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Hap and Leonard
The Big Book of Hap and Leonard
The boys are back, and just in time for Season 3 of the Hap and Leonard TV series, starring Michael K. Williams (The Wire) and James Purefoy (Altered Carbon).Hap Collins looks like a good 'ol boy, but his lefty politics don't match. His buddy, Vietnam veteran Leonard Pine, is even more black, conservative, gay . . . and an occasional arsonist. With Hap and Leonard on the job, small-time crooks all on the way on up to the Dixie Mafia are extremely nervous.Everyone's favorite ass-kicking Texan duo are further immortalized in this expanded collection of tall tales, slick nonfiction, and two full-length novellas.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2018
62 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
818 books3,891 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 29, 2018
“The Big Book of Hap and Leonard” is a special e-book collection that includes short stories and the text of a graphic novel by Joe Lansdale as well as comments, reminiscences, and an Interview of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. Fans might find the extra material almost more interesting than the stories.
Of course, the stars of the book are Hap and Leonard. In West Texas, Hap Collins, a white good old boy, Vietnam War draft-dodger, and Leonard Pine, a black, gay, Republican Vietnam veteran seem a mismatched pair. Terrible things are happening, with even worse things to come, but it is still very funny. As always, they are rude, crude, and politically incorrect.
I received a copy of “The Big Book of Hap and Leonard” from Joe Lansdale, Tachyon Publications, Particle Books, and NetGalley. I recommend it for all Hap and Leonard fans. As you read, you might hate yourself for laughing, you might wish you had not laughed, but you are going to laugh. As Lansdale says, “This is more fun than rolling down a hill with a bunch of armadillos.”
Of course, the stars of the book are Hap and Leonard. In West Texas, Hap Collins, a white good old boy, Vietnam War draft-dodger, and Leonard Pine, a black, gay, Republican Vietnam veteran seem a mismatched pair. Terrible things are happening, with even worse things to come, but it is still very funny. As always, they are rude, crude, and politically incorrect.
I received a copy of “The Big Book of Hap and Leonard” from Joe Lansdale, Tachyon Publications, Particle Books, and NetGalley. I recommend it for all Hap and Leonard fans. As you read, you might hate yourself for laughing, you might wish you had not laughed, but you are going to laugh. As Lansdale says, “This is more fun than rolling down a hill with a bunch of armadillos.”
May 19, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
THE BIG BOOK OF HAP AND LEONARD by Joe R.Lansdale is pretty much what the title suggests, an assortment of short (and not so short) stories involving them and other regular characters from the novels.
Dedicated to author Lansdale’s longtime friend, the late Bill Crider, this book opens with forwards by editor Richard Klaw, Michael Koryta, and Bill Crider who was there at the beginning of Hap and Leonard. I found the window into Joe R. Lansdale and Bill Crider’s friendship especially a treasure, and his description of Hap and Leonard very insightful from a great author who will be sorely missed.
Stories and chapters include:
Hyenas (an excellent mid-length novel in and of itself)
Veil’s Visit (somewhat of a departure of the usual Hap and Leonard story including a new character with a mysterious background who would fit well in future novels)
Death by Chili (a short story originally a promo for the novel Bad Chili)
Dead Aim (more or less a typical Hap and Leonard tale that finds them deep into something going off into all directions after being taken on as a simple straight forward case on face value.)
A Bone-Dead Sadness (enjoyable short story described by the author as a “closed room” story involving Marvin Hanson, the former officer turned detective who hires Hap and Leonard for cases.)
The Boy Who Became Invisible (chilling tale of high school bullying and violence that fits with current events, and serves as a reminder that all of us have at one time or another made choices we’re not proud of.)
Not Our Kind (young Hap and Leonard deal with racism present in a way that shapes their future.)
The Oak and the Pond (short story that everyone can identity with about loss of treasured surroundings from our childhood.)
Bent Twig ( Hap’s once again sent to retrieve Brett’s wayward daughter Tillie from harm’s way.)
Joe. R. Lansdale Interviews Hap Collins and Leonard Pine
An Interview with Joe R. Lansdale, His Own Self
The Care and Feeding and Raising Up of Hap and Leonard.
*all three of the final chapters are a goldmine for what they contain of the author’s thoughts and remembrance of the development of Hap and Leonard, and how much of himself and others from his past live and breathe through the characters of the books in this series.
I’d recommend this book to both new and old fans of the series, and while I’d recommend starting at the beginning with “Savage Season”, this would be a fine collection to start with to include a wide assortment of tales that really give an overview into what makes Hap and Leonard work as a series.
5 stars.
THE BIG BOOK OF HAP AND LEONARD by Joe R.Lansdale is pretty much what the title suggests, an assortment of short (and not so short) stories involving them and other regular characters from the novels.
