Wonkers' - and anyone else who wants to join - Book Club - The Neon Rain (James Lee Burke)

[BecauseImWorthIt]

OK - just setting up the thread.

Anyone is welcome to join!

The first book is The Neon Rain, the first Dave Robicheaux book by James Lee Burke.

The plan is to start the discussion from 5 July, so you've got three weeks to find/buy/borrow and read the book!

Marking my place.

Will be back later to post properly.

eek... 3 weeks is not very long!

Well, we'll start the discussion on 5 July but I'm sure it will carry on, so you can catch up with us.

Or should we delay it by a week? I just think a month before we start talking about the book could be too long!

Marking my place too.

Must go and amazon it.

I'm about half way through the book now. Interestingly, I have absolutely no recollection of ever reading this book

I obviously discovered James Lee Burke some time after his debut.

But I'm enjoying it.

It's fierce, brutal stuff although interspersed with the most lovely, lyrical descriptions of Louisiana/New Orleans.

Definitely not a Miss Marple type of detective fiction!

Fast work, BIWI!

Have bought now. Plenty on amazon for a penny plus postage.

I have just bought on ebay

just got to fit in reading it... not sure about the brutal though... I never read crime, except Fred Vargas- her stuff is quite good, oddly I like the way it is translated.

OK - I should warn you that it is very violent.

I'm not normally one for gratuitous violence in books, films, etc - but James Lee Burke writes exceptionally well.

His hero, Robicheaux, and his struggles with alcholism are so very well portrayed. And his descriptions of Louisiana and New Orleans are just stunning. I've never been to that part of the US, but I have such a clear picture of it, courtesy of him.

Interesting- I was discussing armchair travel with a colleague the other day, and we were saying how sometimes it's actually nicer to read about places than actually go there... and how a good writer makes us feel we've been somewhere that we actually haven't. I was saying how when I read about places in my local area in books it gives me a little secret thrill inside [girly] I just love it, makes me feel like I'm in on something...

The violence might be a good stimulus for discussion, esp given that a woman is the victim of a male murderer?

I have to say that I sometimes enjoy schlocky(sp?) violence. I like some parts of the Hannibal films & books partly for that reason. Hannibal's violence is extreme enough to take you to the very edge of yourself but because it is jocularly moral you can continue to feel safe (to feel that you, like Clarice, would be one of his untargetted). And refreshingly it is not about a man killing women.

Intensely corny though it is I love the playing out of one of his murders to the background of the so-orderly Goldberg Variations

(1st bit of Goldberg Variations always makes me think of murder and cannibalism now, which is a bit Clockwork Orange.)

Will be checking the library tomorrow or Wednesday for it (it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow so might not get the chance and we had a BH Monday today for the Queen's birthday, dontcha know)

I have an interesting attitidue to violence in novels, depends what it is, really. I can't read about sexual violence - hence can't stand Karin Slaughter etc. - but someone like Christopher Brookmyre is absolutely fine (and very funny in a very dark way)

I want to play, but I'll wait for the next book - can't hack alcoholism. Would just want to kill him.

Here here. Would love to join but I've just started Any Human Heart by William Boyd which I'm throughly enjoying. Unfortunately I don't have the time for another book with my two monkeys keeping me busy. Will join for the next book.

Ordered book from Amazon. 1p. Bargain.

I've just finished it.

Think I'll have to read it again to make sure I really get the story!

Hurrah! the library had it, and it was actually available so it is now in my possession! Will get reading it asap.

Jolly good!

Have finished it now - shall just mark my place in anticipation of the discussion

Just marking place... am halfway through now.

Ahoy, chaps! Just a reminder that as from tomorrow this discussion is open.

Well, I'll kick us off:

I discovered JLB several years ago, but not through The Neon Rain. I forget now which book it was, but the character of Dave Robicheaux was well established.

I loved it so much that I then went and and bought all his Dave Robicheaux books (and then all his non-DR ones!).

What I love especially is the way that he writes about New Orleans and the Southern States. I've never been to that part of the US but I feel as if I have now!

I actually don't think that TNR is as good as some of the others, but it establishes the characters which he then goes on to develop so well in the later books.

The flawed detective has become a bit of a cliche in crime fiction writing now, but I think JLB manages to make his 'hero' very realistic - and you really get a sense of who he is, warts and all.

Oh, I have not read it yet. Will play catch up. Have just downloaded it on my new Kindle so it will give me a chance to play with my new toy.