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Thieves' Market
A dark, fast-paced proletarian novel originally published in 1949, Thieves' Market was written out of the author's youthful experiences as a trucker carrying produce to the packing houses of California's Central Valley. Immigrant Nick Garcos, like his father before him, becomes an independent trucker, soon landing in the brutal and crooked underworld of the produce markets of San Francisco, Oakland, Stockton, and Los Angeles.
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
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October 1, 2016
Originally published in 1949, this dark novel describes the struggles of a second-generation immigrant named Nick Garcos to improve his lot in life and the obstacles that stand in his way and in the way of so many others like him who are attempting to climb the economic ladder and grasp a slightly larger share of the American dream.
The book is set in post World War II California. Nick's father dreamed of owning his own trucking business, but died a long, slow death from an illness, beaten down by life and in particular by his wife, Nick's mother, who is one of the most unpleasant characters a reader is ever likely to encounter in a novel.
Nick, who worshiped his father and who hates his mother, is determined to do better and to fulfill his father's dreams. Through rather dubious means, Nick acquires the money to purchase a used truck. He hooks up with a veteran trucker named Ed who agrees to show Nick the ropes and, using Nick's money, they buy two truckloads of apples in the Central Valley which they hope to sell at the market in San Francisco.
In detailing their struggles to do so, Bezzerides attempts to expose the dark side of American capitalism in the late 1940's. It seems impossible for an honest man to have a chance in this system, and corrupt people of every stripe attempt to take advantage of Nick at virtually every turn. Nick and Ed are hardly paragons of virtue themselves, but the crooks that they encounter, especially at the San Francisco market, are villains of the first magnitude and Nick is the quintessential sheep being led to slaughter.
This is a beautifully written book. Bezzerides has a talent for description that draws the reader immediately into the setting. One feels totally immersed in the atmospherics of the scenes that Bezzerides describes and there's the ring of truth in the descriptions of the hard scrabble lives of the characters that populate them. Even the minor characters are very well drawn.
If I have any complaint about the book it lies in the fact that there are no sympathetic characters for one to care about. Nick, the main protagonist, has so many flaws of his own that it's really hard to root for him, even as the system grinds him down. Still, this is a very good read which would make an excellent companion piece to Leonard Gardner's Fat City. The books are set in roughly the same time and place and are populated by many of the same sorts of characters. I like Fat City better, mostly because there are more appealing characters in it, but Thieves Market is definitely a book to look for if this type of novel appeals to you.
The book is set in post World War II California. Nick's father dreamed of owning his own trucking business, but died a long, slow death from an illness, beaten down by life and in particular by his wife, Nick's mother, who is one of the most unpleasant characters a reader is ever likely to encounter in a novel.
Nick, who worshiped his father and who hates his mother, is determined to do better and to fulfill his father's dreams. Through rather dubious means, Nick acquires the money to purchase a used truck. He hooks up with a veteran trucker named Ed who agrees to show Nick the ropes and, using Nick's money, they buy two truckloads of apples in the Central Valley which they hope to sell at the market in San Francisco.
In detailing their struggles to do so, Bezzerides attempts to expose the dark side of American capitalism in the late 1940's. It seems impossible for an honest man to have a chance in this system, and corrupt people of every stripe attempt to take advantage of Nick at virtually every turn. Nick and Ed are hardly paragons of virtue themselves, but the crooks that they encounter, especially at the San Francisco market, are villains of the first magnitude and Nick is the quintessential sheep being led to slaughter.
This is a beautifully written book. Bezzerides has a talent for description that draws the reader immediately into the setting. One feels totally immersed in the atmospherics of the scenes that Bezzerides describes and there's the ring of truth in the descriptions of the hard scrabble lives of the characters that populate them. Even the minor characters are very well drawn.
If I have any complaint about the book it lies in the fact that there are no sympathetic characters for one to care about. Nick, the main protagonist, has so many flaws of his own that it's really hard to root for him, even as the system grinds him down. Still, this is a very good read which would make an excellent companion piece to Leonard Gardner's Fat City. The books are set in roughly the same time and place and are populated by many of the same sorts of characters. I like Fat City better, mostly because there are more appealing characters in it, but Thieves Market is definitely a book to look for if this type of novel appeals to you.
