Walter squeezes in these simply brilliant passages about Reagan and Carter that took me right back to 1980. It actually left me a little dizzy with memories as they all come flooding back. I was too young to vote in 1980, but it was the first election that started me on the road to being a presidential political junky.
”Among certain groups--political operatives, criminal gangs, middle school girls--every breath is a conspiracy. And so it should come as no surprise that Reagan’s people have gotten their hands on Jimmy Carter’s debate notes and used them to coach their candidate. Or that Reagan may be working behind the scenes to make sure the hostages aren’t released until after the election.”
I’m not going to talk about the Iran Contra affair...I’m not...I refuse to pick that scab.
There is a great moment in the book with Carter that again made me remember that we as a nation may not have given him a fair shake.
Jimmy Carter
”He wonders sometimes, Who are these people? Who are these people who can believe that a man is good and smart and honest and charitable...and still not like him? What kind of a people are these? He still hears the pollster speaking directly at him for one of the few times: Look, the problem is this: You remind them of their weaknesses.
Sometimes, he feels as though he’s sitting on the other side, with the men in the room, looking at the buffoon behind that desk like a puzzle that can be solved, like a product that can be sold better, and that’s usually when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom...to look for his own face in the mirror, to see if he’s still there.”
When a killer from his past shows up and pushes Vince on the run. He is making tough decisions and not sleeping. ”The lack of sleep shouldn’t be so powerful. It has no quality of its own; it is simply a hole, an absence, like the lack of sex or water or any other hole” He goes back to New York and finds that instead of uncomplicating his life it only adds more layers of problems.
Jess Walter looking very happy with his literary efforts.
Jess Walter brings depth to his characters; and yet, the pages turn so fast I found myself having to blow on my fingers to cool them down. The political passages are solid gold and brought back so many memories of that decade. I came of age in the 1980s, and yes, I had a Members Only jacket that caused a fight in the girl’s bathroom that I’m not at liberty to discuss. I had big plastic frame glasses, tight jeans, and listened to 1970s rock and roll.
I had a jacket just like this one only I didn't look near as good wearing it.
This was recommended to me by my friend Steve Hotopp and I now pass that recommendation forward. A highly recommended slice of 1980s nostalgia that might have you bringing out the gel and the hair dryer again.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Carter...Anderson...Reagan...more choices than normal.
But the thing of it is it is 8 days away from the pivotal presidential election in 1980 and Vince Camden does care. For the first time in his life, due to some unfortunate youthful indiscretions that continue to haunt him as an adult this will be the first time he can vote in an election. Now that he can finally vote he is almost crippled by indecision. Reagan, Carter, Anderson parade through his brain with no separation. They are names not people, but he desperately wants to make the right the decision, after all, chances are it will be the only opportunity he ever gets to vote.
Vince is not a bad man, but nor is he a good man. With his new life in Spokane his routine is pretty simple. He makes donuts in the early hours of the morning; he then sleeps; when he wakes up he goes plays cards. He has a credit card racket going on the side, one of those youthful indiscretions I mentioned earlier that he just can’t seem to let go of. There are several wonderful scenes around playing cards in the book. This was one of my favorites because I love nonsensical sports talk almost as much as I like talking about books.
”At this table, there is no talk of work or parole or balls being busted. They talk about sports betting, how much they lost on this game or how that lousy spread was. If you didn’t know better, you might think this was a roomful of profane football coaches. They like the Packers with points against Pittsburgh (“My dick is smarter than Terry Bradshaw). Tampa over the hapless Giants (Fuckin’ Giants couldn’t score in Times Square), and the Jets plus nine at New England (My dick throws a better spiral than Steve Grogan).”
The much maligned Steve Grogan
Vince is a reader which is always a plus with me. Unfortunately the book Great Expectations betrayed him and changed his reading habits for life.
”He’d read Great Expectations at Rikers and had loved it--this story of a criminal secretly sponsoring some poor kid’s life--until the jail librarian pointed out that Dickens had written two endings. When he found the original ending VInce felt betrayed by the entire idea of narrative fiction. A book, like a life, should have only one ending. Either the adult Pip and Estella walk off holding hands, or they don’t. For him, the end of that book rendered it entirely moot, five hundred pages of moot. Every novel moot.
So he only reads the beginnings now.”
He starts to change his reading habits even more when the lovely Kelly starts coming into the donut shop. She makes a point of noticing what he is reading and so with the help of a bookselling croan he starts to try to read things that will impress a twenty-six year old woman.
”Kelly is wearing a red sweater and a sheer black skirt, and when she crosses her legs Vince can see the muscles in her thighs through the material and he wonders if anyone hears the slight whimper he makes.”
Yes... a bit of inspired lust that had me laughing out loud. I too have whimpered from time to time when confronted with the magnificent beauty of a seemingly unattainable goddess.
Vince had a Sharon Stone moment
Mixed within the humorous and at times inept life of Vince Camden, Jess Walter squeezes in these simply brilliant passages about Reagan and Carter that took me right back to 1980. It actually left me a little dizzy with memories as they all come flooding back. I was too young to vote in 1980, but it was the first election that started me on the road to being a presidential political junky.
”Among certain groups--political operatives, criminal gangs, middle school girls--every breath is a conspiracy. And so it should come as no surprise that Reagan’s people have gotten their hands on Jimmy Carter’s debate notes and used them to coach their candidate. Or that Reagan may be working behind the scenes to make sure the hostages aren’t released until after the election.”
I’m not going to talk about the Iran Contra affair...I’m not...I refuse to pick that scab.
There is a great moment in the book with Carter that again made me remember that we as a nation may not have given him a fair shake.
Jimmy Carter
”He wonders sometimes, Who are these people? Who are these people who can believe that a man is good and smart and honest and charitable...and still not like him? What kind of a people are these? He still hears the pollster speaking directly at him for one of the few times: Look, the problem is this: You remind them of their weaknesses.
Sometimes, he feels as though he’s sitting on the other side, with the men in the room, looking at the buffoon behind that desk like a puzzle that can be solved, like a product that can be sold better, and that’s usually when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom...to look for his own face in the mirror, to see if he’s still there.”
When a killer from his past shows up and pushes Vince on the run. He is making tough decisions and not sleeping. ”The lack of sleep shouldn’t be so powerful. It has no quality of its own; it is simply a hole, an absence, like the lack of sex or water or any other hole” He goes back to New York and finds that instead of uncomplicating his life it only adds more layers of problems.
Jess Walter looking very happy with his literary efforts.
Jess Walter brings depth to his characters; and yet, the pages turn so fast I found myself having to blow on my fingers to cool them down. The political passages are solid gold and brought back so many memories of that decade. I came of age in the 1980s, and yes, I had a Members Only jacket that caused a fight in the girl’s bathroom that I’m not at liberty to discuss. I had big plastic frame glasses, tight jeans, and listened to 1970s rock and roll.
I had a jacket just like this one only I didn't look near as good wearing it.
This was recommended to me by my friend Steve Hotopp and I now pass that recommendation forward. A highly recommended slice of 1980s nostalgia that might have you bringing out the gel and the hair dryer again.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
March 24, 2010
What a great frickin’ book. It’s my first Jess Walter, but certainly won’t be my last. This is a hard one to categorize, which to me is part of the appeal. I suppose you’d call it a crime drama more than anything else, what with made guys, high-stakes poker, low-level scams, hookers, dope, and countless misadventures all presented in the crisp, colorful patois of the street. But it’s smart and funny, too. Even edifying at times. The characters are fully fleshed out, and the writing can verge on the literary, though never to the point of distraction. On top of that, there’s a surprisingly good segment on Reagan and Carter on the eve of the election that stretches the genre further still.
Vince is a little rough around the edges, but his wisdom and good nature have you pulling for him every step of the way. The Witness Protection Program gives him a leg up, but no guarantee of completely calm seas. At least the mean streets of Spokane are more conducive to do-overs than those in his native New York.
The story itself is very good, but the even greater entertainment is the tone. Think of HBO series like The Sopranos or The Wire with a little of The Daily Show thrown in for laughs. And let’s not forget the smidgen of NPR to cover those higher brow pleasures in full.
Highly recommended to everyone but you, Aunt Edna. I know you like your pulp unrefined.
Vince is a little rough around the edges, but his wisdom and good nature have you pulling for him every step of the way. The Witness Protection Program gives him a leg up, but no guarantee of completely calm seas. At least the mean streets of Spokane are more conducive to do-overs than those in his native New York.
The story itself is very good, but the even greater entertainment is the tone. Think of HBO series like The Sopranos or The Wire with a little of The Daily Show thrown in for laughs. And let’s not forget the smidgen of NPR to cover those higher brow pleasures in full.
