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The Man Who Came Uptown
Anna Byrne is a jailhouse librarian. Most days, she loves her job and shares the life-affirming power of books to people who would have no hope without them. Often, she can get too close and forget some of these men are dangerous criminals. But some of them never had a chance. Like Michael Hudson , who's been locked up awaiting trial before his sudden release. He's happy and relieved but can't shake the question preying on his how comes the witness who put him behind bars is suddenly refusing to testify? There's a man who might have the answer, but he wants something first. Phil Ornazian is a private investigator who moonlights as a petty criminal. He's not exactly proud of it, but times are hard in Washington D.C. People have to change to survive, or die trying. But everything comes at a price and, at some point, everyone has to pay...
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2018
570 people are currently reading
4020 people want to read
About the author
George P. Pelecanos
59 books1,626 followersGeorge Pelecanos was born in Washington, D.C., in 1957. He worked as a line cook, dishwasher, bartender, and woman's shoe salesman before publishing his first novel in 1992.
Pelecanos is the author of eighteen novels set in and around Washington, D.C.: A Firing Offense, Nick's Trip, Shoedog, Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go, The Big Blowdown, King Suckerman, The Sweet Forever, Shame the Devil, Right as Rain, Hell to Pay, Soul Circus, Hard Revolution, Drama City, The Night Gardener, The Turnaround, The Way Home, The Cut, and What It Was. He has been the recipient of the Raymond Chandler award in Italy, the Falcon award in Japan, and the Grand Prix du Roman Noir in France. Hell to Pay and Soul Circus were awarded the 2003 and 2004 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire, Playboy, and the collections Unusual Suspects, Best American Mystery Stories of 1997, Measures of Poison, Best American Mystery Stories of 2002, Men from Boys, and Murder at the Foul Line. He served as editor on the collections D.C. Noir and D.C. Noir 2: The Classics, as well as The Best Mystery Stories of 2008. He is an award-winning essayist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, Sight and Sound, Uncut, Mojo, and numerous other publications. Esquire called him "the poet laureate of the D.C. crime world." In Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King wrote that Pelecanos is "perhaps the greatest living American crime writer." Pelecanos would like to note that Mr. King used the qualifier "perhaps."
Pelecanos served as producer on the feature films Caught (Robert M. Young, 1996), Whatever, (Susan Skoog, 1998) and BlackMale (George and Mike Baluzy, 1999), and was the U.S. distributor of John Woo's cult classic, The Killer and Richard Bugajski's Interrogation. Most recently, he was a producer, writer, and story editor for the acclaimed HBO dramatic series, The Wire, winner of the Peabody Award and the AFI Award. He was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on that show. He was a writer and co-producer on the World War II miniseries The Pacific, and is currently at work as an executive producer and writer on David Simon's HBO dramatic series Treme, shot in New Orleans.
Pelecanos lives with his family in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Pelecanos is the author of eighteen novels set in and around Washington, D.C.: A Firing Offense, Nick's Trip, Shoedog, Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go, The Big Blowdown, King Suckerman, The Sweet Forever, Shame the Devil, Right as Rain, Hell to Pay, Soul Circus, Hard Revolution, Drama City, The Night Gardener, The Turnaround, The Way Home, The Cut, and What It Was. He has been the recipient of the Raymond Chandler award in Italy, the Falcon award in Japan, and the Grand Prix du Roman Noir in France. Hell to Pay and Soul Circus were awarded the 2003 and 2004 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire, Playboy, and the collections Unusual Suspects, Best American Mystery Stories of 1997, Measures of Poison, Best American Mystery Stories of 2002, Men from Boys, and Murder at the Foul Line. He served as editor on the collections D.C. Noir and D.C. Noir 2: The Classics, as well as The Best Mystery Stories of 2008. He is an award-winning essayist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, Sight and Sound, Uncut, Mojo, and numerous other publications. Esquire called him "the poet laureate of the D.C. crime world." In Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King wrote that Pelecanos is "perhaps the greatest living American crime writer." Pelecanos would like to note that Mr. King used the qualifier "perhaps."
Pelecanos served as producer on the feature films Caught (Robert M. Young, 1996), Whatever, (Susan Skoog, 1998) and BlackMale (George and Mike Baluzy, 1999), and was the U.S. distributor of John Woo's cult classic, The Killer and Richard Bugajski's Interrogation. Most recently, he was a producer, writer, and story editor for the acclaimed HBO dramatic series, The Wire, winner of the Peabody Award and the AFI Award. He was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on that show. He was a writer and co-producer on the World War II miniseries The Pacific, and is currently at work as an executive producer and writer on David Simon's HBO dramatic series Treme, shot in New Orleans.
Pelecanos lives with his family in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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August 23, 2018
George Pelecanos writes a movingly profound homage to the joys of reading, the horizons that books open up, and their transformative power to change lives. Those who are committed and obsessive readers, who can envisage the possibilities that reading offers, will truly appreciate this gritty urban offering, set in the city of Washington DC, once presided over by the first black mayor, Marion Barry, a flawed man but who played an important part in ensuring the black community were offered employment opportunities. The extaordinary Anna Kaplan/Byrne, book lover, is the jailhouse librarian who spends time trying to ensure the inmates, many who would be deemed to be very bad men, get books that meet their needs. She organises and runs a bookclub where the men discuss a particular novel. She does not look down on the prison population nor judges the men. She chooses from a wide selection of reading material, such as Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and John D MacDonald's The Deep Blue Goodbye. Much of the literature is complex, covering themes like the nature of masculinity, understanding women, sexuality, friendships, tarnished angels and so much more.
The protagonists in this story could be deemed tarnished angels. Michael Hudson has a strong family, but has fallen under bad influences, making poor choices that have ended up with him being arrested and charged. He is in prison, and for the first time in his life has the time and space to think, and starts to read books. He finds his eyes opened as he recognises the freedom that novels provide to mentally escape prison. Anna's book suggestions sow the seeds for Michael to turn his life around as the two of them develop a deep personal connection. Michael is released when for some strange reason the main witness testifying against him withdraws his testimony. Michael secures a minimum wage position in a restaurant that he commits to, becomes a voracious reader following up Anna's book recommendations, joining the library, startled at how much it offers, and beginning to realise his dream of starting up his own personal library of books. Phil Ornaizon is a struggling PI who takes on the case of corporate lawyer, Leonard Weitzman, whose home was trashed, valuables stolen and his daughter, Lisa, was brutally raped at a party. Phil runs a criminal sideline that he thinks can be defended because he and Thaddeus Ward only target bad guys. Michael is uneasy as he finds himself in a quandry that threatens the life he has begun to establish, for it turns out there is a price to be paid for his prison release.
Pelecanos writes of characters who have slipped through the cracks, who will do anything to ensure that their beloved families survive, who do not always make the right choices but who are never less than compelling, and in whom I invested in as a reader. In this narrative of love, loss, tragedy, grief, redemption and hope, the author held me spellbound with his storytelling. As a lifelong reader, I identified with and admired Anna, working a tough but priceless gig in a prison with men who need and could appreciate what Anna did for them. The proof of this is primarily embodied in Michael. I highly recommend this to anyone who reads and loves books. A superb read. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
The protagonists in this story could be deemed tarnished angels. Michael Hudson has a strong family, but has fallen under bad influences, making poor choices that have ended up with him being arrested and charged. He is in prison, and for the first time in his life has the time and space to think, and starts to read books. He finds his eyes opened as he recognises the freedom that novels provide to mentally escape prison. Anna's book suggestions sow the seeds for Michael to turn his life around as the two of them develop a deep personal connection. Michael is released when for some strange reason the main witness testifying against him withdraws his testimony. Michael secures a minimum wage position in a restaurant that he commits to, becomes a voracious reader following up Anna's book recommendations, joining the library, startled at how much it offers, and beginning to realise his dream of starting up his own personal library of books. Phil Ornaizon is a struggling PI who takes on the case of corporate lawyer, Leonard Weitzman, whose home was trashed, valuables stolen and his daughter, Lisa, was brutally raped at a party. Phil runs a criminal sideline that he thinks can be defended because he and Thaddeus Ward only target bad guys. Michael is uneasy as he finds himself in a quandry that threatens the life he has begun to establish, for it turns out there is a price to be paid for his prison release.
Pelecanos writes of characters who have slipped through the cracks, who will do anything to ensure that their beloved families survive, who do not always make the right choices but who are never less than compelling, and in whom I invested in as a reader. In this narrative of love, loss, tragedy, grief, redemption and hope, the author held me spellbound with his storytelling. As a lifelong reader, I identified with and admired Anna, working a tough but priceless gig in a prison with men who need and could appreciate what Anna did for them. The proof of this is primarily embodied in Michael. I highly recommend this to anyone who reads and loves books. A superb read. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
March 17, 2019
The Man Who Came Uptown by George Pelecanos is a 2018 Mulholland publication.
This is the first book by George Pelecanos, I’ve read in many years. I have a handful of his novels on my shelves, both print and digital, I needed to read first, but this one was so highly recommended to me by many of my Goodreads friends, I had to read this one immediately- and I’m so glad I did!
This crime novel is fittingly dedicated to Charles Willeford and Elmore Leonard. The tribute is both subtle and obvious.
This is a well-crafted crime novel, which is to be expected from a seasoned author who has built a solid reputation writing mystery/ thrillers- of course, he is just as respected for his television manuscripts.
This story, however, almost becomes philosophical, giving the reader a lot more to ponder on than the mystery and various criminal vignettes acted out by this exquisitely flawed cast of characters.
Book lovers and fans of literary fiction will drool over the storyline involving Anna, who works at the jail in the book group program, and Michael, a prisoner upon which she, and her book recommendations have an enormous impact.