January 28, 2023
Thieves' Market is a dark and thrilling working class novel. I had watched the Jules Dassin movie many years ago. I never realized it was based on this book until recently.
Two outwardly tough men, who are completely torn apart inside, enter into a partnership to buy apples from a farmer and drive them in their trucks to make a profit in the market. Nick is a rookie slowly being eaten away by anomie caused by the death of his father, life with his cruel mother and a horrible workplace. Ed is a veteran but family life and responsibilities are slowly pulling him down. The two men struggle with each other, their values, wicked businessmen, prostitutes and their own inner demons which threaten to consume them.
Clever one liners populate the dialog. And like the desolate inner landscapes of the tortured characters, the landscapes and the atmosphere through which the two men drive their trucks are described starkly by Bezzerides:
"It was a cold foggy morning and it was going to be one of those days with the foghorn blowing every three minutes and the fog rolling in from the bay. It could be seen hanging like an incubus over the canyon of the street, but soon it would be coming down, soaking the market."
"Waves rolling in, carrying on them the scum and sewage of the harbor, and when the wind shifted, a smell rose from it, the giant bad breath of the city."
Thieves' Market was published a year before Wages of Fear (another novel with desperate working class characters embarking on an impossible mission). I enjoyed it immensely. Especially Nick's inner dialog when he looks back at his father's life. You feel like he embarks on this mission only to save some kind of family honor which was something I could identify with. The ambiguous ending was interesting - it seemed to suggest regeneration for Nick.
Two outwardly tough men, who are completely torn apart inside, enter into a partnership to buy apples from a farmer and drive them in their trucks to make a profit in the market. Nick is a rookie slowly being eaten away by anomie caused by the death of his father, life with his cruel mother and a horrible workplace. Ed is a veteran but family life and responsibilities are slowly pulling him down. The two men struggle with each other, their values, wicked businessmen, prostitutes and their own inner demons which threaten to consume them.
Clever one liners populate the dialog. And like the desolate inner landscapes of the tortured characters, the landscapes and the atmosphere through which the two men drive their trucks are described starkly by Bezzerides:
"It was a cold foggy morning and it was going to be one of those days with the foghorn blowing every three minutes and the fog rolling in from the bay. It could be seen hanging like an incubus over the canyon of the street, but soon it would be coming down, soaking the market."
"Waves rolling in, carrying on them the scum and sewage of the harbor, and when the wind shifted, a smell rose from it, the giant bad breath of the city."
Thieves' Market was published a year before Wages of Fear (another novel with desperate working class characters embarking on an impossible mission). I enjoyed it immensely. Especially Nick's inner dialog when he looks back at his father's life. You feel like he embarks on this mission only to save some kind of family honor which was something I could identify with. The ambiguous ending was interesting - it seemed to suggest regeneration for Nick.
February 20, 2017
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Ο Μπεζερίδης, που γεννήθηκε στην Μ. Ασία από Έλληνα πατέρα και Αρμένισσα μητέρα και μεγάλωσε στο Φρέσνο της Καλιφόρνια, πριν γίνει συγγραφέας και ιδιαίτερα γνωστός σεναριογράφος στο Χόλιγουντ, δούλεψε μαζί με τον πατέρα του στα φορτηγά και είχε μεγάλη εμπειρία από τις κατεργαριές, τις απάτες, τις κλεψιές και τις δυσκολίες που συναντάει κανείς στον υπόκοσμο των λαχαναγορών του Σαν Φρανσίσκο ή τους Λος Άντζελες, όπου δρουν επιτήδειοι έμποροι, μεσάζοντες, φορτηγατζήδες και προμηθευτές. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, μας δείχνει με τον πλέον ωμό και ρεαλιστικό τρόπο τον ανέντιμο αυτό κόσμο.
Πρωταγωνιστής είναι ο νεαρός Ελληνοαμερικάνος Νικ Γκάρκος (πιθανότατα alter ego του συγγραφέα), ο οποίος χρησιμοποιώντας τα λεφτά της ασφάλειας του πατέρα του που πέθανε πρόσφατα, προσπαθεί να γίνει ανεξάρτητος φορτηγατζής, ώστε να κάνει το όνειρό του πραγματικότητα και να γίνει αυτό που δεν κατάφερε να γίνει ο πατέρας του: Ένας επιχειρηματίας με πολλά λεφτά. Όμως, όντας άβγαλτος και αρκετά αθώος, θα έχει να αντιμετωπίσει τον βίαιο και ανέντιμο υπόκοσμο των λαχαναγορών και των μεταφορικών εταιρειών, όπου η απάτη είναι στην ημερήσια διάταξη.