Highly recommended to everyone but you, Aunt Edna. I know you like your pulp unrefined.
January 8, 2015
Vince Camden is a lot like that guy in the old commercial who would wearily trudge out of the house before dawn while muttering, “Time to make the donuts.” Only in addition to making the donuts, Vince is engaging in selling pot and running a credit card scam.
Vince is a former mob guy living in the witness protection program in Spokane WA in 1980. While he actually enjoys his job at the local donut shop just as birds gotta fly and fish gotta swim, Vince has to engage in some petty crime while spending most of his free time playing cards in a seedy bar with the people that constitute what little underworld exists in Spokane. He also occasionally dates a hooker who has dreams of becoming a real estate agent.
However, when some of his confederates in the credit card scam begin acting oddly, Vince gets worried, and his paranoia leads to a week of facing up to his old life and trying to figure out what kind of person he’ll be if he lives that long.
I enjoyed the other the other Jess Walter book I’ve read, The Financial Lives of the Poets, and like that one, this is a dark comedy with a crime story veneer on top of a person trying to figure out their place in the world.
Vince is an interesting character who has come to enjoy reading and gets a new book every week to impress a pretty lady who comes into the donut shop, but he never finishes one. He is compulsively trying to count how many people he knew that are now dead. Most intriguing are his efforts to understand how he should vote in the upcoming presidential election between Carter and Reagan. With his record wiped clean and voting rights restored, this is the first time that Vince will be participating in the electoral process, and he believes he’s lacking some kind of key information that other voters use to make their decision.
It’s a well written and fast paced read that uses a sympathetic criminal character to examine the idea of what it takes to make people change their lives.
Vince is a former mob guy living in the witness protection program in Spokane WA in 1980. While he actually enjoys his job at the local donut shop just as birds gotta fly and fish gotta swim, Vince has to engage in some petty crime while spending most of his free time playing cards in a seedy bar with the people that constitute what little underworld exists in Spokane. He also occasionally dates a hooker who has dreams of becoming a real estate agent.
However, when some of his confederates in the credit card scam begin acting oddly, Vince gets worried, and his paranoia leads to a week of facing up to his old life and trying to figure out what kind of person he’ll be if he lives that long.
I enjoyed the other the other Jess Walter book I’ve read, The Financial Lives of the Poets, and like that one, this is a dark comedy with a crime story veneer on top of a person trying to figure out their place in the world.
Vince is an interesting character who has come to enjoy reading and gets a new book every week to impress a pretty lady who comes into the donut shop, but he never finishes one. He is compulsively trying to count how many people he knew that are now dead. Most intriguing are his efforts to understand how he should vote in the upcoming presidential election between Carter and Reagan. With his record wiped clean and voting rights restored, this is the first time that Vince will be participating in the electoral process, and he believes he’s lacking some kind of key information that other voters use to make their decision.
It’s a well written and fast paced read that uses a sympathetic criminal character to examine the idea of what it takes to make people change their lives.
November 4, 2020
Are you better off than you were four years ago?
Walter presents a delightfully quirky book that combines a crime thriller with a lesson in civics. Vince (not his real name) is in the witness protection program, and up to his old tricks running a credit card scam while he masquerades as a Tacoma doughnut maker. This is all set against the backdrop of another contentious election, the 1980 race between Carter and Reagan. Throw in some good bad guys, and some bad good guys, and you've got one of the best books I've read this year.
You're out there living your own life, and then, every four years, they give you a say - a tiny say in how this moment should proceed, and it is both real and abstract, like the black borders around the states, a creation of the very thing it is - a small say in which incremental direction we will go, and sure, it's a cynical process: reactive, reductive, misguided - but goddamn it, if every four years it does nothing more than make you stop and realize that you're part of something bigger, then maybe every time it's a tiny fucking miracle.
Walter presents a delightfully quirky book that combines a crime thriller with a lesson in civics. Vince (not his real name) is in the witness protection program, and up to his old tricks running a credit card scam while he masquerades as a Tacoma doughnut maker. This is all set against the backdrop of another contentious election, the 1980 race between Carter and Reagan. Throw in some good bad guys, and some bad good guys, and you've got one of the best books I've read this year.
You're out there living your own life, and then, every four years, they give you a say - a tiny say in how this moment should proceed, and it is both real and abstract, like the black borders around the states, a creation of the very thing it is - a small say in which incremental direction we will go, and sure, it's a cynical process: reactive, reductive, misguided - but goddamn it, if every four years it does nothing more than make you stop and realize that you're part of something bigger, then maybe every time it's a tiny fucking miracle.
August 5, 2024
Jess Walter has that "magic something" that puts him a notch above most contemporary novelists. There are so many ways in which this novel about a small time criminal living in Spokane, WA in a witness protection program could have gone wrong. Basic plot elements, style and charachters could easily have led this book straight into the immense garbage bin where not-that-good crime novels belong. But Walter adds his secret ingredients and this noir story becomes a unique, brilliant, powerful, living and breathing work with the complexity and the cohesion of the best novels ever written.
Some reviewers said this is a book about citizenship as a conquer, and they are right. Some other reviewers said this is a book about redemption, and they are also right. Someone else said this book cannot be categorized or clearly labeled under a genre. I agree with that, too.
What elevates this book, in my opinion, is:
- the unusual level of depth (many memorable sentences and moments when you think "wow, that is actually right"!)
- the ability to make his charachters jump out of the page and be true and alive. You know how sometimes you feel a charachter in a book is being played by a b-movie actor? Well, it's as if Walter's charachters were played by some of the best actors who ever lived.
- the smart, omnipresent sense of humour.
- and, of course, the political sub-plot, centered on the presidential elections of 1980 and the meaning that political participation can add to an individual's life.
Now, let's talk about this for a second. Too often I've seen authors trying to give me the "sub-plot" thing, while in reality what they were doing was just patching together different pieces of thoughts and failing miserably. One perfect example of this kind of failure, even if I only saw the movie, is "Killing them softly", movie with Brad Pitt. They tried to infuse that film with a "political sub-plot", failing in a spectacular way. Tv screens with Obama speeches in the background of many scenes, and a final cynical comment made by one charachter, do NOT make a political subplot. In "Citizen Vince", Everything converges to that focal point: the relationship between the individual citizen and the wider community, expressed in the right to vote. The meaning of your life as part of a much wider thing, the responsibility that comes with that and the privilege that it is to be a part of the democratic process, without any excessive patriotism or idealism, with all the proper doubts and questions posed at the right time, but with a message that comes out loud and clear despite the apparent simplicity of the plot.
Wow. To know that I will never be able to write like Jess Walter is a childish but really painful thought!
Some reviewers said this is a book about citizenship as a conquer, and they are right. Some other reviewers said this is a book about redemption, and they are also right. Someone else said this book cannot be categorized or clearly labeled under a genre. I agree with that, too.
What elevates this book, in my opinion, is:
- the unusual level of depth (many memorable sentences and moments when you think "wow, that is actually right"!)
- the ability to make his charachters jump out of the page and be true and alive. You know how sometimes you feel a charachter in a book is being played by a b-movie actor? Well, it's as if Walter's charachters were played by some of the best actors who ever lived.
- the smart, omnipresent sense of humour.
- and, of course, the political sub-plot, centered on the presidential elections of 1980 and the meaning that political participation can add to an individual's life.
Now, let's talk about this for a second. Too often I've seen authors trying to give me the "sub-plot" thing, while in reality what they were doing was just patching together different pieces of thoughts and failing miserably. One perfect example of this kind of failure, even if I only saw the movie, is "Killing them softly", movie with Brad Pitt. They tried to infuse that film with a "political sub-plot", failing in a spectacular way. Tv screens with Obama speeches in the background of many scenes, and a final cynical comment made by one charachter, do NOT make a political subplot. In "Citizen Vince", Everything converges to that focal point: the relationship between the individual citizen and the wider community, expressed in the right to vote. The meaning of your life as part of a much wider thing, the responsibility that comes with that and the privilege that it is to be a part of the democratic process, without any excessive patriotism or idealism, with all the proper doubts and questions posed at the right time, but with a message that comes out loud and clear despite the apparent simplicity of the plot.
Wow. To know that I will never be able to write like Jess Walter is a childish but really painful thought!
December 23, 2020
I can see why this novel has high ratings on GR - it is well written, well paced and Vince Camden is an intriguing character. It just wasn't a good fit for me. I liked parts of it - especially the election angle, but mobsters and petty crime make my eyes glaze over.
March 21, 2020
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
Thank you, Jess Walter, for the unforgettable character of Vince Camden in a crime caper that includes everyone from Mafia bosses and thugs to a postman, to Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Thank you for a plot that veers from funny to moving and everything in between without ever losing truth because it is written with literary excellence and a love of architecture in all its forms.