Michael’s jail term is significantly reduced, and he is released after a PI named Phil Ornazian does a little wheeling and dealing on his behalf. Phil’s motives aren’t exactly pure, however. As it happens, our PI, and family man, Phil, has a lucrative side business, where he robs pimps and other criminals of their ill-gotten gains.
Phil, along with his sidekick, Thaddeus Ward, are hired to discover who robbed a wealthy family and violated their teenage daughter while they were away on vacation. Phil, who obviously plays loose and fast with the law, all but blackmails Michael, who is determined to play it straight and get his life in order, into driving a getaway car for him.
Meanwhile, Michael and Anna, who is married, meet by chance, rekindling their friendship, sharing more book recommendations and flirting with an illicit attraction to one another.
While there is a gritty crime drama, a mystery to solve, a fair amount of action, and few nail- biting moments in the story, what stands out the most are the characterizations. Is one crime worse than the other? After repeated failures, has Michael finally put his criminal escapades behind him? How has Anna’s influence on him and his newly acquired love of literature influenced him? Will Anna pursue something beyond friendship with Michael, or will she remain loyal to her husband?
I loved this book! I didn’t go into it with extra high expectations, thinking of it only in terms of crime fiction. What I got was something far more in depth and redeeming. It’s a homage to books and literature, it’s a deep character analysis, and a piece of literary fiction, disguised as a mystery-thriller. It’s stylish and sleek, deep and thoughtful, and felt honest and real. The only complaint I have is that it was over far too soon!!
4.5 stars
This is the first book by George Pelecanos, I’ve read in many years. I have a handful of his novels on my shelves, both print and digital, I needed to read first, but this one was so highly recommended to me by many of my Goodreads friends, I had to read this one immediately- and I’m so glad I did!
This crime novel is fittingly dedicated to Charles Willeford and Elmore Leonard. The tribute is both subtle and obvious.
This is a well-crafted crime novel, which is to be expected from a seasoned author who has built a solid reputation writing mystery/ thrillers- of course, he is just as respected for his television manuscripts.
This story, however, almost becomes philosophical, giving the reader a lot more to ponder on than the mystery and various criminal vignettes acted out by this exquisitely flawed cast of characters.
Book lovers and fans of literary fiction will drool over the storyline involving Anna, who works at the jail in the book group program, and Michael, a prisoner upon which she, and her book recommendations have an enormous impact.
Michael’s jail term is significantly reduced, and he is released after a PI named Phil Ornazian does a little wheeling and dealing on his behalf. Phil’s motives aren’t exactly pure, however. As it happens, our PI, and family man, Phil, has a lucrative side business, where he robs pimps and other criminals of their ill-gotten gains.
Phil, along with his sidekick, Thaddeus Ward, are hired to discover who robbed a wealthy family and violated their teenage daughter while they were away on vacation. Phil, who obviously plays loose and fast with the law, all but blackmails Michael, who is determined to play it straight and get his life in order, into driving a getaway car for him.
Meanwhile, Michael and Anna, who is married, meet by chance, rekindling their friendship, sharing more book recommendations and flirting with an illicit attraction to one another.
While there is a gritty crime drama, a mystery to solve, a fair amount of action, and few nail- biting moments in the story, what stands out the most are the characterizations. Is one crime worse than the other? After repeated failures, has Michael finally put his criminal escapades behind him? How has Anna’s influence on him and his newly acquired love of literature influenced him? Will Anna pursue something beyond friendship with Michael, or will she remain loyal to her husband?
I loved this book! I didn’t go into it with extra high expectations, thinking of it only in terms of crime fiction. What I got was something far more in depth and redeeming. It’s a homage to books and literature, it’s a deep character analysis, and a piece of literary fiction, disguised as a mystery-thriller. It’s stylish and sleek, deep and thoughtful, and felt honest and real. The only complaint I have is that it was over far too soon!!
4.5 stars
September 9, 2024
UNA PICCOLA GENTILEZZA PUÒ DIRADARE LE TENEBRE
Washington D.C., la zona intorno a U Street.
George Pelecanos conosce la strada. Le strade. I suoi personaggi vengono da lì, sono nati e cresciuti in strada, anche se possiedono case e famiglie.
Sono gente ordinaria, che viene da definire normale anche se maneggia armi e droga e non esclude la violenza. Gente che conosce la difficoltà della vita, la sua durezza, l’insidiosa minaccia del razzismo, l’esclusione, la marginalizzazione, la solitudine sociale.
Gente che, o meglio, alcuni di loro conoscono l’immenso potere salvifico della cultura, dell’educazione. La possibilità di riabilitarsi e crearsi una seconda occasione studiando, leggendo libri, come dichiara il titolo di questo romanzo.
Washington D.C., 7th Street.
E George Pelecanos conosce le strade della sua città, Washington D.C. Non solo perché si diletta e dilunga a nominare ogni singola strada percorsa, ogni incrocio e rotatoria, tutte le parallele e perpendicolari, maestro della toponomastica della capitale a stelle e strisce: ma anche perché delle strade, dei quartieri, dell’edilizia, conosce storia, antefatti, evoluzione, trasformazione, gentrificazione.
Si direbbe che per lui narrare sia una specie di esplorazione urbana.
I suoi personaggi, non solo quelli cattivi, criminali, sono interconnessi ai luoghi della città, alle sue strade.
The Wire, Baltimora
Quali sono i libri che ama l’uomo in questione, quelli che vengono menzionati in queste pagine? Sono libri per detenuti, quelli che leggono i carcerati consigliati loro dalla libraia Anna. Sono libri che raccontano la strada, la vita dura, che raccontano storie nelle quali i reclusi possono ritrovarsi, e riconoscersi: e quindi libri dalla trama forte, senza particolare cura stilistica, ma tranche di vita vissuta. Di quella difficile. Quella di strada.
La lettura apre nuovi orizzonti a gente che spesso non è mai uscita dal quartiere dove è nata: attraverso i libri inizia un viaggio anche geografico, allarga il proprio spazio ristretto.
The Deuce, New York
Pelecanos nomina spesso Steinbeck, Uomini e topi e qualche altro titolo, ma facendo attenzione a quelli meno stilisticamente elaborati – i romanzi western di Elmore Leonard, Hombre e Arriva Valdez - Hard Rain Falling di Don Carpenter - Verso nord di Willy Vlautin – e poi John D. MacDonald, Il padrino di Puzo (gettonatissima la scena di sesso durante il matrimonio dove Sonny Corleone sfoggia la sua arma “gonfia di sangue”), Il Grinta di Charles Portis…
Mi viene da pensare che nelle carceri vadano forte proprio i libri di Pelecanos.
Pelecanos non menziona le etnie dei suoi personaggi, men che meno il colore della pelle, se non quando è necessario: lascia tempo al lettore di farsi un’idea attraverso dettagli e particolari.
Washington, al di fuori del miglio quadrato che racchiude il potere statale, è prima di tutto una città di popolazione nera. Ma ci sono molti greci (Pelecanos è di origine greca, per l’appunto), latini (messicani, portoricani, nicaraguensi, salvadoregni, guatemaltechi…). Ovviamente non mancano gli orientali, e come ci ha spiegato Dinaw Mengestu neppure gli africani.
Pelecanos ha colleghi che gli somigliano – penso a Richard Price, penso a Dennis Lehane – colleghi che seguono lo stesso percorso (romanzi crime, sceneggiatura per film e serie TV), scrittori che io apprezzo, ma sui quali George spicca, a me sembra più completo. O, semplicemente, più bravo.
Washington D.C., la zona intorno a U Street.
George Pelecanos conosce la strada. Le strade. I suoi personaggi vengono da lì, sono nati e cresciuti in strada, anche se possiedono case e famiglie.
Sono gente ordinaria, che viene da definire normale anche se maneggia armi e droga e non esclude la violenza. Gente che conosce la difficoltà della vita, la sua durezza, l’insidiosa minaccia del razzismo, l’esclusione, la marginalizzazione, la solitudine sociale.
Gente che, o meglio, alcuni di loro conoscono l’immenso potere salvifico della cultura, dell’educazione. La possibilità di riabilitarsi e crearsi una seconda occasione studiando, leggendo libri, come dichiara il titolo di questo romanzo.
Washington D.C., 7th Street.
E George Pelecanos conosce le strade della sua città, Washington D.C. Non solo perché si diletta e dilunga a nominare ogni singola strada percorsa, ogni incrocio e rotatoria, tutte le parallele e perpendicolari, maestro della toponomastica della capitale a stelle e strisce: ma anche perché delle strade, dei quartieri, dell’edilizia, conosce storia, antefatti, evoluzione, trasformazione, gentrificazione.
Si direbbe che per lui narrare sia una specie di esplorazione urbana.
I suoi personaggi, non solo quelli cattivi, criminali, sono interconnessi ai luoghi della città, alle sue strade.
The Wire, Baltimora
Quali sono i libri che ama l’uomo in questione, quelli che vengono menzionati in queste pagine? Sono libri per detenuti, quelli che leggono i carcerati consigliati loro dalla libraia Anna. Sono libri che raccontano la strada, la vita dura, che raccontano storie nelle quali i reclusi possono ritrovarsi, e riconoscersi: e quindi libri dalla trama forte, senza particolare cura stilistica, ma tranche di vita vissuta. Di quella difficile. Quella di strada.
La lettura apre nuovi orizzonti a gente che spesso non è mai uscita dal quartiere dove è nata: attraverso i libri inizia un viaggio anche geografico, allarga il proprio spazio ristretto.
