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72nd out of 80 books
—
1 voter
The Comedy is Finished (Hard Case Crime)
BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS.
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go.
Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members...more
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go.
Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
February 21st 2012
by Hard Case Crime
(first published February 2012)
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In the late 1970s, Koo Davis is an aging and iconic comedian best known for his constant USO tours to entertain American troops overseas. Koo is kidnapped by a group of militants left over from the ‘60s who threaten to kill him unless the US government releases ten ‘political prisoners’.
Leave it to a bunch of goddamn hippies to think that kidnapping Bob Hope is a good plan.
A FBI agent who has been exiled from DC for a minor role in Watergate sees getting Koo back as the key to reviving his car...more
Leave it to a bunch of goddamn hippies to think that kidnapping Bob Hope is a good plan.
A FBI agent who has been exiled from DC for a minor role in Watergate sees getting Koo back as the key to reviving his car...more
Aging comedian Koo Davis is kidnapped and held for ransom by the People's Revolution Army. But will the PRA let Koo live even if their demands are met?
Donald E. Westlake wrote The Comedy is Finished sometime during the 1970's but decided not to publish it for a couple reasons. I'll be completely honest. For the first half of the book, I wasn't completely sold on The Comedy is Finished and was planning on giving it a 2. Then Westlake worked his magic.
My reasons for not loving The Comedy is Finish...more
Donald E. Westlake wrote The Comedy is Finished sometime during the 1970's but decided not to publish it for a couple reasons. I'll be completely honest. For the first half of the book, I wasn't completely sold on The Comedy is Finished and was planning on giving it a 2. Then Westlake worked his magic.
My reasons for not loving The Comedy is Finish...more
26 likes · like · see review
This book, released from a draft that the author had chosen not to publish, is not one of Westlake's best, but still worth reading. A period piece set in 1977, it is about the political and social leftovers of the previous decade, ranging from aging revolutionaries to discredited FBI agents to an aging comedian who found himself on the wrong side of the new mood of the country.
Koo Davis, partly a Bob Hope-type, but with interesting differences, has donated his time to the USO and similar agencie...more
Koo Davis, partly a Bob Hope-type, but with interesting differences, has donated his time to the USO and similar agencie...more
First, full disclosure: Donald E. Westlake was one of my closest friends for over fifty years. Shortly after his death, I had the good fortune to play a role in Hard Case Crime's publication of Memory, a dark existential novel he wrote in the early 60s and shelved when his agent couldn't sell it. I read Memory in manuscript, days after he finished it, and I thought it was brilliant. My opinion hasn't changed.
Twenty years later, Don wrote The Comedy is Finished; he shelved this one when a Scorses...more
Twenty years later, Don wrote The Comedy is Finished; he shelved this one when a Scorses...more
14 likes · like · see review
Finished it today and giving it to a friend tonite
I'll write up my interview with the editor who put the book together and get it published in the next few days
Received this today - interviewed the editor who worked on the book for the publisher and will put together a full article with review by me and book excerpt when i finish this book
This is the never-before-published lost Westlake novel and the first new Westlake since 2010's Memory, and most likely the last new Westlake we'll ever have th...more
I'll write up my interview with the editor who put the book together and get it published in the next few days
Received this today - interviewed the editor who worked on the book for the publisher and will put together a full article with review by me and book excerpt when i finish this book
This is the never-before-published lost Westlake novel and the first new Westlake since 2010's Memory, and most likely the last new Westlake we'll ever have th...more
My son and I are avid Donald Westlake fans, and I was excited to find a book of his I hadn't read yet. He wrote this book in the 1970's, sent it to a crime writer friend to read, and then decided not to publish it because the movie THE KING OF COMEDY was released with a similar plot. The friend stored the manuscript away for 30 years, remembered he had it, and it was published four years after Westlake's death.
It's a great quirky plot. A group of five people calling themselves the People's Revol...more
It's a great quirky plot. A group of five people calling themselves the People's Revol...more
Mar 17, 2012
Richard
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Mystery lovers or those who want to know about radical politics in the 1970s.
Recommended to Richard by:
I think I have read all Mr. Westlake's novels.
As I read other comments everyone relates the character of Koo to Bob Hope. I think of him more like Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers or Henny Youngman. Hope was a little more sophisticated, I think, than some of these others. All, of course, came out of burlesque, so they all had a coarse background and a foundation in blue humor.