This book was thrilling, entertaining, and actually made me forget about the leak in my ceiling for a whole afternoon.
***
The same friend who recommended this book to me because I needed to laugh, sent me the link to this Jess Walter essay about Spokane, WA. Spokane and New York City are characters in Citizen Vance. Spokane lives just as really in the novel as this McSweeney's essay presents it. And as a New Yorker, I was convinced that Walter had lived in my city just as long as I have. Nope. Great writer, that Jess Walter. He makes everything alive.
Thank you, Jess Walter, for the unforgettable character of Vince Camden in a crime caper that includes everyone from Mafia bosses and thugs to a postman, to Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Thank you for a plot that veers from funny to moving and everything in between without ever losing truth because it is written with literary excellence and a love of architecture in all its forms.
This book was thrilling, entertaining, and actually made me forget about the leak in my ceiling for a whole afternoon.
***
The same friend who recommended this book to me because I needed to laugh, sent me the link to this Jess Walter essay about Spokane, WA. Spokane and New York City are characters in Citizen Vance. Spokane lives just as really in the novel as this McSweeney's essay presents it. And as a New Yorker, I was convinced that Walter had lived in my city just as long as I have. Nope. Great writer, that Jess Walter. He makes everything alive.
August 19, 2023
Which of these stupid fucks are you supposed to vote for?
--Jess Walter, 'Citizen Vince'
Second time reading this. 4.5 stars.
Another terrific novel by Jess Walter, a noir tale about a man in the witness protection program. The hardboiled dialogue is every bit as good as, say, Elmore Leonard, and maybe almost, almost, as good as that of the master, James Ellroy. The setting is familiar: New York, and relatively unfamiliar: Spokane. (I grew up and lived for over thirty years in Seattle and Bellingham, on the opposite side of the state. If I had ever made to Spokane, in eastern Washington, I was too young to remember.) This is a novel, in part, about a man’s rehabilitation, his growth into citizenry, as the title suggests. I think it’s ludicrous, and stupid, that the right to vote is denied to some convicts--and even to ex-cons, after they’ve served their time! It serves no purpose other than to punish. Cruel and unusual punishment. What better, easier, way to show a man or woman the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship, than to allow them to vote?
Some of the best passages in this novel have to do with political awakening, and the seemingly simple act of voting.
P 38:
A single thought is nothing; combined, the thousands of separate electrochemical, synaptic sparks that went into creating this sentence wouldn’t fire a ten-watt bulb. And yet here is Vincent Camden, at the peak of technology and development, at the crest of a remarkable wave of human achievement, in a world created by piling these single thoughts together, strung out over millennia-- here is Vince Camden, himself a technological and legal creation, standing alone in a heated, wired, insulated shelter, witnessing a thirteen inch box beaming a mash of electrons that when unscrambled depict two men vying for the most powerful position in the history of the world at a time when the push of a button can effectively and civilization. Here is Vince Camden, overwhelmed by his own significance by his desire to change, by the undertow of history, and by the weight of so many choices, undone by this miracle of being and by all the strands connected to the thread of one simple thought:
Which of these stupid fucks are you supposed to vote for?
P213:
A single moment can sometimes connect you to your time. President Carter stares in solemn agreement. It’s like this: You're out there living your own life, and then every four years, they give you a say—a tiny say in how this moment should proceed, and it is both real and abstract, like the black borders around the states, a creation of the very thing it is-- a small say in which incremental direction we will go, and sure it is a cynical process: reactive, reductive, misguided—but goddamn it, if every four years it does nothing more than make you stop and realize that you're part of something bigger, then maybe every time it's a tiny fucking miracle.
--Jess Walter, 'Citizen Vince'
Second time reading this. 4.5 stars.
Another terrific novel by Jess Walter, a noir tale about a man in the witness protection program. The hardboiled dialogue is every bit as good as, say, Elmore Leonard, and maybe almost, almost, as good as that of the master, James Ellroy. The setting is familiar: New York, and relatively unfamiliar: Spokane. (I grew up and lived for over thirty years in Seattle and Bellingham, on the opposite side of the state. If I had ever made to Spokane, in eastern Washington, I was too young to remember.) This is a novel, in part, about a man’s rehabilitation, his growth into citizenry, as the title suggests. I think it’s ludicrous, and stupid, that the right to vote is denied to some convicts--and even to ex-cons, after they’ve served their time! It serves no purpose other than to punish. Cruel and unusual punishment. What better, easier, way to show a man or woman the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship, than to allow them to vote?
Some of the best passages in this novel have to do with political awakening, and the seemingly simple act of voting.
P 38:
A single thought is nothing; combined, the thousands of separate electrochemical, synaptic sparks that went into creating this sentence wouldn’t fire a ten-watt bulb. And yet here is Vincent Camden, at the peak of technology and development, at the crest of a remarkable wave of human achievement, in a world created by piling these single thoughts together, strung out over millennia-- here is Vince Camden, himself a technological and legal creation, standing alone in a heated, wired, insulated shelter, witnessing a thirteen inch box beaming a mash of electrons that when unscrambled depict two men vying for the most powerful position in the history of the world at a time when the push of a button can effectively and civilization. Here is Vince Camden, overwhelmed by his own significance by his desire to change, by the undertow of history, and by the weight of so many choices, undone by this miracle of being and by all the strands connected to the thread of one simple thought:
Which of these stupid fucks are you supposed to vote for?
P213:
A single moment can sometimes connect you to your time. President Carter stares in solemn agreement. It’s like this: You're out there living your own life, and then every four years, they give you a say—a tiny say in how this moment should proceed, and it is both real and abstract, like the black borders around the states, a creation of the very thing it is-- a small say in which incremental direction we will go, and sure it is a cynical process: reactive, reductive, misguided—but goddamn it, if every four years it does nothing more than make you stop and realize that you're part of something bigger, then maybe every time it's a tiny fucking miracle.
June 11, 2013
I'm guessing that Jess Walter was as upset about the 2004 Presidential election as I was. We handled our disappointment differently: I drank a lot of vodka and he wrote an amazing book with an unlikely hero. Vince Camden is living in Spokane WA where he manages a donut shop. He also pals around with local hoods and works a scam with credit cards. He isn't too happy but he seems satisfied until the day he starts counting people he knows who are dead. Things get complicated when he begins to think that he's next.
This is playing out against the backdrop of the 1980 Presidential election. Vince has never even voted but once he gets his voter registration card he begins paying attention. Unfortunately nobody he knows is remotely interested or informed about the issues. Anyone old enough to have lived through that time will recall just how bitter and divided the country was. Carter's one term had been a disaster and The Great Communicator- a B movie actor and corporate spokesman turned governor- Ronald Reagan, offered a vision which succeeded mostly because of its lack of clarity. He looked like a guy who could lead and at least he wasn't Richard Nixon.
Vince takes off for New York where we learn all about his sordid past and meet some truly scary mobsters including one called Johnny Boy, who hasn't been right in the head since his son was run over by a rival gangster. The story shifts back to Spokane and Walter gets off some great lines about Wiseguys trying to adapt to life outside of Brooklyn.
Vince reminds me of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure another hapless soul who couldn't catch a break. They're both fish out of water who thought they could remake themselves despite overwhelming obstacles. Vince, like Jude, wants to be part of something bigger than himself; neither is afraid to buck the system, yet they both demonstrate some ineptitude figuring it out. Eventually, Vince has both a vision and a plan. Unfortunately for the country, Ronald Reagan never came close to that. None of us could have imagined just how polarized America would become back in 1980, but luckily, we still have vodka -and now we have Jess Walter, too.
This is playing out against the backdrop of the 1980 Presidential election. Vince has never even voted but once he gets his voter registration card he begins paying attention. Unfortunately nobody he knows is remotely interested or informed about the issues. Anyone old enough to have lived through that time will recall just how bitter and divided the country was. Carter's one term had been a disaster and The Great Communicator- a B movie actor and corporate spokesman turned governor- Ronald Reagan, offered a vision which succeeded mostly because of its lack of clarity. He looked like a guy who could lead and at least he wasn't Richard Nixon.
Vince takes off for New York where we learn all about his sordid past and meet some truly scary mobsters including one called Johnny Boy, who hasn't been right in the head since his son was run over by a rival gangster. The story shifts back to Spokane and Walter gets off some great lines about Wiseguys trying to adapt to life outside of Brooklyn.
Vince reminds me of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure another hapless soul who couldn't catch a break. They're both fish out of water who thought they could remake themselves despite overwhelming obstacles. Vince, like Jude, wants to be part of something bigger than himself; neither is afraid to buck the system, yet they both demonstrate some ineptitude figuring it out. Eventually, Vince has both a vision and a plan. Unfortunately for the country, Ronald Reagan never came close to that. None of us could have imagined just how polarized America would become back in 1980, but luckily, we still have vodka -and now we have Jess Walter, too.