The Deuce, New York
Pelecanos nomina spesso Steinbeck, Uomini e topi e qualche altro titolo, ma facendo attenzione a quelli meno stilisticamente elaborati – i romanzi western di Elmore Leonard, Hombre e Arriva Valdez - Hard Rain Falling di Don Carpenter - Verso nord di Willy Vlautin – e poi John D. MacDonald, Il padrino di Puzo (gettonatissima la scena di sesso durante il matrimonio dove Sonny Corleone sfoggia la sua arma “gonfia di sangue”), Il Grinta di Charles Portis…
Mi viene da pensare che nelle carceri vadano forte proprio i libri di Pelecanos.
Pelecanos non menziona le etnie dei suoi personaggi, men che meno il colore della pelle, se non quando è necessario: lascia tempo al lettore di farsi un’idea attraverso dettagli e particolari.
Washington, al di fuori del miglio quadrato che racchiude il potere statale, è prima di tutto una città di popolazione nera. Ma ci sono molti greci (Pelecanos è di origine greca, per l’appunto), latini (messicani, portoricani, nicaraguensi, salvadoregni, guatemaltechi…). Ovviamente non mancano gli orientali, e come ci ha spiegato Dinaw Mengestu neppure gli africani.
Pelecanos ha colleghi che gli somigliano – penso a Richard Price, penso a Dennis Lehane – colleghi che seguono lo stesso percorso (romanzi crime, sceneggiatura per film e serie TV), scrittori che io apprezzo, ma sui quali George spicca, a me sembra più completo. O, semplicemente, più bravo.
March 31, 2019
”When he read a book, the door to his cell was open. He could step right through it. He could walk those hills under the big blue sky. Breathe the fresh air around him. See the shadows moving over the trees. When he read a book, he was not locked up. He was free.”
The best thing that happens to Michael Hudson is getting locked up.
The second best thing is meeting prison librarian Anna Kaplan Byrne.
The third best thing is the day he opens a book and lets the magic happen.
The body might be caged, but books are time machines, enablers of armchair travelers, and facilitators for readers to live hundreds of lives in one lifetime. They can be a raft in a turbulent life. They can induce emotions that have never been felt so strongly before. They can give the reader a code by which to live his life. They can be a balloon tied to the wrist of the crushingly depressed that gently lifts them up.
Books are as dangerous as black sorcery, as compelling as white witchcraft, as powerful as a wizard’s staff. Is it any wonder that they were burned by the Nazis as if they were a living entity or by the Inquisition as if they were a heretic of flesh and bone?
Anybody need to be locked up? If you don’t read, maybe some time in solitary will cure you of your affliction.
”To him, a book was like a painting that hung in a museum. It was like a piece of art. There was nothing that compared to holding a book in his hands and scanning the words on the page. It made him ‘see’ what he was reading. It was how he dreamed.”
*Fist bump* to all the readers out there that do more than read, but also see.
Phil Ornazian is a man on the make. He is a private investigator who helps find people. He recovers lost valuable objects. He robs criminals. Most of the time he tries to do the right thing, but there are no lines between right and wrong for him. They blur into one another with vast amounts of room for interpretation. It might take a wrong to make a right. He lives by the Ornazian code of conduct.
Ornazian has a chat with a witness, and next thing Michael Hudson knows, he is free. When Ornazian pulls up in his black on black Ford Edge and makes sure that Hudson knows why he is walking around wearing something other than an orange jumpsuit, Hudson has a sinking feeling that staying straight is going to be difficult when you owe a guy like Ornazian.
Being free is generally an illusion for most of us.
George Pelecanos’s reverence for books is on full display. Books are dropped into the plot like exploding hand grenades. I was adding books to my want-to-read list on Goodreads as fast and furious as a Halo video game grand champion blowing through the early levels. My brain was lit up like a flamethrower. I was eating up pages like they were coming out of a Mickey Mouse pez dispenser. As if I weren’t hooked enough, Pelecanos mentions Don Carpenter’s book Hard Rain Falling, which is one of the best hardboiled books I’ve ever read, right up there with Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze and the best of Raymond Chandler.
So bring this book, and let’s take a walk uptown together, and see how much trouble we can get into.
I want to thank Little, Brown and Ira Boudah for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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
The best thing that happens to Michael Hudson is getting locked up.
The second best thing is meeting prison librarian Anna Kaplan Byrne.
The third best thing is the day he opens a book and lets the magic happen.
The body might be caged, but books are time machines, enablers of armchair travelers, and facilitators for readers to live hundreds of lives in one lifetime. They can be a raft in a turbulent life. They can induce emotions that have never been felt so strongly before. They can give the reader a code by which to live his life. They can be a balloon tied to the wrist of the crushingly depressed that gently lifts them up.
Books are as dangerous as black sorcery, as compelling as white witchcraft, as powerful as a wizard’s staff. Is it any wonder that they were burned by the Nazis as if they were a living entity or by the Inquisition as if they were a heretic of flesh and bone?
Anybody need to be locked up? If you don’t read, maybe some time in solitary will cure you of your affliction.
”To him, a book was like a painting that hung in a museum. It was like a piece of art. There was nothing that compared to holding a book in his hands and scanning the words on the page. It made him ‘see’ what he was reading. It was how he dreamed.”
*Fist bump* to all the readers out there that do more than read, but also see.
Phil Ornazian is a man on the make. He is a private investigator who helps find people. He recovers lost valuable objects. He robs criminals. Most of the time he tries to do the right thing, but there are no lines between right and wrong for him. They blur into one another with vast amounts of room for interpretation. It might take a wrong to make a right. He lives by the Ornazian code of conduct.
Ornazian has a chat with a witness, and next thing Michael Hudson knows, he is free. When Ornazian pulls up in his black on black Ford Edge and makes sure that Hudson knows why he is walking around wearing something other than an orange jumpsuit, Hudson has a sinking feeling that staying straight is going to be difficult when you owe a guy like Ornazian.
Being free is generally an illusion for most of us.
George Pelecanos’s reverence for books is on full display. Books are dropped into the plot like exploding hand grenades. I was adding books to my want-to-read list on Goodreads as fast and furious as a Halo video game grand champion blowing through the early levels. My brain was lit up like a flamethrower. I was eating up pages like they were coming out of a Mickey Mouse pez dispenser. As if I weren’t hooked enough, Pelecanos mentions Don Carpenter’s book Hard Rain Falling, which is one of the best hardboiled books I’ve ever read, right up there with Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze and the best of Raymond Chandler.
So bring this book, and let’s take a walk uptown together, and see how much trouble we can get into.
I want to thank Little, Brown and Ira Boudah for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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
August 25, 2018
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
I know I ask this of certain authors from time to time, but why isn't George Pelecanos a star?
In addition to being the author of some pretty terrific crime novels, he's been a writer on television shows like The Wire and Treme , and co-created the series The Deuce . I've often heard about his books becoming movies, but nothing ever seems to come to fruition, and I just don't understand it. This man should be a household name. His books should be seen in people's hands wherever they read in public.
With his newest book, The Man Who Came Uptown , Pelecanos shows that he is a master at creating characters who are more comfortable veering from the straight and narrow, but often have the best of intentions, and he flexes his suspense and action muscles like nobody's business. But at the same time, he shows off a more introspective side, as this book is also a tribute to the love of books and the transformational power of reading.
Michael Hudson is a young man in prison, determined to serve his time without making any enemies or causing trouble. The bright light during his sentence is his interaction with Anna, the prison librarian, who introduces him and his fellow inmates to books and authors they might never have read or even heard of otherwise. Michael, in particular, is tremendously appreciative of Anna's attention and her book recommendations, as she is opening his eyes and his mind to the beauty and power of words and images.
When Michael's sentence is overturned thanks to the manipulations of a private investigator, he is ready to start again. He knows he made some foolish mistakes, but he wants a new life—he wants to find a job, make something of himself, take care of his mother, and find time to read. Even though the Washington, DC he knew before he went to prison has started to change, with gentrification and newer stores, restaurants, and houses popping up everywhere, it still feels like home to him, and with a book in his hand, he feels even more secure.
When the man who saw to his release from prison comes to collect the debt Michael owes him, Michael knows he has a choice. But what path is the right one: doing what is necessary to square your obligations like a man, or running the risk of having to go back to prison again, and destroying everything he has started to build? As the crooked private investigator gets more and more enmeshed in trouble, Michael isn't sure whether honor is worth the risk.
I'll admit, when I started reading this I expected another of Pelecanos' crime novels, so I didn't understand why it was taking so long to get to the action and suspense, why he was laying out so much of the story. But when I realized what he was doing, I let myself enjoy the beauty of his writing and his characters (something I always do when reading his books, although my pulse is usually pounding at the same time), and thought about just how important reading has been to me all my life.
When the criminal elements of the plot kick in, Pelecanos goes at them full throttle, and you don't realize just how much you've gotten invested in these characters, so you're hoping the age-old battle fought by the man trying to start his life anew won't end the same way here. This book isn't one of his most explosive, and that's totally fine, as long as you know to expect that.
Pelecanos is one of those authors that needs to be read. Whether you're a fan of crime writing, suspense, beautiful storytelling, or like to read about Washington, DC in the 1970s and 1980s, you can find one of his books to match your desire. And don't miss this one—especially if you're like me, and your life has been changed by reading.
NetGalley and Mulholland Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
I know I ask this of certain authors from time to time, but why isn't George Pelecanos a star?
In addition to being the author of some pretty terrific crime novels, he's been a writer on television shows like The Wire and Treme , and co-created the series The Deuce . I've often heard about his books becoming movies, but nothing ever seems to come to fruition, and I just don't understand it. This man should be a household name. His books should be seen in people's hands wherever they read in public.
With his newest book, The Man Who Came Uptown , Pelecanos shows that he is a master at creating characters who are more comfortable veering from the straight and narrow, but often have the best of intentions, and he flexes his suspense and action muscles like nobody's business. But at the same time, he shows off a more introspective side, as this book is also a tribute to the love of books and the transformational power of reading.