Το βιβλίο δεν είναι αστυνομικό, αλλά ένα δραματικό νουάρ με στοιχεία εγκλήματος. Και είναι, πραγματικά, ένα από τα πιο ωμά, έντονα και καλογραμμένα νουάρ που έχω διαβάσει μέχρι σήμερα. Η όλη πλοκή είναι αρκετά δυνατή και συναρπαστική, με δράση και αγωνία για την συνέχεια, οι χαρακτήρες μαύροι, όλοι με ελαττώματα και μελανά σημεία, ενώ η ατμόσφαιρα φοβερή, κάπως στενάχωρη και βρώμικη. Όσον αφορά την γραφή, είναι εξαιρετική και ιδιαίτερα ευκολοδιάβαστη, με δυναμικές περιγραφές του κόσμου των φορτηγών και των λαχαναγορών, καθώς και των διαφόρων γεγονότων, με τους διαλόγους να είναι ρεαλιστικοί και "σκληροί".
Ίσως τα πέντε αστεράκια που θα του βάλω να φαίνονται υπερβολικά, αλλά δέθηκα πολύ με την όλη ιστορία και τους χαρακτήρες, και επίσης έμεινα απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος από το στιλ γραφής. Άλλωστε, τέτοιου είδους βιβλία, που αναδεικνύουν τον κάθε είδους υπόκοσμο και έχουν έντονα στοιχεία εγκλήματος και νουάρ ατμόσφαιρα, είναι από αυτά που με ξετρελαίνουν. Οπότε, αν η πλοκή τους είναι δυνατή και η γραφή εξαιρετική -στοιχεία που έχει το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο-, γιατί να τσιγκουνευτώ τα πέντε αστεράκια; Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα δω και την ταινία η οποία βασίζεται στο βιβλίο αυτό, καθώς και άλλες ταινίες που το σενάριό τους υπογράφει ο Μπεζερίδης...
Ο Μπεζερίδης, που γεννήθηκε στην Μ. Ασία από Έλληνα πατέρα και Αρμένισσα μητέρα και μεγάλωσε στο Φρέσνο της Καλιφόρνια, πριν γίνει συγγραφέας και ιδιαίτερα γνωστός σεναριογράφος στο Χόλιγουντ, δούλεψε μαζί με τον πατέρα του στα φορτηγά και είχε μεγάλη εμπειρία από τις κατεργαριές, τις απάτες, τις κλεψιές και τις δυσκολίες που συναντάει κανείς στον υπόκοσμο των λαχαναγορών του Σαν Φρανσίσκο ή τους Λος Άντζελες, όπου δρουν επιτήδειοι έμποροι, μεσάζοντες, φορτηγατζήδες και προμηθευτές. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, μας δείχνει με τον πλέον ωμό και ρεαλιστικό τρόπο τον ανέντιμο αυτό κόσμο.
Πρωταγωνιστής είναι ο νεαρός Ελληνοαμερικάνος Νικ Γκάρκος (πιθανότατα alter ego του συγγραφέα), ο οποίος χρησιμοποιώντας τα λεφτά της ασφάλειας του πατέρα του που πέθανε πρόσφατα, προσπαθεί να γίνει ανεξάρτητος φορτηγατζής, ώστε να κάνει το όνειρό του πραγματικότητα και να γίνει αυτό που δεν κατάφερε να γίνει ο πατέρας του: Ένας επιχειρηματίας με πολλά λεφτά. Όμως, όντας άβγαλτος και αρκετά αθώος, θα έχει να αντιμετωπίσει τον βίαιο και ανέντιμο υπόκοσμο των λαχαναγορών και των μεταφορικών εταιρειών, όπου η απάτη είναι στην ημερήσια διάταξη.
