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Mine All Mine
by
Adam Davies
A dazzlingand funnyromantic comedyfrom Adam Davies,the author of The Frog King and Goodbye Lemon.
Otto Starks is a "pulse"—a highly specialized security guard who has hyperdeveloped senses and a nervous habit of popping tabs of cyanide. Otto was once a rising star but then he was rolled three times by the notorious Rat Burglar. Now, demoted and dangerously in debt to a loa...more
Otto Starks is a "pulse"—a highly specialized security guard who has hyperdeveloped senses and a nervous habit of popping tabs of cyanide. Otto was once a rising star but then he was rolled three times by the notorious Rat Burglar. Now, demoted and dangerously in debt to a loa...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 5th 2008
by Riverhead Trade
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After having finished 3 of Adam Davies novels, one thing has remained consistent-- his prose is crisp and his characters while not always likable, are flawed enough to feel human and real-- like people who could exist.
Mine All Mine, while predictable at times, remains an enjoyable read. Otto Sparks despite his self-developed immunities to a wide array of pharmacological poisons, is still flawed enough to be believably human.
This is Davies first attempt at a suspense/crime caper style novel and w...more
Mine All Mine, while predictable at times, remains an enjoyable read. Otto Sparks despite his self-developed immunities to a wide array of pharmacological poisons, is still flawed enough to be believably human.
This is Davies first attempt at a suspense/crime caper style novel and w...more
Oct 08, 2008
Johnny Story
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Perrotta, Hornby, and Moore fans, people who like heists
Adam Davies is a humorous author, presenting funny protagonists like Otta Starks, a pulse, guardian of fine art. He's the forgettable henchman Tom Cruise incapacitates in those Mission Impossible movies. So what is the Stark's problem? Well, he has two. Once a rising star the Rat Burglar has rolled him four consecutive times, making him the key suspect. Also, he can't seem to propose to his girlfriend, Charlie, who believes he's a baseball scout for the Mets.
Though Davies tries too hard to flex...more
Though Davies tries too hard to flex...more
MY TAKE:
I thought this book was a lot of fun – quirky, funny characters, twisty, well written, engrossing. It is hard to put down – one of my favorite parts was when Otto was practicing his proposal on the mask and was attacked by the elephant laxative. I thought it charming when the Rat Burglar slipped on the ring and admired it before escaping with the prize. It’s a good commentary on open communication with your partner – having true love despite their alter-egos.
I agree with the Publisher’s...more
I thought this book was a lot of fun – quirky, funny characters, twisty, well written, engrossing. It is hard to put down – one of my favorite parts was when Otto was practicing his proposal on the mask and was attacked by the elephant laxative. I thought it charming when the Rat Burglar slipped on the ring and admired it before escaping with the prize. It’s a good commentary on open communication with your partner – having true love despite their alter-egos.
I agree with the Publisher’s...more
Adam Davies is one of my favorite writers. I'd put The Frog King up there with Catcher and Gatsby, and I loved the story in Mine All Mine, but loathed the footnotes. If I didn't love Frog King and Goodbye Lemon so much I'd have stopped reading this after the first few pages when I realized the footnotes are throughout.
It isn't that I hate all footnotes just most of the ones in this book.(1) And there were too many. It was like listening to a CD and having it skip through every song, but you lov...more
It isn't that I hate all footnotes just most of the ones in this book.(1) And there were too many. It was like listening to a CD and having it skip through every song, but you lov...more
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Really not his best attempt. Kind of an interesting concept: a high profile security guard versus an elite art thief that only seems to pick on him. Plot was a bit thin however. I guessed the identity of the "villain" within about 50 pages and was only really surprised by the unnecessary inclusion of contemporary political critique (ie. the Iraq war). It's funny how so many contemporary authors feel the need to overtly contemporize their books, dropping things like iPods and the present politica...more
Good, not great comedy / action / love story novel!
"Mine All Mine" starts out as a smart comedy, then turns into a full blown action novel throughout the second half of the book.
