Death Wish

by Iceberg Slim

A novel of the clash between Jimmy Collucci, an ambitious member of Chicago's Mafia, and Jessie Taylor, an African American driven by revenge and hatred to destroy Collucci's infamous organization.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, African American, Urban

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Iceberg Slim, also known as Robert Beck, was born as Robert Lee Maupin. Novelist and poet whose most famous novel, Pimp, is semi-autobiographical.

Reviews

[Stephen Conti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy is an insane genius. Ice-cube and Ice-T both chose their name in homage to him. He created(reflected?) the world of the pimp/whore/druggie.... I would love to have spent a night at the bar sitting between Slim and Bukowski....

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, just appalling. I'm not even talking about the subject matter, but this was just awful writing even for the lurid market of pulp action it's aimed at. The characters are cartoons, the dialogue veers between street hard, porno unsexy sex talk, and campy racial caricature. The sex is so silly it borders on satire

"She leaped astride him and impaled herself on his joint, heavy veined and fat with blood. She hooded her eyes and humped his weapon until she squealed and drooled saliva. Then in slow motion she looped the noose about the head of his organ.

Jessie gazed at her awesome butt reflected in a moonlit mirror. It was swaying and tossing with airy artistry as the noose leeched and grabbed. With a growl of joy he flung her beneath him, then smoothly eased himself into her and stroked her womb gate."

"Womb gate" is a definite favorite. "Womb gate"? What the fuck is that? A cervix?

As for dialogue, how about

"You said he would be forgotten like pee down the toilet, remember?"

Or how can you go wrong with this little speech:

"Good luck, Giacomo, and remember your Papa Bellini let go before the witch of power could hustle a price on my life or drag my rear end with cancer that can come from the power pressure."

I don't even know what that's supposed to mean? Does anyone?

[Julius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck.yeah.
Iceberg wasn't just that pimp Jay-Z references, he was also fucking sick with the pen. Here are some examples of what lies herein this fuckin rad-fest:
-Voodoo priestess fingering herself so she can attract a Great Dane so she can slaughter him to read his entrails
-interracial gang called the warriors taking on the mafia, endless gore seeping from every page
-characters named "Tit-for-tat taylor," "Lotsa Black Jones,"

>>>>>> the bible.

[Amyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

iceberg slim is the originator of street novels. he took me back to the 70's for a first seat ride into chaos and mayhem. i was totally upset when it was over.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

not super easy to get through - the names all just jumbled in my head, but by the final third of the book, I had it figured out. A 20th mid century story of the Chicago Italian and Black gangs. It didn't really land so hard with me. Didn't feel like it's a "must read". But if you are reading Iceberg Slim's catalogue, it's a necessary volume. There was vernacular that I didn't necessarily know from those characters and that time. As one would expect.... there are no winners...

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

catched a glimpse of "pimp" greatness!

[Carrie Campbell-jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another good story from Slim. I enjoyed it though the ending was a little dry. This story reminded me of Moby Dick.

[Adrain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was a bit disconnected and hard to follow in the first quarter of the book. Things seemed to come together after that and resulted in a predictable but good read.

[MizZes Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! What a read I read when I was in my teens revisited I love the author.

[Roberto Junipero Jaquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulpy, action driven with cool characters. One of slims best

[Guillermo Galvan · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading Pimp: The Story of My Life, I thought of Iceberg as person from the streets that could write; much like Charles Bukowski. But after reading this poorly written book and Airtight Willie and Me, I'm starting to think Iceberg is a one-hit-wonder.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Iceberg Slim for the juiciness of his language, and for the window into a world that I'll never realistically be a part of. At this stage in my life, I'm fairly comfortable in the knowledge that I'll never be a mobster or a pimp. I'm okay with this. In fact, I find it preferable. I've no wish whatsoever for the violence in my own life. Thanks to Iceberg's unique prose, I can see his world from the padded safety of an easy chair. And say what you will about the subject matter, I don't think there's a better literary guide to it than Iceberg Slim.

[Mam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't get far

[PG "I ain't finna read that" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but a little sparse. you can tell this was supposed to be a film, it lacks some of the depth that novels are capable of.