Dedicated to author Lansdale’s longtime friend, the late Bill Crider, this book opens with forwards by editor Richard Klaw, Michael Koryta, and Bill Crider who was there at the beginning of Hap and Leonard. I found the window into Joe R. Lansdale and Bill Crider’s friendship especially a treasure, and his description of Hap and Leonard very insightful from a great author who will be sorely missed.
Stories and chapters include:
Hyenas (an excellent mid-length novel in and of itself)
Veil’s Visit (somewhat of a departure of the usual Hap and Leonard story including a new character with a mysterious background who would fit well in future novels)
Death by Chili (a short story originally a promo for the novel Bad Chili)
Dead Aim (more or less a typical Hap and Leonard tale that finds them deep into something going off into all directions after being taken on as a simple straight forward case on face value.)
A Bone-Dead Sadness (enjoyable short story described by the author as a “closed room” story involving Marvin Hanson, the former officer turned detective who hires Hap and Leonard for cases.)
The Boy Who Became Invisible (chilling tale of high school bullying and violence that fits with current events, and serves as a reminder that all of us have at one time or another made choices we’re not proud of.)
Not Our Kind (young Hap and Leonard deal with racism present in a way that shapes their future.)
The Oak and the Pond (short story that everyone can identity with about loss of treasured surroundings from our childhood.)
Bent Twig ( Hap’s once again sent to retrieve Brett’s wayward daughter Tillie from harm’s way.)
Joe. R. Lansdale Interviews Hap Collins and Leonard Pine
An Interview with Joe R. Lansdale, His Own Self
The Care and Feeding and Raising Up of Hap and Leonard.
*all three of the final chapters are a goldmine for what they contain of the author’s thoughts and remembrance of the development of Hap and Leonard, and how much of himself and others from his past live and breathe through the characters of the books in this series.
I’d recommend this book to both new and old fans of the series, and while I’d recommend starting at the beginning with “Savage Season”, this would be a fine collection to start with to include a wide assortment of tales that really give an overview into what makes Hap and Leonard work as a series.
5 stars.
June 5, 2018
The Big Book of Hap and Leonard by Joe R. Lansdale-This book is a distillation of several earlier releases of novelettes and short stories featuring our home-spun heroes, Hap and Leonard. A significant addition is the novellas "Hyenas" and "Dead Aim", The rest are short ruminations and accounts of living in East Texas, and the goings on of these two unlikely partners. Always amusing and occasionally exciting, these stories rely mostly on the aptly drawn characterizations of the participants and the never-ending fertile imagination of Joe R. Lansdale. If you've never read Hap and Leonard, this is a great place to start.
October 17, 2019
If someone has missed the books about Hap and Leonard, shame on you. Lansdale has come up with the best crime fighting duo in two centuries. With this book every single adventure is now available. If you have any doubts get this one and read what now sadly departed Bill Crider says about this series and Lansdale. That alone must be enough to make anybody interested. It's noir, dirty and funny at the same time. I just love it.
May 21, 2018
Joe R. Landsdale captured my nerd heart a few decades ago when he wrote Batman: Captured by the Engines. It's nice to see his crime fiction collected in this volume, and the progression of stories works well.
Some are shorter, while others stretch to novella length. This is the book to pick up if you are pining for an Elmore Leonard-like world with a fresh voice. Recommended, gritty reading.
Some are shorter, while others stretch to novella length. This is the book to pick up if you are pining for an Elmore Leonard-like world with a fresh voice. Recommended, gritty reading.
July 10, 2022
Lansdale proves his mastery of the short story in the Big Book. His novels tend to have handfuls of chapters that, while completely entertaining, tend not to move the plot much. He cuts that delicious slice of fat out of his short stories to create leaner, meaner dishes. This particular collection includes miscellaneous introductions, interviews and peripheral stories.
Some reviews suggest this is a good introduction to Hap and Leonard, but several stories would be more impactful after first reading a few early novels in the series. The back stories and guest appearances are better with a little context.
"Hyenas": Hap and Leonard face a drug dealer who tries to take advantage of their client's naive brother. It’s a great introductory story, and one of the strongest in the collection:
"Veil's Visit" (a collaboration with Andrew Vachss) is fresh, clever and seamless. It introduces Veil, a 'criminal' lawyer: not so criminal as, say, Breaking Bad’s Saul Goodman, but Veil definitely has sympathy for vigilantes:
"Death by Chili": Lansdale uses a 'locked room' mystery device where an apparent suicide connects to an award-winning chili recipe. The story is amusing, but the solution is technical and not very compelling. This is especially unfortunate since Leonard is the rare star of this particular episode.