This book is not a mystery, look at the front cover, read about 10 pages into the book and you will already know who the "Rat Burglar" is. If your looking for a classic, hard to figure out "who done it", this definitely isn't it! But I get the feeling Adam Davies did that purposely, the point is to enjoy the story itse...more
"Mine All Mine" starts out as a smart comedy, then turns into a full blown action novel throughout the second half of the book.
This book is not a mystery, look at the front cover, read about 10 pages into the book and you will already know who the "Rat Burglar" is. If your looking for a classic, hard to figure out "who done it", this definitely isn't it! But I get the feeling Adam Davies did that purposely, the point is to enjoy the story itse...more
I picked this up on a whim at the library, because the cover looked interesting, and I really enjoyed it, well almost. The book follows Otto Starks, who is a pulse. A pulse is someone with extraordinarily sensitive senses, who sits with valuable goods. If the goods are threatened, the pulse hits the alarm. The detail that Davies gives to the life of a pulse is really impressive and enjoyable, definitely not overly technical. Anyway, back to Otto. Otto has recently been victimized by the Rat Bur...more
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1 like · like · see review
It has the plot and the pace of a Hollywood thriller, with the prose of an East Coast, smartassier, 21st Century Chandler. It's interesting to see this plot (which is similar to what you might find in a bestselling thriller) executed with masterful language. Davies might be one of those crossover writers whose authorship is matched by his sense of entertainment. He reminds me some of Jonathan Lethem (probably because I knew to think of this comparison beforehand), particularly Motherless Brookly...more
Oh Adam Davies. How I love you Adam Davies. You are easy and interesting and use fantastic words and go down my gullet like a part of me I didn't know I was missing. You are specially tuned to my sweet spot of tone, and I will read anything you write and it appears just really, really like it. Three for three and counting.
Mine All Mine is in ways a break from the previous two, in that it is a whodunnit thrillery type thing. And yet it is once again set in NY with a 20somethingish male protagonis...more
Mine All Mine is in ways a break from the previous two, in that it is a whodunnit thrillery type thing. And yet it is once again set in NY with a 20somethingish male protagonis...more
Mine All Mine is an excellent novel. It is a smart, GRE word toting, guy's Stephen Plum. Like the fru-fru bounty hunter from Jersey, Otto Starks, a security guard with extra sensory perception (not the psychic kind, just the more than average of the regular senses like smell and sight kind), is both especially equip for the criminal underworld and woefully un-prepared for it. He protects priceless pieces of art. And he was very good at it until the Rat Burglar began targeting items Otto was pro...more
What a lucky find! I only picked this book up at the library to try to hide the "How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire" I was picking up for my wife.
It took a few chapters for me to get into this book. It's written that quasi-flippant first-person voice that I don't enjoy, but I'm glad I stuck with it
Adam Davies seems like he's having a fun time with the English language while he's telling his story.
The main character's profession and talents were interesting and he was lovable all the way through...more
It took a few chapters for me to get into this book. It's written that quasi-flippant first-person voice that I don't enjoy, but I'm glad I stuck with it
Adam Davies seems like he's having a fun time with the English language while he's telling his story.
The main character's profession and talents were interesting and he was lovable all the way through...more
"Mine all Mine" is the third novel by Adam Davies, a fellow professor and sometimes drinking buddy of mine. The book is a pleasure, not for its characters (who are interesting, but not well developed) or its plot (which is carefully developed and enjoyable, but somewhat predictable), but for Davies' masterful command of the sentence. Each one is a nicely wrapped package that, when opened, reveals a surprisingly appropriate gift. Sometimes that gift is just a good laugh, but other times (and such...more
Hmm. My first Adam Davies book. It seemed like chick-lit for guys. I don't know what I expected. Not quite this. There were some funny parts. There were some clever parts. I was even a little stressed out by this book which at the time I knew was wasted emotion. I even thought to myself sometimes "Why am I reading this book?"
