false 1182523 12 Like his previous novels <I>Freedomland</I> and <I>Clockers</I>, Richard Price's <I>Samaritan</I> is a crime drama set in the explosive slums of fictional Dempsy, New Jersey. Ray Mitchell, a former TV writer, has returned to his hometown to reunite with his estranged teenage daughter, Ruby. Eager to contribute to his beleaguered community, Ray begins volunteering as a writing teacher at a local high school. When a brutal assault leaves him hospitalized, Nerese Ammons, a nearly retired detective and lost childhood friend of Ray's, investigates. She discovers, however, that while Ray can identify his attacker, he is unwilling to disclose their identity. Anxious to end her career with fireworks, Nerese continues digging, only to find that Ray made several generous donations to poor acquaintances and recently began a romantic relationship with the wife of an established criminal. While the case looks closed, Nerese continues to find evidence of Ray's troubled past and shortsighted altruism, increasing the number of possible assailants and suggesting Ray's complicity in the crime. <p> Price's narrative, which alternates between Ray's story and Nerese's ongoing investigation, gains momentum as the mystery nears resolution. <I>Samaritan</I> falters, though, in its awkward attempts at timeliness and, more acutely, its underdevelopment. The selfish, people-pleasing Ray is a multifaceted character, but he fails to inspire sympathy, while the savvy Nerese never escapes two-dimensional limbo. Price brings the streets of Dempsy to life, however, with informed, realistic descriptions and inner-city survivors like junkie-turned-independent-social-worker White Tom Potenza, who still "couldn't pass a pay phone without flicking the coin return, still stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of salvageable debris." While the plot will keep readers engaged, it's the world into which they're drawn that makes <I>Samaritan</I> a worthwhile visit. <I>--Ross Doll</I> 1170445 2003 Samaritan total:363|5:56|4:162|3:117|2:27|1:1| 363 1334 516 61 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 3 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Fri Oct 31 05:41:57 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 31 05:41:57 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 5 3 false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 18 19:04:41 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 20:53:23 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1158581 0375411151 9780375411151 30 10 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181492356m/1158581.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158581.Samaritan 4 1 false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 06:12:23 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 11:55:24 -0800 2008 more...]]> 1158581 0375411151 9780375411151 30 10 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181492356m/1158581.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158581.Samaritan 4 2 false Wed Apr 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 10:57:35 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 23 05:05:08 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1158581 0375411151 9780375411151 30 10 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181492356m/1158581.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158581.Samaritan 4 1 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 17 05:45:27 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 19 13:02:26 -0700 2007
Set in the public schools and projects of...more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Thu Sep 06 21:29:03 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 06 21:39:25 -0700 2007 Richerd Price novel I read. I did so because Price introduced the re-issued Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr., and being a huge fan of Selby, I had to read someone who became a writer because of Selby, as I had a very similar experience. Anyway, I was not disappoint...more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Mon Jun 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 12:02:05 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 12:08:57 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jan 21 17:09:01 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 17:11:05 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Sun May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon May 19 13:41:29 -0700 2008 Wed May 28 19:42:18 -0700 2008
However, the book lost a little steam towards the end.

It isn't...more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 3 0 false Mon Nov 30 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 06 08:25:22 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 06 08:31:20 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 09 11:49:49 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 09 11:52:49 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 3 1 false Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 24 12:36:09 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 20 11:36:21 -0800 2009 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 5 1 false Sat Oct 06 09:34:16 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 14 09:33:51 -0700 2007 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 5 1 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sat Mar 08 06:29:45 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 08 06:31:34 -0800 2008 1158581 0375411151 9780375411151 30 10 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181492356m/1158581.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158581.Samaritan 3 0 false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 05 15:52:12 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 12 17:59:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 1 false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 11:05:36 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 11:05:36 -0800 2007 1158581 0375411151 9780375411151 30 10 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181492356m/1158581.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1158581.Samaritan 3 1 false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 13 20:57:03 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 13 21:02:14 -0700 2008 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 5 1 false Fri Jan 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 18:11:53 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 18:13:29 -0800 2009 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 0 false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Nov 11 09:37:32 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 09:46:07 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1182523 037572513X 9780375725135 319 47 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181703366m/1182523.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1182523.Samaritan 4 0 false Fri Oct 30 16:02:47 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 16:06:17 -0700 2009
I lived in Demsey, New Jersey for a couple of weeks, listening to the stories Ray told Ruby, identifying with Nerese, loving Ruby and Nelson, wondering whether there are any teachers like Ray, needy or not. Great,full bodied book.




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