Michael Hudson is a young man in prison, determined to serve his time without making any enemies or causing trouble. The bright light during his sentence is his interaction with Anna, the prison librarian, who introduces him and his fellow inmates to books and authors they might never have read or even heard of otherwise. Michael, in particular, is tremendously appreciative of Anna's attention and her book recommendations, as she is opening his eyes and his mind to the beauty and power of words and images.
When Michael's sentence is overturned thanks to the manipulations of a private investigator, he is ready to start again. He knows he made some foolish mistakes, but he wants a new life—he wants to find a job, make something of himself, take care of his mother, and find time to read. Even though the Washington, DC he knew before he went to prison has started to change, with gentrification and newer stores, restaurants, and houses popping up everywhere, it still feels like home to him, and with a book in his hand, he feels even more secure.
When the man who saw to his release from prison comes to collect the debt Michael owes him, Michael knows he has a choice. But what path is the right one: doing what is necessary to square your obligations like a man, or running the risk of having to go back to prison again, and destroying everything he has started to build? As the crooked private investigator gets more and more enmeshed in trouble, Michael isn't sure whether honor is worth the risk.
I'll admit, when I started reading this I expected another of Pelecanos' crime novels, so I didn't understand why it was taking so long to get to the action and suspense, why he was laying out so much of the story. But when I realized what he was doing, I let myself enjoy the beauty of his writing and his characters (something I always do when reading his books, although my pulse is usually pounding at the same time), and thought about just how important reading has been to me all my life.
When the criminal elements of the plot kick in, Pelecanos goes at them full throttle, and you don't realize just how much you've gotten invested in these characters, so you're hoping the age-old battle fought by the man trying to start his life anew won't end the same way here. This book isn't one of his most explosive, and that's totally fine, as long as you know to expect that.
Pelecanos is one of those authors that needs to be read. Whether you're a fan of crime writing, suspense, beautiful storytelling, or like to read about Washington, DC in the 1970s and 1980s, you can find one of his books to match your desire. And don't miss this one—especially if you're like me, and your life has been changed by reading.
NetGalley and Mulholland Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
November 2, 2018
4.5 Stars* (rounded up).
An Incredibly Intelligent Literary Feat!
These days, Michael Hudson is determined to keep his head down. He spends most days reading books and working at a pizza joint. Reading has become his favorite past-time since his release from Prison. Michael received several recommendations from Anna Kaplan, the jail’s librarian and has devoured each one. From them, Michael has learned a life lesson. Anna is a woman who loves her job, not just because she likes books, but because she enjoys instilling her love of books unto others.
Phil Orzanian is a Private Investigator who works hard to provide for his family. He investigates cases for people who want to keep things on the downlow and don’t care about his methods as long as he gets results. Orzanian is responsible for Michael’s early release and he plans to call in a favor.
“The Man Who Came Uptown” by George Pelecanos is storytelling at its best. It’s compelling, rich and full of characters who are intriguing and introspective. What reader wouldn’t love a novel about a man who discovers a love for reading? I was hooked from the start and you, my friends will be too!
For me, this is the story that delves into the idea of family values, people who are caught between right and wrong and the choices they make when they have nowhere to turn. A powerful read that left me highly satisfied!
This was my first book by George Pelecanos - I can assure you it will not be my last.
A huge thank you to Ira Boudah at Mulholland Books and Little, Brown and Company for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter and Instagram on 11.1.18.
An Incredibly Intelligent Literary Feat!
These days, Michael Hudson is determined to keep his head down. He spends most days reading books and working at a pizza joint. Reading has become his favorite past-time since his release from Prison. Michael received several recommendations from Anna Kaplan, the jail’s librarian and has devoured each one. From them, Michael has learned a life lesson. Anna is a woman who loves her job, not just because she likes books, but because she enjoys instilling her love of books unto others.
Phil Orzanian is a Private Investigator who works hard to provide for his family. He investigates cases for people who want to keep things on the downlow and don’t care about his methods as long as he gets results. Orzanian is responsible for Michael’s early release and he plans to call in a favor.
“The Man Who Came Uptown” by George Pelecanos is storytelling at its best. It’s compelling, rich and full of characters who are intriguing and introspective. What reader wouldn’t love a novel about a man who discovers a love for reading? I was hooked from the start and you, my friends will be too!
For me, this is the story that delves into the idea of family values, people who are caught between right and wrong and the choices they make when they have nowhere to turn. A powerful read that left me highly satisfied!
This was my first book by George Pelecanos - I can assure you it will not be my last.
A huge thank you to Ira Boudah at Mulholland Books and Little, Brown and Company for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter and Instagram on 11.1.18.
October 29, 2018
I know this author has written many books, has written some popular television programs, but to me he is a new author. The first thing I noticed was how smooth his writing is, nary a stutter nor wrong word. How wonderfully he draws his characters, giving us just enough insight to make judgements of our own. Michael Hudson is a young man in prison, he did something incredibly stupid, a mistake he vows to never repeat. Anna is a young woman, shr is the prison librarian and also runs the prisons book discussions. Never a reader before entering prison, he now finds solace in books, books Anna recommends to him, and that he reads voraciously. He finds the narrow confines of his life expanding, as he is introduced to the world's within the books.
Ornazian is a P.I. and he and a fellow ex cop now a bondsman, have a racket on the side. They Rob pimps and drug dealers, knowing they cannot report the crimes. He also gets Michael released from prison, but favors demand a payback. So there are moral dilemnas with each characters lives. Does doing bad count when it is in the service of doing something good?
I enjoyed reading about the titles Michael reads, and how Michael changes as he is exposed to different lives within books. The transforming powers of books is highlighted. I so wanted Michael to make his life better, something he wants desperately as well, but is it within his reach?
ARC from Little, Brown.
Ornazian is a P.I. and he and a fellow ex cop now a bondsman, have a racket on the side. They Rob pimps and drug dealers, knowing they cannot report the crimes. He also gets Michael released from prison, but favors demand a payback. So there are moral dilemnas with each characters lives. Does doing bad count when it is in the service of doing something good?
I enjoyed reading about the titles Michael reads, and how Michael changes as he is exposed to different lives within books. The transforming powers of books is highlighted. I so wanted Michael to make his life better, something he wants desperately as well, but is it within his reach?
ARC from Little, Brown.
April 23, 2019
People may be familiar with George Pelecanos for his groundbreaking and award winning writing on the TV series “The Wire,” ”The Deuce,” and “Treme.” For all those people, and anyone else who loves exceptionally well written literary crime fiction, I would highly encourage them to read Pelecanos’s books. His newest book “The Man Who Came Uptown” is among his very best.
Michael Hudson is serving time in prison until one of his “friends” manipulates an early reason. To repay that debt, he is expected to be the driver on a robbery his criminal friend is planning. While Michael was in prison he became actively involved in a prison book group and found a reading mentor in Anna Byrne, the prison librarian. (Major kudos to George Pelecanos for his own work in bringing books and book groups into prison.) Michael’s release finds him confronting the difficult choice of the easy and familiar life of crime and his obligation to repay his debt or building a new life based on doing what’s right. Because of Anna and the books he reads he begins to see the possibilities and rewards of living that kind of life.
One of the things I appreciate most about Pelecanos’s writing are his brilliantly developed and realistic characters. The “good” guys aren’t all good, and the “bad” guys aren’t all bad. Pelecanos lets the reader see the humanity of his characters and the possibilities for redemption or finding a measure of peace and dignity. The prospect of redemption in “The Man Who Came Uptown,” comes through the transformative power of reading, something all book lovers can relate to. Michael first discovers that power while he’s in prison, “When he read a book, the door to his cell was open. He could step right through it. He could walk those hills under that big blue sky. Breathe the fresh air around him. See the shadows moving over the trees. When he read a book, he was not locked up. He was free.”
Highly recommended.
Michael Hudson is serving time in prison until one of his “friends” manipulates an early reason. To repay that debt, he is expected to be the driver on a robbery his criminal friend is planning. While Michael was in prison he became actively involved in a prison book group and found a reading mentor in Anna Byrne, the prison librarian. (Major kudos to George Pelecanos for his own work in bringing books and book groups into prison.) Michael’s release finds him confronting the difficult choice of the easy and familiar life of crime and his obligation to repay his debt or building a new life based on doing what’s right. Because of Anna and the books he reads he begins to see the possibilities and rewards of living that kind of life.
One of the things I appreciate most about Pelecanos’s writing are his brilliantly developed and realistic characters. The “good” guys aren’t all good, and the “bad” guys aren’t all bad. Pelecanos lets the reader see the humanity of his characters and the possibilities for redemption or finding a measure of peace and dignity. The prospect of redemption in “The Man Who Came Uptown,” comes through the transformative power of reading, something all book lovers can relate to. Michael first discovers that power while he’s in prison, “When he read a book, the door to his cell was open. He could step right through it. He could walk those hills under that big blue sky. Breathe the fresh air around him. See the shadows moving over the trees. When he read a book, he was not locked up. He was free.”
Highly recommended.
September 17, 2019
I really liked The Man Who Came Uptown, a story about a small group of people loosely connected in Washington D.C. Michael Hudson served time in prison for being the getaway driver in an armed robbery. He was ultimately released because a key witness failed to testify against him. While locked up, he discovered a love of reading and credits Anna, the prison librarian, for his new interest in books. In the free world, Michael bumps into Anna occasionally as she lives nearby in D.C. with her husband.
Now that he’s out of prison, Michael is trying to get his life back on track and do things the right way. An investigator from Michael’s case, Phil Orzanian, resurfaces to collect on a debt owed, and Michael faces some tough choices.