I'm sorry to see Mr. Westlake will no longer be providing us so much entertainment. He was one of a kind. This last work is also one of a kind. Starting as a car...more
I'm sorry to see Mr. Westlake will no longer be providing us so much entertainment. He was one of a kind. This last work is also one of a kind. Starting as a car...more
Truly an odd gem. It was finished in 1979, but then not published because Westlake or his publishers thought its plot coincidentally was too close to Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" that came out around then. Once again, there is a kidnapped shmaltzy comedian, this one obviously based on Jerry Lewis and perhaps a few of his cohorts, but in this book he is kidnapped by a fragmented washed up far left extremist group who are losing focus with the end of the '70s. Westlake deals with the politics i...more
Apparently finished by well-known crime novelist Westlake in the early 1980s, and set in 1977 this concerns an aging comdian, Koo Davis, who is kidnapped by the remaining members of a radical group left over from the 1960s protest era (think Symbionese Liberation Army). I found this solid but unspectacular. There were really no problems with it. It wasn't boring, but on the other hand, it didn't grab me the way a good crime novel sometimes can. Despite a pretty surprising twist that is revealed...more
Yesterday I posted a review of the new Russell Banks novel and one of the things that I neglected to mention, mostly because of sheer embarrassment, is that I had never before read anything written by him. The same holds true for Donald E. Westlake. How a man who was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award three times and was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America somehow managed to fly under my radar for so long is baffling.
Because of the numerous accolades Westlake received I approac...more
Because of the numerous accolades Westlake received I approac...more
Although I am a big fan of many of Mr. Westlake's books, this one left me feeling a little let down. I would not recommend this for anyone under the age of 60 or so; many of the references would be lost on younger readers (or send them so frequently to the internet to look things up it would spoil the flow).
What is basically a simple story of an odd mix of aging radicals who kidnap an aging cultural icon. For some reason, I just found the whole book sad. A commentary on lost and skewed ideals,...more
What is basically a simple story of an odd mix of aging radicals who kidnap an aging cultural icon. For some reason, I just found the whole book sad. A commentary on lost and skewed ideals,...more
I'm a big Donald Westlake/Richard Stark fan. This posthumously published novel is set in the post-Watergate 1970s. A political cult of young folks kidnaps a famous comedian and demands the release of political radicals from the U.S. prisons. However, the political radicals are a hodge-podge bunch chosen at random. Odd. The comedian tosses off glib one-liner, but he soon reveals a painful, serious side. I don't know if the narrative would appeal to those readers who didn't live through Watergate...more
4 likes · like · see review
Very interesting Noir from Mr Westlake, as usual. This is the first publication of this lost manuscript, as Westlake felt that the base subject matter was too close to Scorsese's film "King of Comedy". As to be expected, while it does share a basic plot, the two are quite different as Westlake explores the psychology of a group of revolutionaries who kidnap a comic (probably based somewhat on Bob Hope) to get the government to release a number of political prisoner. What follows is a very intere...more
I’m usually open to reading anything by an author who I have sampled and enjoyed. (Heck, I’ll even read an author that I’m not thrilled by if it’s the only thing made of ink & paper around!)
This is a book that sat buried in a basement for decades. The fact that a friend had a carbon copy from the author is the only reason it saw a printing press. It is a very dated book, but that’s okay since it was contemporaneous when written. While the impact of some of the rationales may have been dilute...more
This is a book that sat buried in a basement for decades. The fact that a friend had a carbon copy from the author is the only reason it saw a printing press. It is a very dated book, but that’s okay since it was contemporaneous when written. While the impact of some of the rationales may have been dilute...more
Apparently the author wrote this book in the late 1970s but decided not to get it published. Another author had a copy of it which he made available when he saw that another book had been published in 2010 as "Donald Westlake's final unpublished novel." So I read this with some trepidation on the basis that the author had not thought it suitable for publication. However this is a decent story with some good characters and is worth a read even if it is by no means one of Donald Westlake's better...more
I'm a big fan of Donald Westlake--particularly his "Richard Stark" work--so I was very excited to see that there was another Westlake book available.
In the end, The Comedy is Finished is a perfectly fine kidnapping book, but it doesn't really stand up well against Westlake's other work. It feels... unpolished. It's not as tense as many of his other works, nor does it have the breakneck pace that many of the Stark books have. The switching point of view and unusual antagonists felt very Westlake...more
In the end, The Comedy is Finished is a perfectly fine kidnapping book, but it doesn't really stand up well against Westlake's other work. It feels... unpolished. It's not as tense as many of his other works, nor does it have the breakneck pace that many of the Stark books have. The switching point of view and unusual antagonists felt very Westlake...more
Written and set in the mid 70s, this is the story of an SLA-type group who kidnaps Koo Davis, a well-known comedian based loosely on Bob Hope. The manuscript was found & published after Westlake's death. It has lots of his touches -- good characterization, good plot. It was enjoyable to read, but nothing really special; I like funny Westlake much better.