"Dead Aim" is a Hap and Leonard tale with a Western flair. They’re dragged into a bank heist scheme in order to rescue a loved one. It features a quick-draw showdown.
"A Bone-Dead Sadness" is interesting in that it is exclusively a story about their associate, Marvin Hanson. This is another 'locked room' mystery about a bank manager who launders money for the Dixie Mafia. It has plenty of humor, but falls a little flat. It's an interesting idea with a good solution, but the plot’s a bit telegraphed, and not as tight as it could be.
"The Boy Who Became Invisible" is a disturbing stand-alone story about high-school bullying and family abuse. It's disturbing how much current events have diminished the impact of its 2009 sensitivities.
"Not Our Kind" is the Hap and Leonard origin story you never needed, but might have wanted. It ties the characters together in a way that shows how they were meant to be friends, and to be simple heroes doing the right thing.
"The Oak and the Pond" is essay-style, told through Hap's memories. The themes are progress overtaking nature, nostalgia and changing times.
"Bent Twig" is a 'rescue the princess,' story—specifically Brett's wayward daughter, Tillie (again! Will she ever learn?). The background setting for the action is unique: a talent show in a small-town gospel church is a front for brutal exploitation and corruption.
Lansdale proves his powerful craft. In this sample Leonard is about to have a go at the bad guys:
(The axe-handle is a weapon of choice in many of these stories. Enjoy!)
Some reviews suggest this is a good introduction to Hap and Leonard, but several stories would be more impactful after first reading a few early novels in the series. The back stories and guest appearances are better with a little context.
"Hyenas": Hap and Leonard face a drug dealer who tries to take advantage of their client's naive brother. It’s a great introductory story, and one of the strongest in the collection:
We were gym fighting, not really fighting. The two should never be confused. The first is like a swim in a heated pool, the other is like being dropped into a stormy, shark-infested ocean.
"You guys [Hap and Leonard] are smart enough, but you don't have the patience to be masterminds."
Donny said, "Did you kill him?"
"Just his pride," I said. "And maybe one of the two brain cells he had. That leaves him one so he knows how not to shit himself…”
"Veil's Visit" (a collaboration with Andrew Vachss) is fresh, clever and seamless. It introduces Veil, a 'criminal' lawyer: not so criminal as, say, Breaking Bad’s Saul Goodman, but Veil definitely has sympathy for vigilantes:
Sure, it's easy to play on people's prejudices—and we got no shortage of those down this way, I know - but if there wasn't more good folks than bad, well, the Klan would've been running the state a long time ago.
"Death by Chili": Lansdale uses a 'locked room' mystery device where an apparent suicide connects to an award-winning chili recipe. The story is amusing, but the solution is technical and not very compelling. This is especially unfortunate since Leonard is the rare star of this particular episode.
"Dead Aim" is a Hap and Leonard tale with a Western flair. They’re dragged into a bank heist scheme in order to rescue a loved one. It features a quick-draw showdown.
"A Bone-Dead Sadness" is interesting in that it is exclusively a story about their associate, Marvin Hanson. This is another 'locked room' mystery about a bank manager who launders money for the Dixie Mafia. It has plenty of humor, but falls a little flat. It's an interesting idea with a good solution, but the plot’s a bit telegraphed, and not as tight as it could be.
"The Boy Who Became Invisible" is a disturbing stand-alone story about high-school bullying and family abuse. It's disturbing how much current events have diminished the impact of its 2009 sensitivities.
"Not Our Kind" is the Hap and Leonard origin story you never needed, but might have wanted. It ties the characters together in a way that shows how they were meant to be friends, and to be simple heroes doing the right thing.
"The Oak and the Pond" is essay-style, told through Hap's memories. The themes are progress overtaking nature, nostalgia and changing times.
"Bent Twig" is a 'rescue the princess,' story—specifically Brett's wayward daughter, Tillie (again! Will she ever learn?). The background setting for the action is unique: a talent show in a small-town gospel church is a front for brutal exploitation and corruption.
Lansdale proves his powerful craft. In this sample Leonard is about to have a go at the bad guys:
The light caught the black gleam of Leonard's close-shaved head, and it danced in his eyes, it danced along the length of the brand-new axe handle.
(The axe-handle is a weapon of choice in many of these stories. Enjoy!)
March 8, 2021
Great for fans of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books but I wouldn't recommend this as the starting point for anyone unfamiliar with the series because of connections to previous adventures - everything works as standalone but it's better with that background knowledge.
This collection includes several novellas that were previously released in limited edition specials, a handful of short stories and essays and a few fun extras.