The Man Who Came Uptown was an interesting story, and one that felt realistic. Even though questionable decisions were made all around, I liked each of the central characters in the book and thought the pace of the story was just right. This was my first George Pelecanos book and likely won’t be my last.
Now that he’s out of prison, Michael is trying to get his life back on track and do things the right way. An investigator from Michael’s case, Phil Orzanian, resurfaces to collect on a debt owed, and Michael faces some tough choices.
The Man Who Came Uptown was an interesting story, and one that felt realistic. Even though questionable decisions were made all around, I liked each of the central characters in the book and thought the pace of the story was just right. This was my first George Pelecanos book and likely won’t be my last.
October 17, 2019
"When he read a book, the door to his cell was open. He could step right through it. He could walk those hills under that big blue sky. Breathe the fresh air around him. See the shadows moving over the trees. When he read a book, he was not locked up. He was free."
I’m all for books that highlight the joys of reading. Books that reveal how reading can transform a person’s life. Books that point to other books I can happily add to my mammoth list. So naturally, I should have loved this novel, my first by author George Pelecanos. After all, the blurb tells me that this is the story of an incarcerated young man named Michael who "devours books given to him by the prison’s librarian," Anna. Yes, please, I want to read this one!
So what happened?! Nearly all my reader friends adored this book. I, however, felt completely bereft of all reading pleasure after finishing this. Maybe I read something different from everyone else. No, actually, my reading buddy felt much the same way as I did. It’s good to know that I’m not alone in feeling at a loss as to why this didn’t instantly become a beloved book. I felt much the same way when I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Doesn’t the whole world love that book? What did I miss then and what am I missing now? Well, for one, I just didn’t believe the characters and their actions in this one. They were somewhat inconsistent. I couldn’t delve into their psyches and figure them out. When I thought perhaps I was on the verge of understanding one, he or she would do something completely the opposite of what I expected. Sadly, the writing just didn’t sparkle for me either. The dialogue was honestly rather boring and left me wanting much more. What else can I say? I apologize to all my friends that admired this book! I’m sincerely happy if you did. I encourage anyone considering this book to read some of the other reviews first. I’m just a little ole’ outlier on this one.
I’m all for books that highlight the joys of reading. Books that reveal how reading can transform a person’s life. Books that point to other books I can happily add to my mammoth list. So naturally, I should have loved this novel, my first by author George Pelecanos. After all, the blurb tells me that this is the story of an incarcerated young man named Michael who "devours books given to him by the prison’s librarian," Anna. Yes, please, I want to read this one!
So what happened?! Nearly all my reader friends adored this book. I, however, felt completely bereft of all reading pleasure after finishing this. Maybe I read something different from everyone else. No, actually, my reading buddy felt much the same way as I did. It’s good to know that I’m not alone in feeling at a loss as to why this didn’t instantly become a beloved book. I felt much the same way when I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Doesn’t the whole world love that book? What did I miss then and what am I missing now? Well, for one, I just didn’t believe the characters and their actions in this one. They were somewhat inconsistent. I couldn’t delve into their psyches and figure them out. When I thought perhaps I was on the verge of understanding one, he or she would do something completely the opposite of what I expected. Sadly, the writing just didn’t sparkle for me either. The dialogue was honestly rather boring and left me wanting much more. What else can I say? I apologize to all my friends that admired this book! I’m sincerely happy if you did. I encourage anyone considering this book to read some of the other reviews first. I’m just a little ole’ outlier on this one.
February 7, 2019
The man who came uptown can’t get a break. Recently released from jail, as charges dropped, he gets blackmailed by his lawyer to be a driver for a crime ... or two.
Books are a salvation in this story as any of us can attest to. An ex-convict has been bestowed the love of the story by the prison librarian.
Good character development -
although this left me wanting more.
So as fast as the story had me flipping its pages, it could have been richer in content.
3.75 rounding up to 4⭐️
Books are a salvation in this story as any of us can attest to. An ex-convict has been bestowed the love of the story by the prison librarian.
Good character development -
although this left me wanting more.
So as fast as the story had me flipping its pages, it could have been richer in content.
3.75 rounding up to 4⭐️
September 28, 2018
George Pelecanos may be working more on television than books these days, but the man still knows how to write one damn fine crime novel.
Michael Hudson has been in jail awaiting trial for taking part in the robbery, but doing time has been made easier by prison librarian Anna who helped him discover a love of reading. Fortunately for Michael his case is dismissed thanks to private investigator Phil Ornazian who gets the man he robbed to drop the charges. All Michael wants to do is clean up his act and spend his time reading some good books, but the PI didn’t spring him out of the kindness of his heart. In fact, Ornazian has a side business stealing from pimps and other criminals, and now he wants Michael to start helping.
It’s been a fantastic year of crime fiction for me, and this one continues my winning streak. I’d be happy enough to get an average Pelecanos book, but I think this is one of his best, maybe my favorite, even if he’s not doing anything particularly new here.
There’s the usual stuff like all the detail of life in Washington D.C. mixed in with a bit of nostalgia about how things used to be even if the way things used to be wasn’t always great. The characters are also pure Pelecanos, who always likes to stress a strong work ethic and simple pleasures. Michael fits this template as a guy who has realized that he’s been going nowhere fast, and who now has goals and starts planning. He may be starting at square one as a dishwasher, but as long as he can kick back with a book in his spare time, he’s content.
This even applies to Ornazian who you might expect to be a sleazy jerk, but he’s written as not that bad of a guy. He’s got a family that he’s trying to provide for and only robs criminals. Anna is also interesting as a lady with a seemingly perfect marriage who finds herself more than a little intrigued by Michael when they bump into each other after he’s released.
At less than 300 pages it’s also quick and tight as a drum. It’s a great blend of character and setting with a bit of action from the rip-offs that Ornazian pulls with his partner. As a constant reader I also always love it when an author manages to get across what makes it so great, and Pelecanos really sells the idea that Michael has fallen in love with books.
I also got to meet Pelecanos at a signing for this, and he had a lot of interesting things to say including talking about the prison reading program that he’s involved with and was obviously one of the inspirations for this book.
Michael Hudson has been in jail awaiting trial for taking part in the robbery, but doing time has been made easier by prison librarian Anna who helped him discover a love of reading. Fortunately for Michael his case is dismissed thanks to private investigator Phil Ornazian who gets the man he robbed to drop the charges. All Michael wants to do is clean up his act and spend his time reading some good books, but the PI didn’t spring him out of the kindness of his heart. In fact, Ornazian has a side business stealing from pimps and other criminals, and now he wants Michael to start helping.
It’s been a fantastic year of crime fiction for me, and this one continues my winning streak. I’d be happy enough to get an average Pelecanos book, but I think this is one of his best, maybe my favorite, even if he’s not doing anything particularly new here.
There’s the usual stuff like all the detail of life in Washington D.C. mixed in with a bit of nostalgia about how things used to be even if the way things used to be wasn’t always great. The characters are also pure Pelecanos, who always likes to stress a strong work ethic and simple pleasures. Michael fits this template as a guy who has realized that he’s been going nowhere fast, and who now has goals and starts planning. He may be starting at square one as a dishwasher, but as long as he can kick back with a book in his spare time, he’s content.
This even applies to Ornazian who you might expect to be a sleazy jerk, but he’s written as not that bad of a guy. He’s got a family that he’s trying to provide for and only robs criminals. Anna is also interesting as a lady with a seemingly perfect marriage who finds herself more than a little intrigued by Michael when they bump into each other after he’s released.
At less than 300 pages it’s also quick and tight as a drum. It’s a great blend of character and setting with a bit of action from the rip-offs that Ornazian pulls with his partner. As a constant reader I also always love it when an author manages to get across what makes it so great, and Pelecanos really sells the idea that Michael has fallen in love with books.
I also got to meet Pelecanos at a signing for this, and he had a lot of interesting things to say including talking about the prison reading program that he’s involved with and was obviously one of the inspirations for this book.
May 10, 2020
This is another excellent novel from George Pelecanos, who's been spending a lot of time in recent years working in television and consequently writing fewer books. On the one hand, I've really admired his work on programs like "The Wire," "Treme," and "The Deuce," but I've really missed having new books from him on a more regular basis, particularly when they're as good as this one.
At the center of the book is a young man named Michael Hudson who is now in prison thanks to a stupid mistake, or perhaps a couple of them. (As a hint, it's probably a bad idea to borrow your mother's car for the purpose of committing an armed robbery.) In prison, though, Michael's life is changed dramatically when he's introduced to the world of reading by Anna, the young prison librarian.
A new world opens up to Michael through the books that Anna is giving him, and then suddenly and unexpectedly, he's freed from prison when the principal witness against him changes his testimony. This is thanks to the intervention of a private investigator named Phil Ornazian who is barely making ends meet with his regular job. But Ornazian is supplementing his income by ripping off criminals, principally pimps who are exploiting women, and naturally he's going to expect something in return for having secured Michael's freedom.
Determined to get his life on the right track, Michael takes a job washing dishes in a D.C. restaurant, but he continues to read in his spare time and dreams of slowly building his own library. But then Phil Ornazian shows up, insisting that Michael's marker is due. Ornazian wants Michael to be the wheelman in a robbery he's planning to commit and his demand forces Michael to make some very hard choices.
In addition to being a great character study and a very compelling story, this book is a testament to the joys and the redemptive power of reading, and through Anna and Michael, Pelecanos takes the time to sing the praises of some excellent novels. The book is a bit shorter than some of the author's earlier work and it's so addictive that you find yourself wishing that it could have been longer. Most of all, it leaves you hoping that Pelecanos will not wait nearly this long again before writing another.