Amazing.
This, in my opinion, is Westlake at the height of his powers. Thrilling, funny and complex. It's a fitting final novel from the master. I look at this as simply a love letter from Westlake to his fans.
Many thanks to Max Alan Collins, Charles Ardai and Abby Westlake for bringing this book to the public.
This, in my opinion, is Westlake at the height of his powers. Thrilling, funny and complex. It's a fitting final novel from the master. I look at this as simply a love letter from Westlake to his fans.
Many thanks to Max Alan Collins, Charles Ardai and Abby Westlake for bringing this book to the public.
My first Westlake! And also his last. This is an absorbing read with an okay ending. I read this yesterday & had a funny feeling in my stomach today; upon examining this feeling, it turns out I am still creeped out by Liz & the guy who chews the inside of his face. So that's got to be a good thing.
"Donald Westlake, one of the best genre writers ever, may have passed away in 2008, but his master's voice still calls through the shade. After his realist novel Memory was pulled from oblivion’s ashes by Hard Case Crime in 2010, it was thought that was it—no more treasures stashed in rusty drawers or musty attics; but, happily, we were wrong: Hard Case has unearthed one more: The Comedy is Finished."
You can read the rest of my review at my web page
You can read the rest of my review at my web page
This represents probably the last of Westlake's "lost" novels and is a real coupe for Hard Case Crime. This is a surprisingly poignant meditation on regret and father-and- son relationships in the guise of a kidnap thriller. My full review is up at crimefictionlover.com. visit http://www.crimefictionlover.com/2012... for the full skinny.
Written and then set aside by the author in 1977 this novel is just lately available to the public. It doesn't feature any of Westlake's running characters, it's a one off story of the kidnapping of comedian Koo Davis by an SLA-like gang of revolutionaries who hope to trade him for the release of ten "political prisoners" and to revitalize their movement. Of course, plans have a way of unraveling and Westlake is good at illustrating the dynamics among the members of the group as well as those of...more
Mar 25, 2012
Ray Effertz
added it
Wonderful....Westlake wrote this in the 1970s....a friend had the manuscript in his basement for 30 years. Just got published. Thought to be the last novel by the great, late, Westlake. An absolute gem...it has it all. By a REAL writer.
Jul 05, 2012
Jayw
added it
Latest and last (?) post humus Westlake novel to be published. Bob Hope like comedian is kidnapped by the world's last remaining 60's radicals in the mid 70's.
2.5
Definitely an interesting take on '60's antiwar politics as a band of aging radicals uses a kidnapping to (try to) advance their goals during the mid-70s aftermath of Vietnam/Watergate.
The most fully-realized character is the kidnap victim, a Bob Hope-style comedian who has fond memories of the women he played with during all those USO tours. Other characters, including the radicals and FBI agent, are not fully fleshed out.
Publishing this 35 years after it was written (and after the death of...more
Definitely an interesting take on '60's antiwar politics as a band of aging radicals uses a kidnapping to (try to) advance their goals during the mid-70s aftermath of Vietnam/Watergate.
The most fully-realized character is the kidnap victim, a Bob Hope-style comedian who has fond memories of the women he played with during all those USO tours. Other characters, including the radicals and FBI agent, are not fully fleshed out.
Publishing this 35 years after it was written (and after the death of...more
This was found after Westlake's death -- which meant it didn't have the final rewrite. Even so, mid-level Westlake is so much better than most other's best.
His last book, published posthumously, is very aptly titled. While this was an interesting book, it could never be called a comedy.
Never read westlake before, but this book is a page turner, it's funny, and it's a time capsule. Highly recommend.
This is an early Donald Westlake and I don't think it's very good, at least compared to his wonderful later efforts.
Radicals kidnap a popular comedian so as to get prisoners released from, uh, prison. Things go wrong.
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aka John B Allen, Curt Clark, Tucker Coe, Timothy J Culver, J Morgan Cunningham, Samuel Holt, Sheldon Lord (with Lawrence Block), Alan Marshall, Allan Marshall, Richard Stark, Edwin West, Judson Jack Carmichael.
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers with an occasional for...more
More about Donald E. Westlake...
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers with an occasional for...more
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Aug 27, 2012 11:29am
If hating on hippies is wrong, then I don't want to be right....
Aug 27, 2012 12:08pm
Aug 27, 2012 12:16pm