Why indeed? The story premise sounded interesting - a top-notch security guard (and I mean, really top-notch) is bested by the Rat Burgler. The Rat Burgler steals whatever o...more
Why indeed? The story premise sounded interesting - a top-notch security guard (and I mean, really top-notch) is bested by the Rat Burgler. The Rat Burgler steals whatever o...more
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Fun but very predictable story of a hapless security guard who involved in a art theft ring that may or may not involve his girlfriend and best friend. Although there are no surprises, it's fairly amusing to see everything play out. Particularly amusing is the lead character's heightened senses which make him supposedly so good at his job and his habit of ingesting various poisons and chemicals to develop tolerance.
Adam Davies' two previous books, The Frog King and Goodbye Lemon, are two of my all-time favorites. This was not as good. It was just completely different--instead of being a heartfelt coming of age type book, it was a thriller/caper type book. It was still good, but not as good as a thriller could be. I guessed the identity of the big criminal near the beginning, and I am not good at guessing.
I have never read a "mystery" type book before, and this one was young and hip enough for me to severely enjoy! (hip? now i like hip books?)
Parts of the mystery were a bit predictable, but a bunch of it was shocking as it unfolded - the story was strong, and even the plot points I figured out before the author unfolded them were done so well I didn't mind.
Also - just read this on Wiki, and got rather excited: "Adam Davies first appeared in print with the The Frog King in 2002, and followed wit...more
Parts of the mystery were a bit predictable, but a bunch of it was shocking as it unfolded - the story was strong, and even the plot points I figured out before the author unfolded them were done so well I didn't mind.
Also - just read this on Wiki, and got rather excited: "Adam Davies first appeared in print with the The Frog King in 2002, and followed wit...more
Otto Sparks' life is good- his job, his girl, and his best friend. The the Rat Burglar strikes and everything spirals out of control.
This book has many cringe-inducing moments. I had to put it down and walk away. But Adam Davies gift is the ability to always bring me back
This book has many cringe-inducing moments. I had to put it down and walk away. But Adam Davies gift is the ability to always bring me back
I'm not sure why this book wasn't good. I think it had something to do with all the unnecessarily big words the character used. It made him less sympathetic. The story itself was good and the idea was novel, but it just wasn't that likable.
Feb 23, 2009
Allie
added it
Meh. Saw the twist coming before I finished the first chapter--and I'm not normally very good at spotting twists. It wasn't terrible, but it felt like he was borrowing from a bunch of other, superior books.
Riveting. Fun to read. Characters were interesting. Left wanting more at the end. Will probably forget in a week. Better than his first book, worse than his second. But Davies is the new Coupland in my book.
Highly entertaining read, I'd been meaning to pick up something by Adam Davies for a couple of years, glad I finally did. Otto was a lovable character, surrounded by a fun cast. The mystery wasn't much of a mystery, but that wasn't really the point. This isn't going to be a novel for everyone, but I think those that like it will really like it.
I had a bit of trouble getting into this book, but I think it had less to do with the book and more to do with stuff that was happening in my own life. Once I got into it, it was a really quick read with the same delightful play with language that I've come to expect from Davies. I found the plot a bit predictable, but still enjoyable.
Nov 30, 2008
Steven
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people looking for a fun, mindless read
this book felt like one of those summer, popcorn, action-packed movies that we all know won't win any oscars but we still watch for the enjoyment factor. it's a relatively simple read with a few plot twists (albeit predictable) that'll keep the reader interested. 'mine all mine' is entertaining without too much substance.
This was a very entertaining book with a nice twist. There was alot of out loud laughs, just enough that it didnt make it silly. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed the characters in this book, but found my attention wandering at times. Still, enjoyable and fun. I'd read more by him.
I suppose it doesn't help that I figured out the identity of the rat burglar almost immediately.
Fabulous flights of language. Anti-hero in the sense that he's terrible at many things.
fun, caper-y and satisfying, even if i saw some plot points coming from a mile away.
It was a fun read, inventive and humorous.
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