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Hard City
The searing novel of a brutal boyhood in 1940s Chicago—and a young man walking the knife’s edge between a life of crime and a brighter future.
The son of a single mother addicted to heroin, Richie grows up in poverty and hardship. His adolescence is a constant battle between hope—in the form of a kind boxing coach, a job in a bowling alley where he can sneak a nap, and a determination to track down his disreputable father—and brutality. Desperately lonely, Richie must contend with the criminal justice system, abusive foster homes, and a period of exile with his grandmother in Tennessee.
In this gritty, semiautobiographical novel by an Edgar Award–winning author, the fate of this young man hangs in the balance as he finds himself tested by want, war, and the ever-present temptation to give up on the possibility of something better.
“Strongly satisfying [and] frequently compelling.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Sustains a sense of tension, moving smoothly between flashbacks of the events of Richie’s early years and the traumatic experiences of his adolescence, then on to his return to Chicago.” —The New York Times
The son of a single mother addicted to heroin, Richie grows up in poverty and hardship. His adolescence is a constant battle between hope—in the form of a kind boxing coach, a job in a bowling alley where he can sneak a nap, and a determination to track down his disreputable father—and brutality. Desperately lonely, Richie must contend with the criminal justice system, abusive foster homes, and a period of exile with his grandmother in Tennessee.
In this gritty, semiautobiographical novel by an Edgar Award–winning author, the fate of this young man hangs in the balance as he finds himself tested by want, war, and the ever-present temptation to give up on the possibility of something better.
“Strongly satisfying [and] frequently compelling.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Sustains a sense of tension, moving smoothly between flashbacks of the events of Richie’s early years and the traumatic experiences of his adolescence, then on to his return to Chicago.” —The New York Times
667 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1990
8 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Clark Howard
110 books29 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Born in Ripley, Tennessee in 1932, Clark Howard is one of the most honored mystery writers in America and has long been a favorite of readers of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and numerous other publications.
A professional writer for over 40 years, he has written sixteen novels, six books of non-fiction, and has two published collections of short stories, in addition to more than 200 uncollected short stories. While versed in many genres, he is best known for his crime fiction and mystery stories which have won the prestigious Edgar Alan Poe Award, five Ellery Queen Readers Award, the Derringer Award, and have been nominated for the Anthony, Shamus and Spur Awards.
His stories have been adapted for film (The Big Town was based on his novel THE ARM) and television, which included the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series. His original screen play Last of the Good Guys was a featured Movie of the Week on CBS, and his non-fiction book SIX AGAINST THE ROCK was also a television movie.
His work has been translated into numerous languages and he has a large following of faithful readers in several countries, particularly in China and Japan where his writing appears regularly.
A ward of Cook County by age 12, Clark Howard grew up on the lower West Side of Chicago, living in a succession of foster homes, from which he habitually ran away. During this period, he was an amateur boxer for the Midwest Athletic Club on the West Side. But soon, in his mid teens, he became a confirmed juvenile delinquent and was eventually sent to a reformatory. Later he was allowed go live with his maternal grandmother in a small town near Memphis, Tennessee.
He discovered two new worlds in the South of the late 1940s — old time Negro jazz music and ‘heads up’ crap shooting, the latter of which later became the subject of THE ARM, his first novel.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 and served as a rocket launcher gunner in the Punchbowl in Korea. He was one of eight survivors in a platoon that survived the battle of the high ground north of the Punchbowl. He was discharged from the marines at age 20.
He entered journalism school at Northwestern University in Chicago under the GI Bill, but left after one semester when his writing was judged by his professor as being “undisciplined and of no commercial value.” Unknown to the professor, he had already sold two short stories to New York magazines.
Clark Howard now makes his home in Palm Springs, California. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Author’s Guild, and Writers Guild of America.
He was awarded a Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in January 2011 in recognition for his contributions to literature, particularly the genre of American short stories.
Born in Ripley, Tennessee in 1932, Clark Howard is one of the most honored mystery writers in America and has long been a favorite of readers of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and numerous other publications.
A professional writer for over 40 years, he has written sixteen novels, six books of non-fiction, and has two published collections of short stories, in addition to more than 200 uncollected short stories. While versed in many genres, he is best known for his crime fiction and mystery stories which have won the prestigious Edgar Alan Poe Award, five Ellery Queen Readers Award, the Derringer Award, and have been nominated for the Anthony, Shamus and Spur Awards.
His stories have been adapted for film (The Big Town was based on his novel THE ARM) and television, which included the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series. His original screen play Last of the Good Guys was a featured Movie of the Week on CBS, and his non-fiction book SIX AGAINST THE ROCK was also a television movie.
His work has been translated into numerous languages and he has a large following of faithful readers in several countries, particularly in China and Japan where his writing appears regularly.
A ward of Cook County by age 12, Clark Howard grew up on the lower West Side of Chicago, living in a succession of foster homes, from which he habitually ran away. During this period, he was an amateur boxer for the Midwest Athletic Club on the West Side. But soon, in his mid teens, he became a confirmed juvenile delinquent and was eventually sent to a reformatory. Later he was allowed go live with his maternal grandmother in a small town near Memphis, Tennessee.
He discovered two new worlds in the South of the late 1940s — old time Negro jazz music and ‘heads up’ crap shooting, the latter of which later became the subject of THE ARM, his first novel.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 and served as a rocket launcher gunner in the Punchbowl in Korea. He was one of eight survivors in a platoon that survived the battle of the high ground north of the Punchbowl. He was discharged from the marines at age 20.
He entered journalism school at Northwestern University in Chicago under the GI Bill, but left after one semester when his writing was judged by his professor as being “undisciplined and of no commercial value.” Unknown to the professor, he had already sold two short stories to New York magazines.
Clark Howard now makes his home in Palm Springs, California. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Author’s Guild, and Writers Guild of America.
He was awarded a Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in January 2011 in recognition for his contributions to literature, particularly the genre of American short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 27, 2011
I found this book via Twitter. I think it's been resurrected thanks to the eBook phenomenon. In any case, this was a book that I could not put down, and looked forward to reading every night!
The story follows a young boy in 1940s Chicago, living on the street, running from truancy officers and foster homes, dealing with his addict mother and searching for his missing father. Almost epic in its telling and length, the boy grows not only in years, but in wisdom, throughout the pages.
The only thing I would knock it for is the importance it places on reading... it almost shovels the idea of reading down your throat. Not sure how to put it into words, but it's almost like this story has an agenda for literacy.
Regardless, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a long read full of interesting characters and sub plots.
The story follows a young boy in 1940s Chicago, living on the street, running from truancy officers and foster homes, dealing with his addict mother and searching for his missing father. Almost epic in its telling and length, the boy grows not only in years, but in wisdom, throughout the pages.
The only thing I would knock it for is the importance it places on reading... it almost shovels the idea of reading down your throat. Not sure how to put it into words, but it's almost like this story has an agenda for literacy.
Regardless, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a long read full of interesting characters and sub plots.
January 15, 2013
I read this book because the plot and characters are centered in Chicago, where I have lived on two separate occasions. However, this is not the Chicago of my personal experience. This is a Chicago that I know exists, but is outside of my experience. The characters are largely juvenile delinquents, junkies, hookers, and other down-and-out people. The setting is pre and post WWII. The main character, while seriously flawed, has something that makes you hope he will rise above his upbringing, in spite of it all. He has enough intelligence and drive to survive and even thrive against all odds. Sounds depressing, but in an odd way, it is ultimately uplifting.
The author loosely based the story on his life, although many of the details are fictional. The story touches on some issues and emotions that still exist today.
The author loosely based the story on his life, although many of the details are fictional. The story touches on some issues and emotions that still exist today.
September 3, 2013
I bought this from a bargain book table at a local bookstore. It then stayed in my bookcase for years while I wondered why I ever bought it. When I finally decided to read it or get rid of it, I was more than pleasantly surprised -- I loved it! Interesting, gripping, poignant...I didn't want it to end. It may be hard to find at this point, but it's well worth the search.