September 5, 2018
3.5 stars
“Pot smoking cops, thieves who tithe 10 percent, society women who wear garters, tramps who sleep with stuffed bears, criminal donut makers, real estate hookers”
This was a lovely surprise of a novel and my first by this author.
I particularly liked Vince, who had depth, humour, and a clear drive to figure out his life.
In his previous life he was known as Marty, a small-time credit card fraudster in New York, who ends up in a witness protection programme in Spokane, making donuts for a living. But by the looks of it his old life does not want to leave him alone. A debt is a debt and it must be paid.
I am not one to read books that have a political flavour but some of the of the observations were so spot on that its applicable even today.
This is a book full of politics, philosophical musings, gangsters, high stakes poker games, corrupt cops and the blessing of second chances.
An easy recommendation
“Pot smoking cops, thieves who tithe 10 percent, society women who wear garters, tramps who sleep with stuffed bears, criminal donut makers, real estate hookers”
This was a lovely surprise of a novel and my first by this author.
I particularly liked Vince, who had depth, humour, and a clear drive to figure out his life.
In his previous life he was known as Marty, a small-time credit card fraudster in New York, who ends up in a witness protection programme in Spokane, making donuts for a living. But by the looks of it his old life does not want to leave him alone. A debt is a debt and it must be paid.
I am not one to read books that have a political flavour but some of the of the observations were so spot on that its applicable even today.
This is a book full of politics, philosophical musings, gangsters, high stakes poker games, corrupt cops and the blessing of second chances.
An easy recommendation
June 15, 2013
Gritty realism is the perfect way to describe Jess Walter’s third novel, Citizen Vince.
From the opening sentence, “One day you know more dead people than live ones,” this Spokane native reeled me in, and I strongly suspected that this was the right book for me, at that given time. More importantly, I saw something special about Walter’s incredible precision that I simply had to have more of… and I did, obviously. By the end of the night, I’d read a good forty, fifty pages (I’m ordinarily a slow reader.)
”Why couldn’t you count all the dead people you knew?”
The novel’s protagonist isn’t a very likable guy. Much of his hard exterior, in-your-face disposition, stems from his shady upbringing in New York, which eventually led to a lifetime of crime.
Vince Camden wants to change. He’s witnessed the awful things he’s done, and now must live with those choices. He doesn’t like what he sees, the person he’s become.
For the most part, he managed to maintain a somewhat “healthier” lifestyle (due largely to his placement in witness protection,) but one fateful day, his entire world comes crashing down on him.
Brilliantly juxtaposed against this intrigue is the 1980 R.Reagan/J.Carter election.
Aside from its character-driven, well executed prose, there were two specific aspects that really resonate. I find myself reflection on them often, even today, a week after finishing it.
Most, though certainly not all, of the story takes place in Spokane, Washington. My birth city. Rarely do I encounter books set in the same state, let alone the exact city I was born in. That element alone interested me very much. But once I’d become fully immersed, many familiar sites, smells, textures and even sounds entered the forefront of my mind, making the visualization process seem effortless. This author makes it look so easy, though in reality, writing is nothing but simple or effortless.
For instance, there’s one scene where Vince meets up with an acquaintance at Dick’s Drive-In. It’s a 1950′s style burger joint, complete with all those little details that make it a genuine establishment: its utter lack of in-door dining forces the customer to wait in line to place their order, then either get it to go or enjoy a juicy Whammy burger, sizzling fries, and thick malt-like shake at one of the ideally placed picnic tables. Now in my mind, I could picture flocks of seagulls, storming overhead, as they patiently awaited a dropped french fry or discarded pieces of hamburger. I hear them squawking even now as they grow impatient.
The other aspect which I found particularly interesting was the political subplot. It fascinated me for hours. And the fact that Vince was equally interested-if not more so– made it very germane and deeply profound. The most cryptic chapter (at first, anyway,) is shown through then governor Ronald Reagan’s perspective. In it, Walter gives the reader an all too brief glimpse into the political lifestyle, some of the tolls of a presidential campaign, and Reagan's general demeanor. Walter even went so far as to reveal various nuances about the man, which spoke volumes and certainly helped differentiate his character, despite the fact that he isn’t well-rounded, and this is the sole chapter shown from his perspective. Very interesting, indeed!
Around the halfway-three quarter mark, several key players use incessant strings of profanity that just seem excessive and unnecessary. It reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino film, where every other word or sentence is colored by a few choice words here and there. And ordinary, foul language in books doesn’t offend me. I’m used to the likes of Stephen King, after all. But while said expletives didn’t feel uncharacteristic in any way, shape or form, the author could have toned it down a bit, while still creating the desired effect.
I do, however, greatly admire his refusal to sugarcoat his ever dark, gritty world. I think there’s a fine line between excessiveness and being uncompromising.
I’m not at all surprised that Citizen Vince was the recipient of several awards, including the Edgar for best novel (2005,) NPR Fresh Air Top Ten Book (2005,) and the Wilwaukee Sentinel Favorite Book (2005,) amongst others.
Towards the end, it slowed down ever so slightly, but Walter’s consistently profound insight basically evened everything out for me. A little later on, the action dragged and the dialogue could have been minimized. But that might just be me. These minor criticisms certainly didn’t damper the reader experience. I can’t recall a single scene that bored me. On the contrary, the pages kept turning.
As the final confrontation grew to an intense head, I found the solution slightly unrealistic and hard to believe. Just as Vince seeks redemption, Walter redeems himself here with a satisfying lump of insight previously unknown to the reader. Admittedly, it does seem highly unlikely, but it does work.
I would have given this novel a significantly lower rating, if not for the monumental twist which doesn’t come until the very end. Not only was it 100% characteristic of Vince, it isn’t something one reads every day. Or every other day, for that matter. I did not see it coming at all!!
In hindsight, Vince Camden is almost akin to an adult role model.
“Entertaining…refreshing…wry precision and expert timing…Citizen Vince arrives with sky-high praise…[but] the book’s fusion of humor, crime and politics may be recommendation enough.”
-Janet Maslin, New York Times
Up next, We Live In Water, Jess Walter’s first collection (though surely not the last) of short stories!
September 21, 2013
Vince Camden and I had our political awakenings at the same time: Autumn, 1980. Jimmy and Ronny, the embassy hostages, Afghanistan, Iran—Iraq War, Abscam, inflation. Not too mention John Lennon, Mt. St. Helen’s, Rubik’s cube, the Moscow Olympics, Bjorg and McEnroe, Sony Walkman. Bruce, Billy, Pat, Blondie, The Police, Dire Straits, ska, New Wave. Come to think of it, 1980 was a pretty fucking memorable year.
The thing about my intellectual awakening vs. Vince Camden’s: I turned 11 a couple of months before the Gipper was elected. Vince? Vince is in his 30s. I was navigating long division. Vince, the federal witness protection program.
I cried the night of my oldest brother’s high school graduation in June, 1980. Here I was, 10 going on 11, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Vince Camden doesn’t strike me as the crying type, but I bet he fretted too, when he left behind his life as Marty Hagen--a two-bit hustler in New York City-- to become Vince Camden in Spokane. Spokane! About as far as you can get from New York City without entering Canadian airspace, geographically and culturally.
But unlike my 10-year-old self who had to make her own way, the Feds not only gave Vince a new home and identity, they subsidized his job training. Vince did something that I once considered and probably should have followed through with, given my current zero-earning state: he completed a baking and pastry program at the community college. Now Vince bakes cruellers, fritters, cinnamon rolls, maple bars, and jelly-filled delights at Donut Make You Hungry. He’s also running a credit card scam with his mailman and Lenny, a local pawn shop owner. You can take the boy out of a life of crime, but can you take the criminal out of the boy?
While Vince is awakening to the future—the book is staged during the week leading up to the 1980 election—his past is catching up to him. The appearance of Ray Sticks, a Philly hitman moonlighting for the New York mob, sends Vince scurrying back to New York to make amends to the guy he stiffed (that guy being John Gotti—oops) See, Vince realizes he really likes his new life. He’s getting into this being a part of a community thing. There’s a sweet prostitute who could use his help raising her son, there’s a local politician and Vietnam vet who could use Vince’s savvy with Spokane’s underground to win new voters. And who woulda thunk it, but Vince is a great baker. He’s got dreams about opening a restaurant, owning a home, having a wife and kid…
It’s just that Vince’s got a hit on him. Complicates his future prospects. Or rather, his prospect for a future. And then there’s the matter of which yahoo to vote for, come Tuesday.