Some of the highlights include Veil's Visit, a Hap and Leonard novella co-written by Lansdale and author Andrew Vachss about Leonard going to trial for burning down a crack house; an interview with Joe R. Lansdale; and an afterward where Lansdale looks back at the origins of the first Hap and Leonard book, Savage Season, and how that led to the creation of a series.
A must have for any Hap and Leonard fan!
***I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley.
This collection includes several novellas that were previously released in limited edition specials, a handful of short stories and essays and a few fun extras.
Some of the highlights include Veil's Visit, a Hap and Leonard novella co-written by Lansdale and author Andrew Vachss about Leonard going to trial for burning down a crack house; an interview with Joe R. Lansdale; and an afterward where Lansdale looks back at the origins of the first Hap and Leonard book, Savage Season, and how that led to the creation of a series.
A must have for any Hap and Leonard fan!
***I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley.
June 10, 2020
This is an excellent collection of short stories. Reading Lansdale always lifts my spirits with his excellent writing and dialogue. Reading Hap and Leonard is not an exception, but it also brings a bit of melancholy to me also.
I had a friend/brother like Hap who died several years ago. He wasn't gay, but he was the Leonard of the relationship with his more conservative views and grumpy manner. I was/am the guy that feels guilty for damn near anything and wants to make the world better. Neither one of us (especially me) bad-asses like Hap and Leonard, but that's okay.
This is a great collection. Several of the stories were new to me, but a few were rereads. I enjoyed them either way.
Thanks, Joe Lansdale.
I had a friend/brother like Hap who died several years ago. He wasn't gay, but he was the Leonard of the relationship with his more conservative views and grumpy manner. I was/am the guy that feels guilty for damn near anything and wants to make the world better. Neither one of us (especially me) bad-asses like Hap and Leonard, but that's okay.
This is a great collection. Several of the stories were new to me, but a few were rereads. I enjoyed them either way.
Thanks, Joe Lansdale.
July 28, 2024
If you're an aficionado of the eccentric but lovable East Texas duo Hap and Leonard, or of author Joe R. Lansdale, or just excellent writing, lots of adventures, great character delineations, and unique and unstoppable characters, you're guaranteed to love this collection, which also in addition to the stories, includes introductions by Bill Crider and Michael Koryta, an interview with Joe R. Lansdale, and Mr. Lansdale's interview with Hap and Leonard. This collection enlarges on the 2016 HAP AND LEONARD.
May 22, 2018
As usual I enjoyed the stories of Hap & Leonard, mostly because to me they are like some old friends that I love to meet again.
Come al solito le storie di Hap e Leonard mi sono piaciute e mi hanno divertito perché ormai, per me é come reincontrare dei vecchi amici.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
Come al solito le storie di Hap e Leonard mi sono piaciute e mi hanno divertito perché ormai, per me é come reincontrare dei vecchi amici.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
July 30, 2018
Hap and Leonard as they are
A truly exciting group of short stories. Landsdale has a way of catching your attention very quickly. He has a way with words that can carve out an amazing story. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who’s ever read Lansdale and to those who haven’t are in for a real treat.
A truly exciting group of short stories. Landsdale has a way of catching your attention very quickly. He has a way with words that can carve out an amazing story. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who’s ever read Lansdale and to those who haven’t are in for a real treat.
October 16, 2018
Lansdale's work, particularly when he is writing Hap & Leonard is exceptional. Funny, violent horrifying, I dont think I've ever founnd another writer like him.
This collection of short stroies and various bits and pieces from the Ha & Leonard catalogue hasn't got an awful lot of new stuff,, but it's still so good it isn't possible to give it less than four stars!
This collection of short stroies and various bits and pieces from the Ha & Leonard catalogue hasn't got an awful lot of new stuff,, but it's still so good it isn't possible to give it less than four stars!
May 22, 2021
A few extras in this collection that you won’t find anywhere else.
Some of these stories are reprints from other books and collections, but if you want a sampler of Hap and Leonard, this is the place to go. Very highly recommended, especially to readers who have not yet read Lansdale works, or Hap and Leonard stories.
Some of these stories are reprints from other books and collections, but if you want a sampler of Hap and Leonard, this is the place to go. Very highly recommended, especially to readers who have not yet read Lansdale works, or Hap and Leonard stories.
November 1, 2019
Well, I watched the tv series and then someone told me about the books. This is the first book I have read of the whole Hap&Leonard series and I have liked it a lot. really easy to read, really funny at times. So give it a try. I am starting the first book of the series right now
August 25, 2020
An excellent collection of stories. I loved every one of them. But how could I not with them being written by Lansdale.
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April 27, 2019not my style of content but I can see why some people might like it / didn't read enough to give it a rating / have no intention of ever trying to finish it
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews