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The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir
by
Ken Harmon
A satire of traditional Christmas stories and noir, The Fat Man makes the perfect gift for the literary-minded.
A hardboiled elf is framed for murder in a North Pole world that plays reindeer games for keeps, and where favorite holiday characters live complex lives beyond December.
Fired from his longtime job as captain of the Coal Patrol, two-foot-three inch 1,300-year-o...more
A hardboiled elf is framed for murder in a North Pole world that plays reindeer games for keeps, and where favorite holiday characters live complex lives beyond December.
Fired from his longtime job as captain of the Coal Patrol, two-foot-three inch 1,300-year-o...more
Hardcover, 277 pages
Published
October 28th 2010
by Dutton Adult
(first published January 1st 2010)
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It had been, oh, nearly 14 years since I had read the classic crime novels by Hammet and Thompson. Soon after diving into Ken Harmon’s The Fat Man, I remembered how much fun reading those novels had been. Many of the characteristics of those novels were all present here; the snappy similes and clever word-play, a protagonist with attitude, and of course a foxy dame.
Gumdrop Coal, the novel’s narrator, is a likeable (little) fellow despite the pleasure he finds in punishing naughty children with l...more
Gumdrop Coal, the novel’s narrator, is a likeable (little) fellow despite the pleasure he finds in punishing naughty children with l...more
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this story. I have to admit that I found the holiday cliches a bit tired after the first chapter, but once I got past that and just chalked it up to the writing style I was able to enjoy the story. I think this book is really meant to be heard and not read. Think Sam Spade or the Thin Man--hence the noir style of the story.
It is a pretty quick read, you could probably finish it in a weekend or so. You will see references to many of your favorite Chr...more
It is a pretty quick read, you could probably finish it in a weekend or so. You will see references to many of your favorite Chr...more
Started really strong as a blending of Noir and Christmas story elements, and had it continued would have been a great and unique read. Unfortunately, the story devolved in just borrowing phrases and characters of those types of stories instead of making them it's own. This partnered with the occasional and overbearing mentions of the "true meaning" of the season soured me on the book by the end. Not a great read, but if your looking for something for the Christmas season (possibly to read with...more
A "Ho-Ho-Ho" three times over for this book. If you are looking for a "Christmas Read" that is totally delightful and clever, you owe it to yourself to pick up this book. Although this book is catagorized as mystery/thriller, it could just as easily been classified as either humor or fiction/litrerature.
Gumdrop Coal, oneof Santa's elves, has just lost his job. He finds naughty boys and girls and puts coal in their Christmas stockings. I know this guy!!!!!
Gumdrop loses his job when a parent of on...more
Gumdrop Coal, oneof Santa's elves, has just lost his job. He finds naughty boys and girls and puts coal in their Christmas stockings. I know this guy!!!!!
Gumdrop loses his job when a parent of on...more
What a shame. Harmon took a great premise and absolutely ruined it with shitty, shitty execution.
Premise: Gumdrop Coal is a sorry excuse for a noir hero, in a poorly constructed holiday world. Someone is framing him, or muscling him out, or trying to destroy Santa, or trying to ruin Christmas, or something. It isn't exactly coherent.
I loved this idea. Christmas elf noir? That could be great! The dark side of the holiday, maybe the dirty secrets of the elven sweatshops or some artifact is stolen...more
Premise: Gumdrop Coal is a sorry excuse for a noir hero, in a poorly constructed holiday world. Someone is framing him, or muscling him out, or trying to destroy Santa, or trying to ruin Christmas, or something. It isn't exactly coherent.
I loved this idea. Christmas elf noir? That could be great! The dark side of the holiday, maybe the dirty secrets of the elven sweatshops or some artifact is stolen...more
2.5 stars
The first two-thirds of this book started out in a rip-roaring manner, easily earning it a four-, even five-star rating for its originality and storytelling. The back third, however, fell off steeply into one- and two-star territory as the story descended into schmaltz and religious proselytizing. I realize there will be some well-trodden referrals to Christianity in association with Christmas (and as much as that bugs me, have no fear, I'm not going to give a dissertation on the fact t...more
The first two-thirds of this book started out in a rip-roaring manner, easily earning it a four-, even five-star rating for its originality and storytelling. The back third, however, fell off steeply into one- and two-star territory as the story descended into schmaltz and religious proselytizing. I realize there will be some well-trodden referrals to Christianity in association with Christmas (and as much as that bugs me, have no fear, I'm not going to give a dissertation on the fact t...more
3 likes · like · see review
I borrowed this book from my sister because I thought it looked like a fun premise and it was the Christmas season; it gets 2 stars for trying and having an overall redeeming theme ~ treat everyone with kindness.
That being said it tried a little too hard. If it had just been a fun Christmas tale with a few nods to popular holiday characters or stories I might have given it 3, but the author seemed to be trying to hard to cram in a reference to every pop culture Christmas story and it was just to...more
That being said it tried a little too hard. If it had just been a fun Christmas tale with a few nods to popular holiday characters or stories I might have given it 3, but the author seemed to be trying to hard to cram in a reference to every pop culture Christmas story and it was just to...more
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Gumdrop Coal has gotten the axe. Founder of the Coal Patrol, those elves who deliver coal into bad little kids' stockings, Gumdrop is out on his ear when Santa decides that every child deserves a real gift on Christmas. Gumdrop takes it hard. His methods might be harsh, but he believes they're fair and they mostly get results.
He's promised Santa that he'll stay away from children, but he hasn't made any promises about parents. Let's face it--someone is responsible for little monsters turning ou...more
He's promised Santa that he'll stay away from children, but he hasn't made any promises about parents. Let's face it--someone is responsible for little monsters turning ou...more
Clever idea for a story chalk full of Christmas favorites. It was a fun read, if a tad on the Jesus-ey side. But even the god stuff wasn't terribly preachy. It was certainly THERE, but didn't necessarily detract from the story.
So this one is about Gumdrop Coal, a recently unemployed dime-novelesque elf whose ideas about punishment have been taken out of the picture. But what seems a little crummy turns downright dirty and Gumdrop Coal has to find out whodunnit before he winds up banished or dead...more
So this one is about Gumdrop Coal, a recently unemployed dime-novelesque elf whose ideas about punishment have been taken out of the picture. But what seems a little crummy turns downright dirty and Gumdrop Coal has to find out whodunnit before he winds up banished or dead...more
But this “Tale of North Pole Noir” is definitely not sugary sweet. Gumdrop Coal has been in charge of the naughty list for ages, delivering coal to all the bad kids, encouraging them to change their ways. And then he gets fired. But Gumdrop is sure there’s more to his being let go than just the idea that Santa needs to show love to all the kids, regardless. No, Gumdrop is sure there’s a conspiracy afoot and Santa’s going to end up dead, working too hard to please too many greedy little kids. Wit...more
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Fat Man. What I got was a funny take on every Christmas tale I grew up loving.
Ken Harmon establishes the humorous tone of The Fat Man immediately. For example, the murder victim isn’t killed just any old way. No, this man got his eye shot out with a Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model BB gun, and the prime suspect used potty mouth Ralphie as an accomplice. Gumdrop doesn’t go to any place to get help. No, he heads for Whoville an...more
Ken Harmon establishes the humorous tone of The Fat Man immediately. For example, the murder victim isn’t killed just any old way. No, this man got his eye shot out with a Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model BB gun, and the prime suspect used potty mouth Ralphie as an accomplice. Gumdrop doesn’t go to any place to get help. No, he heads for Whoville an...more
An odd mixture of over-the-top noir (almost to the point of parody) and holiday cheer, I started this book loving its quirky mash of well-known holiday characters. Gumdrop Coal, the elf responsible for the Naughty List, finds himself on Santa’s bad list and embroiled in a web of intrigue following the murder of a Naughty List parent. The plot weakens as the book progresses, but the concept (elf noir!) is so unique that I was willing to overlook both that and the sometimes-uncomfortable juxtaposi...more
Mixed feelings, mixed review. This "Dark" story of Christmas certainly presents a moral fit for the season, and the concept is cute and clever and well thought out -- at first....but I tired quickly of the appearances of characters from every other holiday tale....from Ralphie of A Christmas Story fame, who needed to lend his BB gun -- to the eye that was shot out to the "not so tiny tim" to misfit toys who had come from the island looking for a home to bits and pieces of lyrics from many holida...more
This author has definitely read his Chandler and Hammett. But then again, the cover proclaims that this is a North Pole Noir tale. This book gives you exactly what you'd expect in the style you expect it in while managing to mix in characters and elements from almost every Christmas tv special, song and movie ever made. This tale of murder and intrigue takes us from Whoville to Potterville to the Island of Misfit Toys. There is a few chapters of sheer genius in the book; like when our elf hero i...more
Christmas Crime Noir. This books had such a great sound to it that I snapped it up quickly. An elf that been sacked from Santa’s workshop decides to tell-all and the book runs away with every possibly crime and Christmas cliche you can think of.
The writing is quite good and maintains the style you would expect from crime novel such as this. It had the feel about it.
It was great – for most of the novel. But something happened towards the end and the book really dropped off. Maybe it got a bit sen...more
The writing is quite good and maintains the style you would expect from crime novel such as this. It had the feel about it.
It was great – for most of the novel. But something happened towards the end and the book really dropped off. Maybe it got a bit sen...more
The Fat Man by Ken Harmon is a tale of North Pole Noir. Gumdrop Coal has lost his position on Santa's Coal Patrol, and he's not about to take it lying down. Furious that naughty children will be rewarded with gifts for their bad behavior, Gumdrop decides to teach the parents a lesson they'll never forget, but when someone is murdered, the evidence all points to Gumdrop, and he'll have to take it on the lam to prove his innocence, but who can he trust when all of Kringle Town seems to be in the s...more
Who knew that a Christmas comedy noir would be so good? I think many writers would be tempted to show the "dark side" of Christmas, but it is to Harmon's credit that he portrays Santa and the elves as good figures who make mistakes; this is much more refreshing than the glut of "bad Santa" stories that make the rounds. Harmon doesn't shy away from showing the sentimental, emotional side of Christmas even while he spouts puns and kills off suspects. The action sequences are a little dull and some...more
Dec 04, 2010
Dorie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-fiction,
fantasy-sci-fi
Okay Christmas spoof of a typical noir crime fiction novel. Gumdrop Coal is one of Santa's elfs, in charge of delivering coal to naughty children. Gumdrop becomes cynical and is suddenly fired from his job as captain of the Coal Patrol. When the father of one of the naughty children is found murdered, Gumdrop realizes he's being set up for the fall, and decides to investigate. There are a lot of references to commonly known Christmas characters -- Tiny Tim, Ralphie, George Bailey, etc. The actio...more
Christmas Noir.
Check this out:
Santa gave me my walking papers . . . He said that my kind of elfing wasn't needed anymore, that it was old hat. I didn't even get a fruitcake. It looked like my only friends at the moment were a bar stool at the Blue Christmas and a half-empty bottle of brown nog.
And this:
Gumdrop Coal is my name and I'm a 1300-year-old elf and the chip on my shoulder will give you tetanus. I'm two-foot-three, but if you think you csn crack wise about my height or take me in a fight...more
Check this out:
Santa gave me my walking papers . . . He said that my kind of elfing wasn't needed anymore, that it was old hat. I didn't even get a fruitcake. It looked like my only friends at the moment were a bar stool at the Blue Christmas and a half-empty bottle of brown nog.
And this:
Gumdrop Coal is my name and I'm a 1300-year-old elf and the chip on my shoulder will give you tetanus. I'm two-foot-three, but if you think you csn crack wise about my height or take me in a fight...more
Feb 23, 2011
Lynn
added it
Take an old-fashioned hard-boiled detective story, mix with bits of every Christmas story, movie, song, joke or saying you have ever heard, stir in clever characters, silly/witty dialogue, a bit of mystery, some bizarre situations, and add a valuable lesson about the true meaning of Christmas. Read with glee, and this book is what you get. There is a plot afoot in Kringle Town to do away with the Fat Man AKA Santa- in fact, with Christmas iself! And it all begins with getting rid of Gumdrop Coal...more
Pretty good. Fans of Piers Anthony looking for a Christmas book might want to give this a go. It was amusing and full of terrible puns (which are a guilty pleasure for some, including myself).
Had more of an overtly religious message than I was expecting, which could put some readers off. But it wasn't executed in an obnoxious way, so overall the novel was very enjoyable. Chuckled at a few parts. It was a predictable "mystery" but it was a fun romp through a crazy North Pole full of endless Chri...more
Had more of an overtly religious message than I was expecting, which could put some readers off. But it wasn't executed in an obnoxious way, so overall the novel was very enjoyable. Chuckled at a few parts. It was a predictable "mystery" but it was a fun romp through a crazy North Pole full of endless Chri...more
THE FAT MAN is a spoof of traditional Christmas stories and songs along with a dash of noir featuring one of Santa's elves, Gumdrop Coal. Gumdrop Coal, head of the infamous Coal patrol, gets canned right before Christmas. Rumor has it that he not only took his job too far but that he was also physically threatening naughty children and their parents. As Gumdrop seeks to clear his name, he uncovers a plot to get rid of Santa Claus that may extend all the way to the Misfit Mafia on the Island of M...more
I had some reservations going into this book. Those reservations stem mainly from the fact that I don’t exactly like Christmas. I mean sure, when it’s all said and done with, I’m excited to be spending time with my family, but I work in retail. My coworkers and I spend the whole period from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve just wishing Christmas would be over already. It’s madness. Since I normally side with the Grinch and Scrooge, I tend to stay away from reading any Christmas relate...more
A very cool (pardon the pun) combination of Thin Man style writing and plot with any and all of the characters you can think of that appear during Christmas. Part of the fun of the book was encountering someone/something else that you see/hear at Christmastime in a completely different way than you would normally think of them. The noir-style was also spot on, and adjusted to be Christmassy as well, but not in a bad way, which I really appreciated. A good, quick read that I really enjoyed.
I don't typically read Christmas themed books per se but my love for classic noir and the description for this novel just beckoned to me, and I wasn't disappointed in the least! Brilliantly written in classic noir style with such clever and witty puns on every page, I found myself laughing aloud on several occasions and the suspense itself kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. Ken Harmon's story-telling abilities are astounding! He's incorporated just about every classic Christmas...more
An interesting take on the noir genre! Gumdrop Coal starts on a bad day that's getting worse, but in the end finds the true meaning of Christmas. Every Christmas trope and character and world you can think of is mixed into this elfy tale. It wasn't the deepest novel, and sometimes my interest got lost in too many twists and turns and implausible action, but the heart of the tale is solid gold and it is the perfect read for any noir lover who also love Christmas.
Christmas, this year, brought me an avalanche of books. The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir was the first one I read and it's the perfect Christmas time read as a reminder of love and mercy showing the way for the salvation of mankind. I loved the story, the characters, the setting, the fanciful creation of dark and light worlds, and the mistakes we so easily make in the name of doing good. I highly recommend this as an any time of year Good Read.
I finished reading The Fat Man this afternoon. It’s an odd little book that I really wanted to like; but alas it was not to be.
The novel is a mash-up of a kids Santa and the elves Christmas story and a noir-ish detective story. Surprisingly it worked pretty well until about half way through when the author decided to add a heavy-handed ‘real meaning of Christmas’ Christian morality tale into the mix. Without that, it would have been a delightfully fun read.
The novel is a mash-up of a kids Santa and the elves Christmas story and a noir-ish detective story. Surprisingly it worked pretty well until about half way through when the author decided to add a heavy-handed ‘real meaning of Christmas’ Christian morality tale into the mix. Without that, it would have been a delightfully fun read.
We normally only review books that are about to be published or have just been published. An exception to that is The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon. Although this novel was published a couple of years ago, it’s so much fun that I couldn’t resist including it in this year’s holiday selection. If you like satires, dark humor poking fun at every Christmas myth and cliché and/or you’re a noir mystery fan, then this hardboiled little niche novel could be just the fun read you’re lo...more
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Jan 05, 2013 05:47am