At the center of the book is a young man named Michael Hudson who is now in prison thanks to a stupid mistake, or perhaps a couple of them. (As a hint, it's probably a bad idea to borrow your mother's car for the purpose of committing an armed robbery.) In prison, though, Michael's life is changed dramatically when he's introduced to the world of reading by Anna, the young prison librarian.
A new world opens up to Michael through the books that Anna is giving him, and then suddenly and unexpectedly, he's freed from prison when the principal witness against him changes his testimony. This is thanks to the intervention of a private investigator named Phil Ornazian who is barely making ends meet with his regular job. But Ornazian is supplementing his income by ripping off criminals, principally pimps who are exploiting women, and naturally he's going to expect something in return for having secured Michael's freedom.
Determined to get his life on the right track, Michael takes a job washing dishes in a D.C. restaurant, but he continues to read in his spare time and dreams of slowly building his own library. But then Phil Ornazian shows up, insisting that Michael's marker is due. Ornazian wants Michael to be the wheelman in a robbery he's planning to commit and his demand forces Michael to make some very hard choices.
In addition to being a great character study and a very compelling story, this book is a testament to the joys and the redemptive power of reading, and through Anna and Michael, Pelecanos takes the time to sing the praises of some excellent novels. The book is a bit shorter than some of the author's earlier work and it's so addictive that you find yourself wishing that it could have been longer. Most of all, it leaves you hoping that Pelecanos will not wait nearly this long again before writing another.
April 12, 2019
A story of poor decisions, fresh starts, and doing the wrong things for the right reasons. A man released from prison vows to walk the proverbial straight and narrow, but it will not be as easy as he has anticipated. He is bolstered by a love of reading which he discovered while incarcerated. As is expected with Pelecanos, the dialogue is pitch perfect, the characters real. You'll find yourself caring about what happens to them, warts and all. Pure reading enjoyment, that's what this is.
December 9, 2018
Gritty crime fiction with enough action to be deemed a thriller, yet containing enough of a moral quandary to traipse through the literary fiction shelves. The writing is expressive, the dialogue real and the characters are flawed, but also endearing. This was my first Pelecanos and while it didn’t reach the heights of what made The Wire so deeply affecting, I still found this to be a gripping, quick read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the nod to libraries and the love of reading to transform lives.
October 9, 2018
Michael Hudson is released from jail after witness refused to testify. After developing a voracious appetite for books in the joint, he just wants to get a job and read in peace. When the detective that got his witness to bow out comes looking for a favor, it's either be a getaway driver or go back to prison...
George Pelecanos is back in fine form with The Man Who Came Uptown. Michael Hudson just wants to get his life back to normal when Phil Ornazian braces him for a favor. Just let the guy read his damn book!
The atmosphere of George Pelecanos' Washington DC is still there but it's matured some since his last outing. While there were still references to cars, music, food, and dogs, they weren't as prominent as they normally are. There was a lot more book talk, however.
The Man Who Came Uptown was more character-driven than some of Pelecanos' previous books. Michael and Anna and the bond between them was one of the most interesting parts. Who can't empathize with a guy who just wants people to leave him alone so he can read?
Since it's a Pelecanos book, I was sure it was headed toward the usual shootout with drug dealers ending but it swerved around it into something more meaningful.
While I don't think it was Pelecanos' best, The Man Who Came Uptown was his best in a long while. Four out of five stars.
George Pelecanos is back in fine form with The Man Who Came Uptown. Michael Hudson just wants to get his life back to normal when Phil Ornazian braces him for a favor. Just let the guy read his damn book!
The atmosphere of George Pelecanos' Washington DC is still there but it's matured some since his last outing. While there were still references to cars, music, food, and dogs, they weren't as prominent as they normally are. There was a lot more book talk, however.
The Man Who Came Uptown was more character-driven than some of Pelecanos' previous books. Michael and Anna and the bond between them was one of the most interesting parts. Who can't empathize with a guy who just wants people to leave him alone so he can read?
Since it's a Pelecanos book, I was sure it was headed toward the usual shootout with drug dealers ending but it swerved around it into something more meaningful.
While I don't think it was Pelecanos' best, The Man Who Came Uptown was his best in a long while. Four out of five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2018
The work of George Pelecanos has a special place in my heart. I've read every single one of his books and they always leave me affected in some way. I know many people complain about his constant focus on the minutiae of his native Washington D.C. and popular culture references, but there's something about it that adds to the experience and the charm. His latest book is classic Pelecanos and one of his most instantly reader-friendly, which is saying a lot, because he's known for that.
In it, a young man is recently released from jail with a new love of books and a new determination to make his life better. He's then torn between two influences after his release, the jail librarian and the slightly bent private detective responsible for his release.
Again, Pelecanos focuses not only on what it means to be a man but also what it takes to get there. He has such an acute sense of character that sometimes the skill can sneak right past you. There are no heroes or villains here, just different people trying to make it for themselves, who happen to make different decisions to get there. Phil Ornazian is especially a great three-dimensional character. His adoration for his wife and kids made me root for him and want him to succeed, but he constantly wonders where along his path of life his actions suddenly turned crooked. Also, with a less aware writer, the handling of a slight romance angle in the story that could have gone another way, but here it is surprisingly tasteful, mature, and truly refreshing.
The book is not only a love letter to reading and the life-changing quality books have (and also a great excuse for Pelecanos to sport his great taste!), but like in the book Northline (a major reference here), it's also really about small kindnesses and how they can change not only someone else's life, but your's as well.
Pelecanos's books are crime novels but he's not a heavy plotter; the action is uncomplicated and the prose is simple, direct, and workman-like. But the power and charm here is in the small, everyday life things: from the small increase in salary at the new job or the gradual connection with coworkers there, to the banter between violent prisoners during a book club debate, or even a simple walk in the District rain. It would be easy for a reader to argue against giving an 5-star-rating to a Pelecanos book, because it all may seem too simple and unadorned. But this book made me want to be a better man after reading it, so there's really only one score I can give it.
In it, a young man is recently released from jail with a new love of books and a new determination to make his life better. He's then torn between two influences after his release, the jail librarian and the slightly bent private detective responsible for his release.
Again, Pelecanos focuses not only on what it means to be a man but also what it takes to get there. He has such an acute sense of character that sometimes the skill can sneak right past you. There are no heroes or villains here, just different people trying to make it for themselves, who happen to make different decisions to get there. Phil Ornazian is especially a great three-dimensional character. His adoration for his wife and kids made me root for him and want him to succeed, but he constantly wonders where along his path of life his actions suddenly turned crooked. Also, with a less aware writer, the handling of a slight romance angle in the story that could have gone another way, but here it is surprisingly tasteful, mature, and truly refreshing.
The book is not only a love letter to reading and the life-changing quality books have (and also a great excuse for Pelecanos to sport his great taste!), but like in the book Northline (a major reference here), it's also really about small kindnesses and how they can change not only someone else's life, but your's as well.
Pelecanos's books are crime novels but he's not a heavy plotter; the action is uncomplicated and the prose is simple, direct, and workman-like. But the power and charm here is in the small, everyday life things: from the small increase in salary at the new job or the gradual connection with coworkers there, to the banter between violent prisoners during a book club debate, or even a simple walk in the District rain. It would be easy for a reader to argue against giving an 5-star-rating to a Pelecanos book, because it all may seem too simple and unadorned. But this book made me want to be a better man after reading it, so there's really only one score I can give it.
September 13, 2018
The following is my review of THE MAN WHO CAME UPTOWN that ran originally in the Washington Post Book World.
++++++++
by Chris Bohjalian
A day does not go by without my wife teasing me that I — a novelist — have become a terrible influence on her, because nightly I pull her away from books to insist she watch an hour of television. She used to read for two or three hours a night; now she reads for one.
How America watches television has changed dramatically in the past decade and a half, due in part to streaming accessibility and in part to the reality that TV drama has simply become so darn good. Obviously, these facts are related.
Another factor: writers like George Pelecanos. Pelecanos has written for and produced such stellar and groundbreaking shows as “The Wire,” “Treme” and “The Deuce.” But before that he was known for smart, literate crime fiction: stories often set around Washington about cops (and ex-cops) and robbers and drifters. Some of the novels had continuing characters, and some stood alone. Before reading his new novel, “The Man Who Came Uptown,” I had read four and enjoyed each one immensely.
Among Pelecanos’s gifts as a storyteller is that he understands the appeal of moral ambiguity and authentically flawed characters. That skill is on full display here. So is his sense of humor. Take, for instance, the very first paragraph of the novel:
“When Antonius thought of all the things they’d done wrong the day of the robbery, wearing hoodies might have been at the top of the list. Considering that it was ninety degrees out, four men in heavy, dark sweatshirts were bound to attract attention . . . Course, if Antonius and his boys hadn’t smoked all that tree before the job, they might have thought the sweatshirts through. The sweatshirts, and the vanity plates on the getaway car.”
At the center of the novel is Phil Ornazian, a middle-aged, D.C.-based private investigator. Like me, Phil is an Armenian American, and his heritage is part of the fabric of the story. He has a lovely wife, two kids and a taste for vigilante justice. With his friend and partner, ex-cop Thaddeus Ward , now a bail bondsman who has named his business Ward Bonds after the “Wagon Train” actor Ward Bond, Ornazian takes on pimps who treat their prostitutes badly, guys who traffic young girls and neo-Nazi thugs who descend upon suburban parties. Imagine the Dark Knight, except Ornazian and Bond use more prosaic tools: a Remington 870 and a Glock 17. Also, they make serious money stealing from these criminals.
Ornazian knows this is not how justice is supposed to work, and “somewhere along the line, [his] ethics had blurred.” It seems likely that one day he is going to take one risk too many.
For some of their jobs, Ornazian and Ward need a driver, a guy who can manage a getaway car. And for this, Ornazian recruits young Michael Hudson, the titular man who came uptown. The expression, “going uptown,” means getting out of jail. Hudson is incarcerated, awaiting trial, when, much to his surprise, the marijuana dealer he robbed will no longer testify. And so he is released with no felony conviction. Why won’t the dealer testify? Because Ornazian has threatened him, “banking a favor.” Now Ornazian is calling it in, insisting Hudson join him in his illegal, after-hours operations with Ward.
But Hudson has a decent job as a dishwasher, and he wants to move up in the restaurant and be the young man of promise he had once been: “He had to be like one of those racehorses with blinders on. Keep looking straight ahead, no distractions.” When initially he refuses Ornazian, the investigator informs him that just as he convinced that dealer not to testify, he could get him to change his mind. Hudson does not want to help Ornazian, but he does not see a way out.
Moreover, Hudson discovered something remarkable in prison: books and the pure joy of reading. The prison’s mobile librarian, Anna — Miss Anna, to many of the inmates — is a young woman who takes pride in the way she can link a prisoner with exactly the right title. Soon, Hudson is reading John Steinbeck, Tim O’Brien and Dinaw Mengestu. “When he read a book, he wasn’t in his cage anymore,” Hudson realizes at one point. “When he read a book, the door to his cell was open.” Among the first things he buys on the outside is a bookcase.
Which brings me back to my first thoughts about Pelecanos. Yes, he is a gifted screenwriter who draws my wife and me away from the printed word to our television, but he also loves the novel. In many ways, “The Man Who Came Uptown” is a book about books. Anna and Hudson’s friendship continues when he is free, and it is a relationship founded upon the novels she recommends.
So while much of this story is classic crime noir — Will Ornazian go too far? Will Hudson wind up busted and back behind bars? — I found myself also reading the book for the Proustian madeleines that Pelecanos serves us: the names of the novels so many of us loved over the years and what those tales mean to the man who came uptown.
* * *
Chris Bohjalian is the author of 20 novels, including, most recently, “The Flight Attendant.”
++++++++
by Chris Bohjalian
A day does not go by without my wife teasing me that I — a novelist — have become a terrible influence on her, because nightly I pull her away from books to insist she watch an hour of television. She used to read for two or three hours a night; now she reads for one.
How America watches television has changed dramatically in the past decade and a half, due in part to streaming accessibility and in part to the reality that TV drama has simply become so darn good. Obviously, these facts are related.
Another factor: writers like George Pelecanos. Pelecanos has written for and produced such stellar and groundbreaking shows as “The Wire,” “Treme” and “The Deuce.” But before that he was known for smart, literate crime fiction: stories often set around Washington about cops (and ex-cops) and robbers and drifters. Some of the novels had continuing characters, and some stood alone. Before reading his new novel, “The Man Who Came Uptown,” I had read four and enjoyed each one immensely.
Among Pelecanos’s gifts as a storyteller is that he understands the appeal of moral ambiguity and authentically flawed characters. That skill is on full display here. So is his sense of humor. Take, for instance, the very first paragraph of the novel:
“When Antonius thought of all the things they’d done wrong the day of the robbery, wearing hoodies might have been at the top of the list. Considering that it was ninety degrees out, four men in heavy, dark sweatshirts were bound to attract attention . . . Course, if Antonius and his boys hadn’t smoked all that tree before the job, they might have thought the sweatshirts through. The sweatshirts, and the vanity plates on the getaway car.”
At the center of the novel is Phil Ornazian, a middle-aged, D.C.-based private investigator. Like me, Phil is an Armenian American, and his heritage is part of the fabric of the story. He has a lovely wife, two kids and a taste for vigilante justice. With his friend and partner, ex-cop Thaddeus Ward , now a bail bondsman who has named his business Ward Bonds after the “Wagon Train” actor Ward Bond, Ornazian takes on pimps who treat their prostitutes badly, guys who traffic young girls and neo-Nazi thugs who descend upon suburban parties. Imagine the Dark Knight, except Ornazian and Bond use more prosaic tools: a Remington 870 and a Glock 17. Also, they make serious money stealing from these criminals.
Ornazian knows this is not how justice is supposed to work, and “somewhere along the line, [his] ethics had blurred.” It seems likely that one day he is going to take one risk too many.
For some of their jobs, Ornazian and Ward need a driver, a guy who can manage a getaway car. And for this, Ornazian recruits young Michael Hudson, the titular man who came uptown. The expression, “going uptown,” means getting out of jail. Hudson is incarcerated, awaiting trial, when, much to his surprise, the marijuana dealer he robbed will no longer testify. And so he is released with no felony conviction. Why won’t the dealer testify? Because Ornazian has threatened him, “banking a favor.” Now Ornazian is calling it in, insisting Hudson join him in his illegal, after-hours operations with Ward.
But Hudson has a decent job as a dishwasher, and he wants to move up in the restaurant and be the young man of promise he had once been: “He had to be like one of those racehorses with blinders on. Keep looking straight ahead, no distractions.” When initially he refuses Ornazian, the investigator informs him that just as he convinced that dealer not to testify, he could get him to change his mind. Hudson does not want to help Ornazian, but he does not see a way out.
Moreover, Hudson discovered something remarkable in prison: books and the pure joy of reading. The prison’s mobile librarian, Anna — Miss Anna, to many of the inmates — is a young woman who takes pride in the way she can link a prisoner with exactly the right title. Soon, Hudson is reading John Steinbeck, Tim O’Brien and Dinaw Mengestu. “When he read a book, he wasn’t in his cage anymore,” Hudson realizes at one point. “When he read a book, the door to his cell was open.” Among the first things he buys on the outside is a bookcase.
Which brings me back to my first thoughts about Pelecanos. Yes, he is a gifted screenwriter who draws my wife and me away from the printed word to our television, but he also loves the novel. In many ways, “The Man Who Came Uptown” is a book about books. Anna and Hudson’s friendship continues when he is free, and it is a relationship founded upon the novels she recommends.
So while much of this story is classic crime noir — Will Ornazian go too far? Will Hudson wind up busted and back behind bars? — I found myself also reading the book for the Proustian madeleines that Pelecanos serves us: the names of the novels so many of us loved over the years and what those tales mean to the man who came uptown.
* * *
Chris Bohjalian is the author of 20 novels, including, most recently, “The Flight Attendant.”
October 28, 2021
The Man Who Came Uptown is a solid literary mystery with a touch of thriller.
George Pelicanos walks the walk, too, because he isn’t just writing about the power of books and literacy in prisons; he actually volunteers in a program like that. And it is that theme in this story, the redemptive and life-changing, life-affirming, power of books that makes this book shine.
I think the rest of it should be left a surprise for the reader. If you are looking for a well-written, powerful novel that instills hope, check this one out. I definitely plan to read more from this author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
George Pelicanos walks the walk, too, because he isn’t just writing about the power of books and literacy in prisons; he actually volunteers in a program like that. And it is that theme in this story, the redemptive and life-changing, life-affirming, power of books that makes this book shine.
I think the rest of it should be left a surprise for the reader. If you are looking for a well-written, powerful novel that instills hope, check this one out. I definitely plan to read more from this author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
January 4, 2019
Less entertaining than other stories written by Mr. Pelecanos. 4 of 10 stars
November 27, 2018
My first Pelecanos novel and I certainly wasn't disappointed. A petty criminal, Michael Hudson finds comfort in books and turns his life around with the help of the prison librarian, Anna.
September 14, 2018
Following the needed ingredients in recipes provides consistency and can result in increased standards of quality. To whip up a monstrous hurricane, you need these ingredients: warm sea temperatures, strong wind patterns, high sea levels, and an angry god wishing to put the heathens in North Carolina in their place. To perform a killer floss routine you must have: flailing arms, swaying hips, and the ability to feel absolutely zero embarrassment. The recipe to becoming a social outcast in high school has only one component: take your mom as your date to the Valentine’s Day Dance. And the ingredients to make a fantastic thriller are likewise straightforward: compelling characters, detestable bad-guys, driving action, and a high-octane conclusion. In The Man Who Came Uptown, George Pelecanos takes these tried and true elements and then adds a bunch of incredible stuff. It’s like shopping when you are hungry. By the time you reach the checkout your cart is full of not just the necessities, but so much more things. You now have Halloween Oreos with orange stuffing. Microwave pot-stickers. A sad-looking lobster you have plans to make a house pet (you are going to name him “Ringo Lobstarr”). You can’t hide it … you have gone off list. Pelecanos has added to the thriller novel recipe: social commentary, the D.C. Dischord music scene (though sadly no Fugazi), small quiet moments of kindness that change lives, and poignant suffering. It’s great stuff.
Permeating everything is the power of books and their ability to not just transport the reader, but transform them.
Michael Hudson is released from prison due to a technicality engineered by private detective Phil Ornazian. Michael, who has discovered the wonder of reading while killing time in the big house is prepared to go straight this time. He will walk the line and make something of his life, but Phil has other plans. Ornazian, overall a good man – a family man, has begun supplementing his detecting income by robbing criminals. And he now needs the help of Michael to successfully execute a more intricate heist.
Pelecanos is willing to take the time to flesh out his characters and convey a sense of place. His time spent writing serial television for HBO’s David Simon has fortified his already strong writing skills and this book, a streamlined 260 pages, feels much more detailed and accomplished then many novels twice it’s size. The result is a fantastic story that hits you like a category 4 hurricane. It floods the Waffle Houses of your soul freeing the smothered, covered, and diced hash browns of your very being. The storm surges of The Man Who Came Uptown are sure to wash away many reading hours, the punishing winds of greatness knocking out not only the electricity in many homes, but knocking the socks of anyone who enjoys a multifaceted and satisfying story.
Permeating everything is the power of books and their ability to not just transport the reader, but transform them.