Το βιβλίο δεν είναι αστυνομικό, αλλά ένα δραματικό νουάρ με στοιχεία εγκλήματος. Και είναι, πραγματικά, ένα από τα πιο ωμά, έντονα και καλογραμμένα νουάρ που έχω διαβάσει μέχρι σήμερα. Η όλη πλοκή είναι αρκετά δυνατή και συναρπαστική, με δράση και αγωνία για την συνέχεια, οι χαρακτήρες μαύροι, όλοι με ελαττώματα και μελανά σημεία, ενώ η ατμόσφαιρα φοβερή, κάπως στενάχωρη και βρώμικη. Όσον αφορά την γραφή, είναι εξαιρετική και ιδιαίτερα ευκολοδιάβαστη, με δυναμικές περιγραφές του κόσμου των φορτηγών και των λαχαναγορών, καθώς και των διαφόρων γεγονότων, με τους διαλόγους να είναι ρεαλιστικοί και "σκληροί".
Ίσως τα πέντε αστεράκια που θα του βάλω να φαίνονται υπερβολικά, αλλά δέθηκα πολύ με την όλη ιστορία και τους χαρακτήρες, και επίσης έμεινα απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος από το στιλ γραφής. Άλλωστε, τέτοιου είδους βιβλία, που αναδεικνύουν τον κάθε είδους υπόκοσμο και έχουν έντονα στοιχεία εγκλήματος και νουάρ ατμόσφαιρα, είναι από αυτά που με ξετρελαίνουν. Οπότε, αν η πλοκή τους είναι δυνατή και η γραφή εξαιρετική -στοιχεία που έχει το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο-, γιατί να τσιγκουνευτώ τα πέντε αστεράκια; Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα δω και την ταινία η οποία βασίζεται στο βιβλίο αυτό, καθώς και άλλες ταινίες που το σενάριό τους υπογράφει ο Μπεζερίδης...
April 26, 2011
A great, often grueling, but never exploitative novel about the brutal lives of working class men bringing produce to sell to unscrupulous operators at the old fruit and vegetable mart in San Francisco. After reading many many crime novels written in much leaner prose, the lyrical qualities of Bezzerides' prose are striking. Bezzerides notes in his poignant afterword that an early editor noted he had a "long breath" and should write novels; it's too bad that writing for movies and TV to support his family kept him from writing more than three.
The introduction is very useful and left me dying to see two documentaries about Bezzerides which aren't easily viewable: The Long Haul of A.I. Bezzerides and Buzz (add your own italics, I can't find it). Criterion Collection DVD issue of Thieves' Highway, the movie adaptation of this book, has a preview of The Long Haul of A.I. Bezzerides, I wish they would release the whole thing.
The introduction is very useful and left me dying to see two documentaries about Bezzerides which aren't easily viewable: The Long Haul of A.I. Bezzerides and Buzz (add your own italics, I can't find it). Criterion Collection DVD issue of Thieves' Highway, the movie adaptation of this book, has a preview of The Long Haul of A.I. Bezzerides, I wish they would release the whole thing.
November 9, 2015
Holds up nicely, albeit dated by how California has changed over the decades. But the atmosphere of trucking and the produce market is tremendous, with the sensation that disaster is always just a step away. The low-life aspects are still quite potent.
If Frank Norris had been alive (Thieves' Market was published 47 years after his premature death), he'd have applauded.
If Frank Norris had been alive (Thieves' Market was published 47 years after his premature death), he'd have applauded.
July 2, 2023
A hard-boiled classic grim tale of truckers in late 40s California that I cannot recommend highly enough. It was filmed as Thieves' Highway with a screenplay written by the author. I saw it years ago and look forward to a re-watch after reading the source material and again enjoying Richard Conte's intensity.
I discovered a word that is new to me from this novel:
A swamper in occupational slang is an assistant worker, helper, maintenance person, or someone who performs odd jobs. The term has its origins circa 1857 in the southern United States to refer to a workman who cleared roads for a timber faller in a swamp, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It has since branched out into a variety of meanings, all of which denote some variation on an unskilled laborer working as an assistant to a skilled worker.
I discovered a word that is new to me from this novel:
A swamper in occupational slang is an assistant worker, helper, maintenance person, or someone who performs odd jobs. The term has its origins circa 1857 in the southern United States to refer to a workman who cleared roads for a timber faller in a swamp, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It has since branched out into a variety of meanings, all of which denote some variation on an unskilled laborer working as an assistant to a skilled worker.
December 24, 2019
I liked this book more on the second read. First time through I thought it overly dense descriptively. I was expecting a fast paced noir with the intensity of the movie, and this is not that kind of book. After the second read I'm impressed with the crushing psychological darkness. Not a fun read, mind you, but I can admire they way Bezzerides tunneled into what really drove his characters. Unflinching.
June 1, 2010
This book is right in my wheelhouse. A book about vegetable packers and truckers in postwar Central Valley, California and San Francisco. A story of violence, desperation and deception by the screenwriter of some classic Hollywood noir movies.
The story is thin, but it's in its simplicity that the characters and world of the story are able to shine. The details and the rackets, all about a guy who just wants to sell some apples for a fair price.
A forgotten classic that deserves to be rediscovered.
The story is thin, but it's in its simplicity that the characters and world of the story are able to shine. The details and the rackets, all about a guy who just wants to sell some apples for a fair price.
A forgotten classic that deserves to be rediscovered.
July 25, 2013
Just watch the movie. The writing is really atrocious.
October 4, 2019
This was a decent book - just decent. I ordered this book on ebay after hearing Eddie Muller, host of "Noir Alley" on TCM, rave about it in his opening remarks to the movie "Thieves' Highway" based on Bezzerides' book. (I still haven't seen the movie.) I had trouble finding the book, and paid up for a used paperback edition ($35). The book starts out well enough, setting up some interesting characters, but it doesn't really deliver in the end. Told from multiple points of view, often switching seemingly paragraph to paragraph, it did not seem particularly well written. In some circles Bezzerides is hailed as a Steinbeck type writer. While his subject matter here is worthy of Steinbeck, Bezzerides does not deserve to be mentioned in the same conversation with the man who produced Grapes of Wrath. At least the book wasn't very long.
July 28, 2024
Just finished reading "Thieves' Market" by A.I. Bezzerides, and man, what a ride. This book takes you deep into the rough-and-tumble world of produce trucking, following young Nick as he navigates a life full of swindlers, cheats, and man ruiners. Nick's mom is the ultimate man ruiner, whose bitterness drags his dad down and leaves Nick tough and cold. The story really nails how brutal life can be for the little guy just trying to get ahead.
And if you're into classic films, the novel was turned into a movie called "Thieves' Highway" back in 1949. It’s a solid film noir that captures the book's gritty essence. The slang and tech might be different, but the themes of struggle and corruption are still spot on today. If you're a fan of hard-hitting, realistic stories about the underdog, this one's for you.
And if you're into classic films, the novel was turned into a movie called "Thieves' Highway" back in 1949. It’s a solid film noir that captures the book's gritty essence. The slang and tech might be different, but the themes of struggle and corruption are still spot on today. If you're a fan of hard-hitting, realistic stories about the underdog, this one's for you.
October 3, 2023
So, so dour. I understand why the hyper pessimistic view of the world and selfish core of the average human really jazzes people who find a book that confirms their view of reality. 40 pages in and I saw the project of the book and by expecting the worst out of each character I found myself bored as each character fulfilled my expectations.
Want to read
February 21, 2025Thieves Highway (1949)
October 2, 2015
Bezzerides is best known for screenplays of film noir and westerns such as "Kiss Me Deadly", The Angry Hills" and "Holiday For Sinners".He wrote a lot of episodes of TV westerns such as "The Big Valley". This book was adapted into "Thieves' Highway" with Richard Conte. The edition I read includes a new afterword by the author. Definitely a tough guy in common with Peckinpah. No spoilers from me but if you like the film "Thieves Highway" you'll find the book harrowing and desperate. The preface provides detail of the authors life. You gotta love early reviews like "Probably the best book about the underworld of food distribution"...
Read
December 27, 2018This is an excellent book about the small produce truckers who brought food to market in post-WWII California. In very straightforward plain prose, the book tells the story of Nick, the son of Greek immigrants. When his father dies after a long life of just squeaking by, Nick is determined he won't fall into the same cycle, and enters the cutthroat world of independent trucking. The bulk of the book concerns the trials he and his mentor Ed encounter in finding and selling their first load. The writing clearly comes from intimate personal knowledge of the life and the swindles that were a constant part of it. It's a brilliant and fascinating piece of noir literature.
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