A little bit Elmore Leonard, a little bit Philip Roth, a little bit Nick Hornby, but completely, wonderfully Jess Walter. As dark as he can wring it, Walter just can’t hide a big heart (maybe a little Frank Capra, too?). It’s impossible not to cheer for Vince, even when he’s stealing your credit cards.
But you know what really makes Vince want to follow the straight and narrow? He receives his very first voter registration card. And on his way to face the music, Vince insists that he be allowed to vote. Which he does. But for whom? Carter? Reagan? Anderson? Hmmm...I’m not telling.
This is some of America’s best contemporary storytelling. Read it and weep. Giggle a little, too. Oh, and don't forget to vote.
The thing about my intellectual awakening vs. Vince Camden’s: I turned 11 a couple of months before the Gipper was elected. Vince? Vince is in his 30s. I was navigating long division. Vince, the federal witness protection program.
I cried the night of my oldest brother’s high school graduation in June, 1980. Here I was, 10 going on 11, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Vince Camden doesn’t strike me as the crying type, but I bet he fretted too, when he left behind his life as Marty Hagen--a two-bit hustler in New York City-- to become Vince Camden in Spokane. Spokane! About as far as you can get from New York City without entering Canadian airspace, geographically and culturally.
But unlike my 10-year-old self who had to make her own way, the Feds not only gave Vince a new home and identity, they subsidized his job training. Vince did something that I once considered and probably should have followed through with, given my current zero-earning state: he completed a baking and pastry program at the community college. Now Vince bakes cruellers, fritters, cinnamon rolls, maple bars, and jelly-filled delights at Donut Make You Hungry. He’s also running a credit card scam with his mailman and Lenny, a local pawn shop owner. You can take the boy out of a life of crime, but can you take the criminal out of the boy?
While Vince is awakening to the future—the book is staged during the week leading up to the 1980 election—his past is catching up to him. The appearance of Ray Sticks, a Philly hitman moonlighting for the New York mob, sends Vince scurrying back to New York to make amends to the guy he stiffed (that guy being John Gotti—oops) See, Vince realizes he really likes his new life. He’s getting into this being a part of a community thing. There’s a sweet prostitute who could use his help raising her son, there’s a local politician and Vietnam vet who could use Vince’s savvy with Spokane’s underground to win new voters. And who woulda thunk it, but Vince is a great baker. He’s got dreams about opening a restaurant, owning a home, having a wife and kid…
It’s just that Vince’s got a hit on him. Complicates his future prospects. Or rather, his prospect for a future. And then there’s the matter of which yahoo to vote for, come Tuesday.
A little bit Elmore Leonard, a little bit Philip Roth, a little bit Nick Hornby, but completely, wonderfully Jess Walter. As dark as he can wring it, Walter just can’t hide a big heart (maybe a little Frank Capra, too?). It’s impossible not to cheer for Vince, even when he’s stealing your credit cards.
But you know what really makes Vince want to follow the straight and narrow? He receives his very first voter registration card. And on his way to face the music, Vince insists that he be allowed to vote. Which he does. But for whom? Carter? Reagan? Anderson? Hmmm...I’m not telling.
This is some of America’s best contemporary storytelling. Read it and weep. Giggle a little, too. Oh, and don't forget to vote.
There is what you believe and there is what you want and these things are fine. But they’re just ideas, in the end. History, like any single life, is made up of actions. At some point, the thinking and believing and deciding fall away and all that’s left is the doing.~Vince Camden
December 4, 2013
I don't usually buy or read books about convicted felons, but I just discovered Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins. I decided to give Citizen Vince a try,
Vince immediately tells us that he is in a witness protection program, and that he deals in pot and stolen credit cards. His friends are hustlers, card sharks and hookers. His day job is donut maker at Donut Make You Hungry in Spokane. He trusts them as much as he trusts himself.
Vince is a good-bad guy like Paul Newman and Robert Redford are in The Sting. He is smart, shadey, manipulative, not violent, but strong, dependable and good hearted.
His scams begin early and have color his aspirations. A turning point for him is the election between Carter and Reagan. Walter seems to enjoy putting some real events in his fiction. It's fun. Hence the title Citizen Vince. Whether you like or dislike Carter, you probably believe that he is honest to himself.
Vince's journey, like Carter's presidency is pretty rough and tumble. I love that in order to impress a girl, he reads books. I find that sexy.
This is an entertaining book. The characters sre strongly drawn. If you're going to spend time with a felon, I suggest Vince, because he's smart and charming.
Vince immediately tells us that he is in a witness protection program, and that he deals in pot and stolen credit cards. His friends are hustlers, card sharks and hookers. His day job is donut maker at Donut Make You Hungry in Spokane. He trusts them as much as he trusts himself.
Vince is a good-bad guy like Paul Newman and Robert Redford are in The Sting. He is smart, shadey, manipulative, not violent, but strong, dependable and good hearted.
His scams begin early and have color his aspirations. A turning point for him is the election between Carter and Reagan. Walter seems to enjoy putting some real events in his fiction. It's fun. Hence the title Citizen Vince. Whether you like or dislike Carter, you probably believe that he is honest to himself.
Vince's journey, like Carter's presidency is pretty rough and tumble. I love that in order to impress a girl, he reads books. I find that sexy.
This is an entertaining book. The characters sre strongly drawn. If you're going to spend time with a felon, I suggest Vince, because he's smart and charming.
December 4, 2021
I didn't have high expectations going into this book. Sounded mildly interesting to pick it up from second hand and read but not more. But gladly I was wrong. An very intriguing and interesting story and wasn't as mediocre as I first thought
November 11, 2025
I have to thank the book group I’m in here on GR for me having read this one. They have a him or her author prompt every month. This month the “him” is Jess Walter. I wanted to read Beautiful Ruins but the library didn’t have it. Citizen Vince was also on my wish list. Not sure if I would have ever gotten to this without the reading prompt or if the library had Beautiful Ruins. Well, I really enjoyed this book! Very fast paced and easy to read story about a career criminal in the witness protection program due to some dealings with the Mob. The cover of my copy doesn’t do the book any favors - never judge a book….
Quote I liked -
“You a cardsharp? That what you do?”
“No,” Vince says. “I just got lucky. Anyone can get lucky.”
“No,” Jet Black says. “No. They can’t. Anyone can’t get lucky. That’s the thing about luck. It discriminates like a motherfucker.”
I will definitely read more Jess Walter.
Quote I liked -
“You a cardsharp? That what you do?”
“No,” Vince says. “I just got lucky. Anyone can get lucky.”
“No,” Jet Black says. “No. They can’t. Anyone can’t get lucky. That’s the thing about luck. It discriminates like a motherfucker.”
I will definitely read more Jess Walter.
November 2, 2016
Y'all, I read this ages ago and added it to Goodreads when I first joined, thus no review. Id jot one now but am running fast n furious this morning. Sorry!
The ebook is on sale for $1.99, I just saw from a Bookbub email, and it is absolutely a steal. Jess Walter is one of my favorite authors ever, and other folks' reviews will give you a feel for his style.
Time to make the donuts - enjoy!
The ebook is on sale for $1.99, I just saw from a Bookbub email, and it is absolutely a steal. Jess Walter is one of my favorite authors ever, and other folks' reviews will give you a feel for his style.
Time to make the donuts - enjoy!
January 4, 2019
Once again, Jess Walter has managed to break my heart. Citizen Vince was a great, though not particularly enjoyable, read. Walter manages to infuse his uniquely dark humor into a tragedy that at times veers to an existential condemnation of the lives we lead, then turns to a blinding realization that maybe the simplest dreams are the ones that make life worth living.
Vince Camden is a petty thief, though not of the garden variety. He is smart, charming, and introspective. He is also living in Spokane, in the witness protection program, making donuts by day and fencing stolen credit cards, gambling and indulging hookers by night. The story is that of Camden’s attempts to seek salvation from his past and redemption from those he has wronged. In the process, he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery that forces him to question his life and all he has ever hoped to become.
Vince Camden’s exploration of self is brilliantly juxtaposed with the 1980 presidential election. Camden is given, for the first time, the right to vote, and sees it as a responsibility that leads him on a quest for more information. Who are these men on the ballot? What do they stand for? How will his vote have an effect on the climate of the country? Walter then crawls inside the minds of Carter and Reagan, painting one as a man who has seen himself through the eyes of those he represents and the other as a hawkish and aged maverick. Whilst Carter may be in a position worlds away from Camden’s own, the similarities are unmistakable. Both men feel the sting of realizing how others view them, and both make decisions to stay true to the men they profess to be in spite of the profound losses they incur.
Walter’s writing is impeccable and flows seamlessly from page to page in complicated sentence structures which support a mood that is depressingly dismal. Acts of overt violence pepper the pages, and the promise of the American Dream is hammered bloody. Vince Camden is drawn as a man for whom we are compelled to cheer and also feel great sympathy. The world has failed him in the same way it has failed those around him, and the point is drilled home that life just isn’t fair. Choices aside, no one ever really had a chance when faced with destiny and human nature.
In terms of plot, structure, character development and tone, Jess Walter delivers a piece of literary fiction that is pure genius and worthy of all the stars. Reading it, however, is an exercise that is drenched in angst and hopelessness. Keep a glass of bourbon close, and keep telling yourself that it’s only a book; but damn it, life is indeed just so unfair—for Vince Camden and, often, the rest of us.
Vince Camden is a petty thief, though not of the garden variety. He is smart, charming, and introspective. He is also living in Spokane, in the witness protection program, making donuts by day and fencing stolen credit cards, gambling and indulging hookers by night. The story is that of Camden’s attempts to seek salvation from his past and redemption from those he has wronged. In the process, he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery that forces him to question his life and all he has ever hoped to become.
Vince Camden’s exploration of self is brilliantly juxtaposed with the 1980 presidential election. Camden is given, for the first time, the right to vote, and sees it as a responsibility that leads him on a quest for more information. Who are these men on the ballot? What do they stand for? How will his vote have an effect on the climate of the country? Walter then crawls inside the minds of Carter and Reagan, painting one as a man who has seen himself through the eyes of those he represents and the other as a hawkish and aged maverick. Whilst Carter may be in a position worlds away from Camden’s own, the similarities are unmistakable. Both men feel the sting of realizing how others view them, and both make decisions to stay true to the men they profess to be in spite of the profound losses they incur.
Walter’s writing is impeccable and flows seamlessly from page to page in complicated sentence structures which support a mood that is depressingly dismal. Acts of overt violence pepper the pages, and the promise of the American Dream is hammered bloody. Vince Camden is drawn as a man for whom we are compelled to cheer and also feel great sympathy. The world has failed him in the same way it has failed those around him, and the point is drilled home that life just isn’t fair. Choices aside, no one ever really had a chance when faced with destiny and human nature.
In terms of plot, structure, character development and tone, Jess Walter delivers a piece of literary fiction that is pure genius and worthy of all the stars. Reading it, however, is an exercise that is drenched in angst and hopelessness. Keep a glass of bourbon close, and keep telling yourself that it’s only a book; but damn it, life is indeed just so unfair—for Vince Camden and, often, the rest of us.
October 18, 2014
this is a crime thriller lite, not really a crime thriller, more like the story of a very meaningful week in the life of vince camden, a small time criminal living in spokane, WA, on a witness protection program. since jess walter is super magical the story is really great. it's funny, sweet, and all sorts of smarts. the week in which walter decides to snapshot vince camden is the week that precedes the election of reagan as US president and the demise of jimmy carter. there's a lot about this novel that is political -- hard not to think of bush, who was president when walter wrote this, and of the dominance of greedy, immoral, catastrophic conservatism that started with reagan and eventually got us bush and the war on terror (walter is the author, also, of one of the most poignant 9/11 novels written in the US, The Zero). reagan is a thin stand-in for bush, and carter is something the book exudes and eventually captures very well -- basic human decency, moral rectitude, doing good things, being honorable.
at the same time it's all very entertaining and fast and occasionally truly funny, and the action is riveting, and the writing so, so good.
but what got me the most is the morality tale, of an america on the brink of disintegration, and men and women who, in spite of their grave limitations, try hard to do the right thing.
at the same time it's all very entertaining and fast and occasionally truly funny, and the action is riveting, and the writing so, so good.
but what got me the most is the morality tale, of an america on the brink of disintegration, and men and women who, in spite of their grave limitations, try hard to do the right thing.
July 28, 2014
"A great nation is like a great man.....
He thinks of his enemy as the shadow
That he himself casts."
---Tao Te Ching
This inscription provides a clue to the main theme of 'Citizen Vince'. As the quote is on the first page of the book, I paid particular attention to the 1980 Presidential contest between Jimmie Carter and Ronald Reagan which fascinates Vince Camden, the thief who is our 'hero'. Having been convicted of a felony as a younger man than he is now, which is currently age 36, he lost the right to vote a decade ago. In other words, he no longer had a voice in choosing the direction of the body of the nation. Losing the right of having a choice devastated Vince, but not so that he noticed. Instead, it was like a backburner fire eating at his heart. It manifested instead in an underlying depression, as well as a shocked horror in discovering that Charles Dickens, the famous English author, had written two endings to the book, 'Great Expectations'. This was such an unpleasant fact of history to him, Vince could no longer finish any book he started reading. Instead, his literary explorations were only a continuous series of beginnings with no endings, stuck, repeating himself, never pushing through to the conclusion. He had lost his great expectations.
Instead he felt a strong compulsion to follow the Presidential election. Jimmie Carter was trying to keep the job, but unfortunately he did not seem to be attractive to the voters. He was a man of decency and honesty, beyond corruption, self-sacrificing. A religious man, Carter tried to live and lead as he believed Jesus would have approved, using round-table discussions to find solutions, including all combatants and interests in order to work out a mutual agreement. The people turned away from Carter and adored Ronald Reagan. Reagan represented a return to values of the past, a tougher and meaner America. Instead of the inclusive policies of Carter which promised the equality of compromise, the people were choosing exclusivity, Us against Them, ruling through divisiveness and the power to take what one wants through whoever is strongest. Reagan promised to build up the military in order to resolve issues around the world and in our country through force and violence, using unilateral self-serving and imposed solutions, promising to save face first, grab the goodies from a position of power second, and force the losers to accept their loss third.
Reagan's policies were not much different than that of the New York mafia, actually. No wonder Vince found himself being drawn to the 1980 election current in the time taking place in the book.
Vince, or Marty Hagen, his real name, had learned that due to his snitching on certain mafia figures in New York City, which had earned him a new life in Spokane, Washington as a baker of donuts from his being accepted into the federal Witness Relocation Program, he had been restored to his rights as a citizen of America, including the power of choosing what direction he felt should be taken in the election. Unfortunately, Vince had already fallen back into repeating his own past, and he is once again gambling, stealing credit card numbers in order to sell them to other criminals, and otherwise flirting with crime. He had no idea if he was going to vote, much less any idea of who he would support, but he couldn't stop watching the race between Carter and Reagan. He still is stunned that he will be able to vote at all.
Ray Sticks, a mafia man who has no conscience and loves to torture and kill, has arrived in Spokane from New York City. He is a man on a mission, and it seems to be about Vince. Ray quickly discovers how Vince is stealing credit card numbers and he makes plans to infiltrate Vince's racket. Ray may have other plans for Vince as well, since Ray's occupation in New York was that of murdering people, especially women and children that other mafia killers refused to do.
Vince, having had the choice, framing it perhaps clumsily in the symbolism of his straight non-criminal life, of the solid nutrition of the baked and completed donut itself or the emptiness of the hole, has unfortunately put himself in the hole. Has he thrown away his ability to choose the direction of his life before he even grasped the opportunity? Worse, he might be destroying the lives of people, weaker than himself, who now depend on his choices. He has become involved with a prostitute, Beth, who is actually working at changing her life with far less resources than Vince. She is taking classes at the local community college to get her real estate license. She has almost nothing supporting her in this effort, but still she is trying. She also is hopeful that Vince will like her enough to become her boyfriend, but he only has eyes for a far more flashier, educated woman, Kelly, who is working on the campaign of a local politician running for a legislative seat. However, Kelly is lacking a solid foundation of values, as she is pursuing a relationship with a married man. Vince is drawn to choices of empty vacuity over those choices which could lead to solid fulfillment again and again. He excuses himself by calling it fate when he thinks about it, having enjoyed reading books with what he assumed were certain and unalterable endings - until he learned that authors could imagine other endings.
But he's working on it.
This is a fantastic literary read disguised as a crime novel. I highly recommend it to mystery readers with a taste for 'quality' literature as well.
He thinks of his enemy as the shadow
That he himself casts."
---Tao Te Ching
This inscription provides a clue to the main theme of 'Citizen Vince'. As the quote is on the first page of the book, I paid particular attention to the 1980 Presidential contest between Jimmie Carter and Ronald Reagan which fascinates Vince Camden, the thief who is our 'hero'. Having been convicted of a felony as a younger man than he is now, which is currently age 36, he lost the right to vote a decade ago. In other words, he no longer had a voice in choosing the direction of the body of the nation. Losing the right of having a choice devastated Vince, but not so that he noticed. Instead, it was like a backburner fire eating at his heart. It manifested instead in an underlying depression, as well as a shocked horror in discovering that Charles Dickens, the famous English author, had written two endings to the book, 'Great Expectations'. This was such an unpleasant fact of history to him, Vince could no longer finish any book he started reading. Instead, his literary explorations were only a continuous series of beginnings with no endings, stuck, repeating himself, never pushing through to the conclusion. He had lost his great expectations.
Instead he felt a strong compulsion to follow the Presidential election. Jimmie Carter was trying to keep the job, but unfortunately he did not seem to be attractive to the voters. He was a man of decency and honesty, beyond corruption, self-sacrificing. A religious man, Carter tried to live and lead as he believed Jesus would have approved, using round-table discussions to find solutions, including all combatants and interests in order to work out a mutual agreement. The people turned away from Carter and adored Ronald Reagan. Reagan represented a return to values of the past, a tougher and meaner America. Instead of the inclusive policies of Carter which promised the equality of compromise, the people were choosing exclusivity, Us against Them, ruling through divisiveness and the power to take what one wants through whoever is strongest. Reagan promised to build up the military in order to resolve issues around the world and in our country through force and violence, using unilateral self-serving and imposed solutions, promising to save face first, grab the goodies from a position of power second, and force the losers to accept their loss third.
Reagan's policies were not much different than that of the New York mafia, actually. No wonder Vince found himself being drawn to the 1980 election current in the time taking place in the book.
Vince, or Marty Hagen, his real name, had learned that due to his snitching on certain mafia figures in New York City, which had earned him a new life in Spokane, Washington as a baker of donuts from his being accepted into the federal Witness Relocation Program, he had been restored to his rights as a citizen of America, including the power of choosing what direction he felt should be taken in the election. Unfortunately, Vince had already fallen back into repeating his own past, and he is once again gambling, stealing credit card numbers in order to sell them to other criminals, and otherwise flirting with crime. He had no idea if he was going to vote, much less any idea of who he would support, but he couldn't stop watching the race between Carter and Reagan. He still is stunned that he will be able to vote at all.
Ray Sticks, a mafia man who has no conscience and loves to torture and kill, has arrived in Spokane from New York City. He is a man on a mission, and it seems to be about Vince. Ray quickly discovers how Vince is stealing credit card numbers and he makes plans to infiltrate Vince's racket. Ray may have other plans for Vince as well, since Ray's occupation in New York was that of murdering people, especially women and children that other mafia killers refused to do.
Vince, having had the choice, framing it perhaps clumsily in the symbolism of his straight non-criminal life, of the solid nutrition of the baked and completed donut itself or the emptiness of the hole, has unfortunately put himself in the hole. Has he thrown away his ability to choose the direction of his life before he even grasped the opportunity? Worse, he might be destroying the lives of people, weaker than himself, who now depend on his choices. He has become involved with a prostitute, Beth, who is actually working at changing her life with far less resources than Vince. She is taking classes at the local community college to get her real estate license. She has almost nothing supporting her in this effort, but still she is trying. She also is hopeful that Vince will like her enough to become her boyfriend, but he only has eyes for a far more flashier, educated woman, Kelly, who is working on the campaign of a local politician running for a legislative seat. However, Kelly is lacking a solid foundation of values, as she is pursuing a relationship with a married man. Vince is drawn to choices of empty vacuity over those choices which could lead to solid fulfillment again and again. He excuses himself by calling it fate when he thinks about it, having enjoyed reading books with what he assumed were certain and unalterable endings - until he learned that authors could imagine other endings.
But he's working on it.
This is a fantastic literary read disguised as a crime novel. I highly recommend it to mystery readers with a taste for 'quality' literature as well.
October 28, 2014
I adored this book.
Fun, fun, fun.
Fun, fun, fun.
December 21, 2015
Vince (the Donut Man) Camden is a cool character-a memorable one. He is a second rate crook, a charming cad, a bit of poet, and a pinch of a philosopher. He is the type of person that helps us all to keep believing in humanity...because the cocky smooth talking thief, may just have a heart of gold worth the rigorous polishing process.
Jess Walters' biggest strength as a writer, as far as I am concerned, is his ability to write characters that he expertly weaves into your memories as though they were players in your personal life history. Second to Vince, My personal favorites are Detective Dupree, the small town politician, Ray, the NY cop turned crooked, and the NY mob characters...
I am a fan of Jess Walters. This is my third book by him and perhaps the one with which I am most impressed. Citizen Vince IS a man book (but it didn't make me belch, or scratch, or ANYTHING) just so you know... Citizen Vince is complete with gambling, mobsters, violence, suspense, irony, wit, hookers, and police chases...a little bit gum shoe, a little bit rock and roll (a little bit of a Pulp Fiction vibe)-but it isn't JUST that...it is a thrilling read. Walters' gritty, stubble face wizened voice in Citizen Vince is unlike any of his works I have indulged in thus far. Oh...and Walters works this magic with the points of view of Carter and Reagan that is pure literary genius.
Set in the transitional politically charged environment of the early eighties, Citizen Vince is not only provocative, but fascinating.
A well woven guilty little pleasure.
Jess Walters' biggest strength as a writer, as far as I am concerned, is his ability to write characters that he expertly weaves into your memories as though they were players in your personal life history. Second to Vince, My personal favorites are Detective Dupree, the small town politician, Ray, the NY cop turned crooked, and the NY mob characters...
I am a fan of Jess Walters. This is my third book by him and perhaps the one with which I am most impressed. Citizen Vince IS a man book (but it didn't make me belch, or scratch, or ANYTHING) just so you know... Citizen Vince is complete with gambling, mobsters, violence, suspense, irony, wit, hookers, and police chases...a little bit gum shoe, a little bit rock and roll (a little bit of a Pulp Fiction vibe)-but it isn't JUST that...it is a thrilling read. Walters' gritty, stubble face wizened voice in Citizen Vince is unlike any of his works I have indulged in thus far. Oh...and Walters works this magic with the points of view of Carter and Reagan that is pure literary genius.
Set in the transitional politically charged environment of the early eighties, Citizen Vince is not only provocative, but fascinating.
A well woven guilty little pleasure.
September 6, 2014
A most enjoyable read. Vince Camden is a small time crook who is relocated by the witness protection program from NYC to Spokane. While this sounds like a plot you have seen in countless noir thrillers in Jess Walters' hands the usual is elevated through the intelligent fresh writing, the humour and the vividness of the characters to unexpected heights. Always a great suspense novel it is also a deeply funny slice of reality, a social history piece, and most oddly a moving story of redemption. When finished I gave a small barely audible whimper of satisfaction myself.
November 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a few other reviewers have mentioned , this was my first Jess Walter and definitely won’t be my last. Vince Camden is a small-time criminal. He runs a small time credit card swindle. By a fortunate set of circumstances, Vince gets put into a witness protection program. He gets retrained as a donut maker and is trying to live straight after being relocated to the West Coast, but the draw of the credit card swindle is hard to pass up.
Doesn’t sound like a likeable guy, but you can’t help rooting for and loving him. What a totally different and unusual story, which added up to a five star read for me.
Goodread 2025 Challenge - Book #89 of 125
As a few other reviewers have mentioned , this was my first Jess Walter and definitely won’t be my last. Vince Camden is a small-time criminal. He runs a small time credit card swindle. By a fortunate set of circumstances, Vince gets put into a witness protection program. He gets retrained as a donut maker and is trying to live straight after being relocated to the West Coast, but the draw of the credit card swindle is hard to pass up.
Doesn’t sound like a likeable guy, but you can’t help rooting for and loving him. What a totally different and unusual story, which added up to a five star read for me.
Goodread 2025 Challenge - Book #89 of 125
December 3, 2022
Una lettura incalzante, che mi ha stupita nell'evoluzione degli eventi, assolutamente imprevedibili
August 8, 2025
There's a regular feature I've been reading in the "Criminal Element" blog about the Edgar Award books from each year, and when the blog got to "Citizen Vince" the writer (novelist Hank Phillippi Ryan) waxed so ecstatic that I knew I had to read it. She described it as "an old fashioned cat-and-mouse gangster chase turns into a crazy literary tour de force. Irresistible, and hilarious, and intelligent, and thought-provoking."
Now that I have read the book, I can tell you she was not exaggerating about Jess Walter's writing talent, and his ability to create believable characters. His plotting skills are solid as well.
Walter has created a memorable main character: Vince Camden, a small-time hustler and professional donut baker at an establishment in Spokane called Donut Make You Hungry. Vince used to be named Marty, back when he was a small-time hustler back in New York, before he was put into witness protection for testifying against a few Mafia bosses.
To his surprise, Vince has received in the mail a voter registration card. He's never had one before and now, eight days before the 1980 presidential election, he's suddenly realizing he's part of something bigger than himself, and it changes the way he looks at everything. Meanwhile, his placid life -- stealing credit cards, dealing pot, playing poker, joshing with hooker-turned-real-estate-agent Beth, pretending to read novels that will impress one of his donut regulars -- is turned upside down when someone he recognizes from back home, a hard guy named Ray Sticks, shows up packing heat. Vince wants to protect his new life, but also to vote in his first election.
There are a ton of great scenes in this book, most of them involving Vince suddenly asking unlikely people about who they like better, Reagan or Carter. There's a hilarious cameo by Reagan's son Michael, a long discussion with a first-time Republican candidate (whose only original idea is to improve the zoo) of how hard it is to reach voters, and I can't begin to tell you how much I loved the scene in the voting precinct. Vince is kind of a smart-ass, which means a lot of the scenes are punctuated by a snappy one-liner.
The story gets a little soggy around the middle when Vince goes back to New York to try to find out why Ray Sticks is after him, and a too-smart-for-his-own-good rookie detective chases after him and gets badly sidetracked. The detective does make a key discovery about Vince's past, and his relationship with his longtime attorney, that makes for a pretty great scene as well. There's also a little all-italics section viewing things from Reagan and Carter's POV that seemed like a talented writer showing off his chops. A lot of this feels like a distraction from the main story back in Spokane and thank heavens we get back there to wind up the story.
All in all, a fairly satisfying book and one that kept me guessing. I'm going to look for more books by Jess Walter now. And I'll think about voting in a slightly different way, thanks to "Citizen Vince."
Now that I have read the book, I can tell you she was not exaggerating about Jess Walter's writing talent, and his ability to create believable characters. His plotting skills are solid as well.
Walter has created a memorable main character: Vince Camden, a small-time hustler and professional donut baker at an establishment in Spokane called Donut Make You Hungry. Vince used to be named Marty, back when he was a small-time hustler back in New York, before he was put into witness protection for testifying against a few Mafia bosses.
To his surprise, Vince has received in the mail a voter registration card. He's never had one before and now, eight days before the 1980 presidential election, he's suddenly realizing he's part of something bigger than himself, and it changes the way he looks at everything. Meanwhile, his placid life -- stealing credit cards, dealing pot, playing poker, joshing with hooker-turned-real-estate-agent Beth, pretending to read novels that will impress one of his donut regulars -- is turned upside down when someone he recognizes from back home, a hard guy named Ray Sticks, shows up packing heat. Vince wants to protect his new life, but also to vote in his first election.
There are a ton of great scenes in this book, most of them involving Vince suddenly asking unlikely people about who they like better, Reagan or Carter. There's a hilarious cameo by Reagan's son Michael, a long discussion with a first-time Republican candidate (whose only original idea is to improve the zoo) of how hard it is to reach voters, and I can't begin to tell you how much I loved the scene in the voting precinct. Vince is kind of a smart-ass, which means a lot of the scenes are punctuated by a snappy one-liner.
The story gets a little soggy around the middle when Vince goes back to New York to try to find out why Ray Sticks is after him, and a too-smart-for-his-own-good rookie detective chases after him and gets badly sidetracked. The detective does make a key discovery about Vince's past, and his relationship with his longtime attorney, that makes for a pretty great scene as well. There's also a little all-italics section viewing things from Reagan and Carter's POV that seemed like a talented writer showing off his chops. A lot of this feels like a distraction from the main story back in Spokane and thank heavens we get back there to wind up the story.
All in all, a fairly satisfying book and one that kept me guessing. I'm going to look for more books by Jess Walter now. And I'll think about voting in a slightly different way, thanks to "Citizen Vince."
January 26, 2013
Frequently, Edgar Best Novel winners are a bit more literary that the usual run of mysteries and thrillers. This doesn't necessarily mean they're better books in terms of writing or entertainment, but that they examine a deeper issue than "whodunit" or "will the good guy escape the bad guy." Such a book is Citizen Vince.
When this book came into the house, my husband read it first. He warned me not to read the jacket copy before beginning it, just to plunge into the story, which was good advice. Therefore, I won't talk about the plot. Citizen Vince takes place mostly in Spokane, Washington in the fall of 1980. There are plenty of suspenseful moments and snappy dialogues, but the book also delves into questions of identity, both external and internal, in the main plot and the subplot. It's also quite well-written and for both the locations used, there's a strong sense of place. It's the character studies, though, that really make this such a good book. Even though there are eleven months left in the year, I'm sure this will be on my Ten Best list for 2013. Very highly recommended.
When this book came into the house, my husband read it first. He warned me not to read the jacket copy before beginning it, just to plunge into the story, which was good advice. Therefore, I won't talk about the plot. Citizen Vince takes place mostly in Spokane, Washington in the fall of 1980. There are plenty of suspenseful moments and snappy dialogues, but the book also delves into questions of identity, both external and internal, in the main plot and the subplot. It's also quite well-written and for both the locations used, there's a strong sense of place. It's the character studies, though, that really make this such a good book. Even though there are eleven months left in the year, I'm sure this will be on my Ten Best list for 2013. Very highly recommended.
December 25, 2008
It's the Christmas holidays, and over pizza the other night my mom, brother and I sat discussing what makes literature good - an argument that ultimately came down to what we want from reading: my mom wants to learn something; my brother wants it to be art; and I think of it largely as entertainment, albeit entertainment that can teach and edify as well. This book does a lot of that - at its base, it is a well-paced thriller that leans heavily on fairly rote mob fare and a good shake of foreboding. At the same time, though, it has some really interesting reflections on what it means to vote, from the act itself to the process of making a decision. Our protagonist, Vince Camden, has always been a felon and thus never had the right to vote. Walter, the author, does a really great job of depicting Vince's conflicting feelings about the whole process, in a way that elevates the book from more standard popular fiction to a book that both entertains and teaches the reader about another perspective.
October 20, 2016
This one has been far down in my to-read pile for far too long. I'm glad I finally got to it. I can't do better than quote Nick Hornby: "...fast, thoughtful, and funny. I loved this novel...it seemed to know that what I needed was pace, warmth, humor, and an artfully disguised attempt to write about a world bigger than the one its characters live in." It is set in the week before the election of 1980, Jimmy Carter on the way out, Reagan on the way in. Vince is a felon in the witness protection program who has apparently been tracked down by a stone-cold hit man hired by John Gotti. He is a very complex guy, smarter than he should be for the small-time crook he has always been, and he is inspired by events to vote for the first time in his life. He actually talks the hit man into stopping at the voting station so he can cast his vote before the guy has a chance to rub him out. Curiously appropriate for the last days of the current horrible campaign.
April 29, 2023
Did not finish. Not really my cup of tea.
Story involves 30 something Vince Camden. A paranoid guy who's in witness protection because he squealed on the bosses of credit card theft. So what's he doing? In the early mornings he plays poker and deals weed to hookers from 2 am to 430 am when he goes to work in a donut shop until noon. He is scamming credit cards- the same stuff he did that sent him to prison.
That's as far as I got. this isn't my lifestyle and frankly I don't intend for it to become my lifestyle. In the end I asked my self: "Self, do you really want to learn about the lifestyle of a career criminal? I answered myself: No.
End of story after 50 pages. Sorry I took the advice of a friend and bought this book. The writing is creative and catchy- but the plot lost me- big time.
Story involves 30 something Vince Camden. A paranoid guy who's in witness protection because he squealed on the bosses of credit card theft. So what's he doing? In the early mornings he plays poker and deals weed to hookers from 2 am to 430 am when he goes to work in a donut shop until noon. He is scamming credit cards- the same stuff he did that sent him to prison.
That's as far as I got. this isn't my lifestyle and frankly I don't intend for it to become my lifestyle. In the end I asked my self: "Self, do you really want to learn about the lifestyle of a career criminal? I answered myself: No.
End of story after 50 pages. Sorry I took the advice of a friend and bought this book. The writing is creative and catchy- but the plot lost me- big time.
June 5, 2015
A perfectly delivered crime novel with a series of interlocking premises that create a moral center, a fascinating protagonist, and a taut plot. Nearly perfect. Can't believe it sat on my shelf for so long. Our hero Vince Camden, a low-level scam artist, is living in witness protection in Spokane Washington, having ratted out a made guy in Queens. The appearance of another guy from "the world" sets into motion a delicious string of events, all in the context of the 1980 Reagan-Carter election. Voting is an important theme here, a serious cause for many very amusing scenes amongst the mokes and mugs. There is a lot of running, a lot of pursuit, a lot of badly executed evasion, and a lot of donuts. Ya gotta read this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 641 reviews