Michael Hudson is released from prison due to a technicality engineered by private detective Phil Ornazian. Michael, who has discovered the wonder of reading while killing time in the big house is prepared to go straight this time. He will walk the line and make something of his life, but Phil has other plans. Ornazian, overall a good man – a family man, has begun supplementing his detecting income by robbing criminals. And he now needs the help of Michael to successfully execute a more intricate heist.
Pelecanos is willing to take the time to flesh out his characters and convey a sense of place. His time spent writing serial television for HBO’s David Simon has fortified his already strong writing skills and this book, a streamlined 260 pages, feels much more detailed and accomplished then many novels twice it’s size. The result is a fantastic story that hits you like a category 4 hurricane. It floods the Waffle Houses of your soul freeing the smothered, covered, and diced hash browns of your very being. The storm surges of The Man Who Came Uptown are sure to wash away many reading hours, the punishing winds of greatness knocking out not only the electricity in many homes, but knocking the socks of anyone who enjoys a multifaceted and satisfying story.
December 9, 2018
As Raymond Chandler and Robert Crais are to Los Angeles, and Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane are to Boston, George Pelecanos brings the DC Metro Area (Washington D.C. and its neighboring counties in Virginia and Maryland) to full literary life in his various crime-related stories. He brings us another minor masterpiece in the loose and affecting ensemble piece The Man Who Came Uptown.
The focus is on a distinct quartet of characters: Michael, a young man recently released from prison (but not quite a career criminal or a 'bad guy') and trying his hardest to keep on the straight and narrow with his new honest job; Anna, a well-meaning mobile librarian in the DC jail system who pleasingly nurtured a newfound love for literature in Michael; Ward, a retired veteran police officer and widower turned bail bondsman; and Phil, a family-man private eye who would appear to be 'Joe Average'-type on the surface, but has an alarmingly broad or questionable morality in his actions.
Pelecanos throws them into his on-going DCMA universe - private investigators Derek Strange and Spero Lucas, stars of their own separate series, are name-checked here but don't make appearances - and we watch as they carry on with their lives and make good or sometimes very bad life-altering decisions. It is not a terribly complex book or plot, but - as usual with Pelecanos' work - it's the little things like the dialogue scenes, the descriptions of the settings, and the character touches (e.g. Michael and Anna's love of reading and book discussions) that make his stories so damn interesting.
The focus is on a distinct quartet of characters: Michael, a young man recently released from prison (but not quite a career criminal or a 'bad guy') and trying his hardest to keep on the straight and narrow with his new honest job; Anna, a well-meaning mobile librarian in the DC jail system who pleasingly nurtured a newfound love for literature in Michael; Ward, a retired veteran police officer and widower turned bail bondsman; and Phil, a family-man private eye who would appear to be 'Joe Average'-type on the surface, but has an alarmingly broad or questionable morality in his actions.
Pelecanos throws them into his on-going DCMA universe - private investigators Derek Strange and Spero Lucas, stars of their own separate series, are name-checked here but don't make appearances - and we watch as they carry on with their lives and make good or sometimes very bad life-altering decisions. It is not a terribly complex book or plot, but - as usual with Pelecanos' work - it's the little things like the dialogue scenes, the descriptions of the settings, and the character touches (e.g. Michael and Anna's love of reading and book discussions) that make his stories so damn interesting.
September 17, 2018
I have always thought of Pelecanos as one helluva crime writer, his books never disappoint, and this one is no exception. An intriguing, descriptive and immersive plot, I cannot see how anyone could fail to love this novel. The writing, as always, is of superb quality, and you feel you know the characters as well as the city. A thriller with an air of authenticity to it - everything felt so realistic and believable. Despite many of the characters being criminals, I still felt I could relate to them on some level, it definitely takes a talented writer to make that possible. Admittedly, the pace is rather pedestrian, but this in no way affected my overall enjoyment. Loved this, as will many fans of the crime genre. Excellent!
Many thanks to Orion for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Many thanks to Orion for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
October 2, 2019
While I'd love to say this was unique and worthy of recommendation, I cannot. It's your basic criminal gets out of jail to make good story. The only redeeming factor is he learns to value reading, something most felons never arrive at. Evenly paced, the characters are underwhelming as is the story.
August 10, 2018
A Washington D.C. located crime novel that also serves as a love letter to the redemptive power of literature and libraries. Pelecanos shows that his focus on scriptwriting for shows like The Wire, Treme and The Deuce have done nothing but sharpen his skills as a novelist. He's entered what I think of as Elmore Leonard territory (one author, among many, he references in this book) where the writing seems so effortless you'd don't notice the craft in it. A true gift for anyone that works with books and literacy.
May 25, 2024
A delicious morsel whose ending snuck up on me. I've been eying George Pelecanos' novels since learning of him from The Wire, and this short novel of reform, redemption, and the power of Fiction to teach and to heal was better than I'd hoped.
Michael Hudson has been in prison since his teens, when he participated in an armed robbery-gone-wrong as the driver. It's there he meets Anna, who runs a book club for the inmates. Her selections are intuitive and meaningful, and her discussions allow the men to arrive at their own conclusions about the characters and the authors' meaning - she has some great book recommendations, too. Michael and Anna become friends, with a spark of "if only" potential.
Michael is unexpectedly released early after a private eye named Phil Ornazian leans on a witness in Michael's case. Why'd he do that? Ornazian is a bit of a crusader with a lead on a big takedown. Now he just needs a getaway driver.
I'd say this book is 50-50 crime novel / existential journey. Michael thinks a lot about the potential he had as a child - where did it all go wrong? Why is it so hard for a black man in Washington D.C. to make an honest living, especially if he's already been to prison before? Does the cycle continue because of external or internal reasons?
Very, very good. I'll definitely be reading more from George Pelecanos. Recommended.
Michael Hudson has been in prison since his teens, when he participated in an armed robbery-gone-wrong as the driver. It's there he meets Anna, who runs a book club for the inmates. Her selections are intuitive and meaningful, and her discussions allow the men to arrive at their own conclusions about the characters and the authors' meaning - she has some great book recommendations, too. Michael and Anna become friends, with a spark of "if only" potential.
Michael is unexpectedly released early after a private eye named Phil Ornazian leans on a witness in Michael's case. Why'd he do that? Ornazian is a bit of a crusader with a lead on a big takedown. Now he just needs a getaway driver.
I'd say this book is 50-50 crime novel / existential journey. Michael thinks a lot about the potential he had as a child - where did it all go wrong? Why is it so hard for a black man in Washington D.C. to make an honest living, especially if he's already been to prison before? Does the cycle continue because of external or internal reasons?
Very, very good. I'll definitely be reading more from George Pelecanos. Recommended.
November 7, 2025
I bought this book in hardcover for $1 years ago, because Pelecanos wrote on the Wire, and created the very underrated show The Deuce. And the book sat in a box forever. In an effort to reduce books, I started the audiobook, expecting a short, decent novel that I would never think about again, and then I could get rid of my book.
This book was surprisingly very good. I think it should have been a bit longer for the character growth we see here to fully land, but I loved how the book focused on how literature can change lives. And how those disenfranchised but wanting to better their lives often just need a chance to do so.
This book was published while Pelecanos was working on the Deuce, and you can tell, because he has a random subplot about pimps and prostitutes that doesn't really go anywhere. That is explored in more depth in the Deuce but here it's just kinda thrown in because it was clearly on his mind. And for such a short novel, I wish it wasn't included at all. But the main plotline in this book was very well done.
This book was surprisingly very good. I think it should have been a bit longer for the character growth we see here to fully land, but I loved how the book focused on how literature can change lives. And how those disenfranchised but wanting to better their lives often just need a chance to do so.
This book was published while Pelecanos was working on the Deuce, and you can tell, because he has a random subplot about pimps and prostitutes that doesn't really go anywhere. That is explored in more depth in the Deuce but here it's just kinda thrown in because it was clearly on his mind. And for such a short novel, I wish it wasn't included at all. But the main plotline in this book was very well done.
September 15, 2018
Thank god this isn't a Spero novel. Nobody writes D.C. like Pelecanos, the city where ignition is a verb and someone is always trying to get up on you. While this is certainly not the most action-packed of his novels, this is still a perfect slice of exactly what Pelecanos does right - the rich details of the city, in this instance tainted by seeping gentrification, the characters and the codes that they use to define themselves, and this line, which resonated with me deeply: “’This past year has been the darkest time I can remember. But I did smile once. When that white-supremacist dude came to town and someone just up and coldcocked him right in the face. This is Washington, man.’” And the best part of all is how I thought that the guy who’s killed both Wallace and Frank Sobotka was going to do me dirty again, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong Not the best ever, but certainly as classic.
June 21, 2020
Κλασικός Πελεκάνος, με χαμηλούς τόνους αλλά δυνατούς χαρακτήρες. Περισσότερο πρόκειται για ένα ψυχοδράμα με στοιχεία εγκλήματος παρά για ξεκάθαρο νουάρ μηθυστόρημα. Σίγουρα όμως ήταν απολαυστικό και στους βιβλιόφιλους θα κάνει ένα παραπάνω κλικ.
Υ.Γ.: Παρακαλείται κάποιος να μεταφράσει το Northline, το βιβλίο που διαβάζει ο πρωταγωνιστής. Φαίνεται πραγματικά ωραίο και θα είναι κρίμα να μείνουμε μόνο με την αναφορά του σε ένα άλλο βιβλίο.
Υ.Γ.: Παρακαλείται κάποιος να μεταφράσει το Northline, το βιβλίο που διαβάζει ο πρωταγωνιστής. Φαίνεται πραγματικά ωραίο και θα είναι κρίμα να μείνουμε μόνο με την αναφορά του σε ένα άλλο βιβλίο.
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