March 7, 2015
this was such a great read. I enjoyed it so much. Richie was a wonderful boy who had such a rough life but got thorough it and became a good man. Howard is an excellent author. I read Dirt Rich which was a 5 star read. I will be reading The wardens too. I would recommend this book highly.
January 15, 2013
Read this book!
March 14, 2015
Amazing piece of fiction about the poverty of a child in Chicago. Totally and completely engrossing!
June 2, 2015
Excellent, although sad,coming of age journey about a boy. You will feel like you are walking in his worn and weathered shoes. Well done!
Read
February 7, 2012Powerful beginning and earnest writing. A true novel in the strictest sense of the word. Snappy dialogue, many powerful passages, characters that leap off the page, and an ending that assures you that the story is not over, only just beginning.
That's the problem. The ending left me unsatisfied and convinced the kid still needed to grow up. But maybe that was the point. Again...not an ending, a beginning...
That's the problem. The ending left me unsatisfied and convinced the kid still needed to grow up. But maybe that was the point. Again...not an ending, a beginning...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2013
A gut-wrenching, powerful story of a pre-teen and teenager who survives the streets of Chicago, Charleytown Reform "school", and the angst of living as a "Yankee" outsider when he returns to the town of his birth in western Tennessee.
A fictionalized version of the author's actual childhood, the search for his father, and living with his mother's drug addictions.
In the end, all he wanted to do was become a writer. And that he did.
A fictionalized version of the author's actual childhood, the search for his father, and living with his mother's drug addictions.
In the end, all he wanted to do was become a writer. And that he did.
January 8, 2012
This is a great coming-of-age story about a boy whose love of reading is key to him escaping his grim life on the streets of Chicago.
August 16, 2013
Amazing story based on the authors life on the streets of chicago. Highly recommend this one, well written and gripping to the very end.
May 18, 2021
This is a difficult book to read primarily because it is about a young boy who basically lives on the streets of Chicago back in the 30s/40s. It is semi-autobiographical; however, it is more truth than fiction. Be aware, Howard does not mince words nor change the language used by making it less offensive. I am from Chicago and close to the same age as he is growing up. I recognize many of the areas he roamed. His mother is a disaster of heroin abuse; in real life he also had an aunt who was just about as bad and didn't help him. He was fortunate in that a case worker was invested in getting him into a stable environment. Although not particularly pleasant, his upper teen years did give him more reliability, mainly thru the efforts of school counselor who saw his potential and subtley guided him This was a kid you lived by his wits and street savvy, even when removed to a small Southern insular town that didn't like outsiders. This is a hard scrabble read and there is no romance. Clark Howard wrote 18 novels, including several true crime stories. They are rough, hard biting stories, grim and violent. Several have been made into Hollywood or television movies. He won many accolades and awards including a Lifetime Achievement award in the mystery short story field of which he wrote over 200.
July 12, 2019
Vividness of writing pulls you in and keeps you
I found nothing to dislike about this book. I was there with Richie every step of the way. I felt every aspect of his hard life in a hard city. And I was glad to be there with him when he soared over it all. If you’re looking for a human interest story where the human spirit triumphs over impossible obstacles, this book is for you.
I found nothing to dislike about this book. I was there with Richie every step of the way. I felt every aspect of his hard life in a hard city. And I was glad to be there with him when he soared over it all. If you’re looking for a human interest story where the human spirit triumphs over impossible obstacles, this book is for you.
March 8, 2020
Really impressive book - full review to follow!
September 14, 2023
Hard life too.
December 14, 2013
Sort of a toned-down The Jungle (which was interminably grim). Not that well-written, but a page-turner nonetheless. A good editor would have helped. It was interesting imagining the Chicago locations in those years.
August 27, 2015
A coming of age story of a boy growing up in Chicago in the 1940s. It obviously didn't resonate as much with me as it did with other readers but I still enjoyed the book!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews