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Los Angeles: A Novel
It is a hoarse whisper over a crackling cell phone - "Angel" - and then the connection is lost. Angel is convinced that the voice belongs to his beautiful and enigmatic neighbor, Angela - and that she is terrified for her life. He paces the floor, waiting for the phone to ring again, calls the police, searches her apartment, but there is no trace of her anywhere, not for d...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
January 5th 2005
by Little, Brown and Company
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My mom loaned me this book and advised me that it was a light read - which it was. I read over half of it on the plane home from Kansas City to Los Angeles. I read the remaining pages over the next few days. I really liked the book's noir feel and the very original main character. There were lots of plot twists and turns and the reader never really feels like they are sure of anything until close to the end of the story which makes it interesting. Another good Los Angeles detective story.
I read this for a book club read. It's not something I would normally pick up, but I enjoy when I'm forced to leave my comfort zone with books and delve into something that isn't my usual fare.
Angel Veronchek is the son of a famous movie producer, lives in Los Angeles, and is an albino. When Smith was writing down his character sketches, these must have been the only three things on the list, because almost everything we learn about him is a riff on one of those three motifs. This isn't to say...more
Angel Veronchek is the son of a famous movie producer, lives in Los Angeles, and is an albino. When Smith was writing down his character sketches, these must have been the only three things on the list, because almost everything we learn about him is a riff on one of those three motifs. This isn't to say...more
There are a lot of things to love about this book. I read it based on the blurb by Will Christopher Baer, but it certainly doesn't have the prose of Baer, and I did question the believability of certain aspects of the novel. The dark/light metaphors were a bit heavy-handed at times, and the plot was predictable at times. BUT there were moments of brilliance, the ending was solid, and I actually felt some emotion there, some sympathy, and it moved me. I enjoyed this book. It's a book I liked, but...more
1 like · like · see review
I liked this quite a bit, but it did feel a bit bloated and wandered a bit. I wasn't sure what to expect at all when I picked up the book. Could have been thriller, fantasy, whatever. However, it's much more of a psychological thing like The Machinist, Memento, and Fight Club, which is coincidental since I just really started reading just after I finished watching The Machinist (well, I'd read the first chapter a couple weeks before, but then put it down).
I finally pulled this off my to-read pile and gobbled it up in two days. Whether it was because I was homesick for LA or I was in the mood for good noir, this book fit the bill.
A serpentine plot, very unique narrator and LA as a primary character all her own, this novel is a good fix for anyone with a noir craving.
A serpentine plot, very unique narrator and LA as a primary character all her own, this novel is a good fix for anyone with a noir craving.
Am I losing my mind? I read this book. My 2004 diary tells me I did. It sounds good. But I cannot remember it.
Jun 20, 2012
Diane
added it
Half way throught could not finish this book
Confusing, but intriguing. It had me torn whether I wanted to finish it or not. Glad Angel came out on top.
I don't really know what to say about this book - it was intriguing, I wanted to give up on it several times and each time the plot twist motivated me to keep reading. The stereotypes and Blade Runner undercurrent are totally plausible to me based on my years living in LA.
I found this in the bargain bin at Borders and I'm glad I bought it.
Very noir feel without being cheesy. A fascinating, original main character and Smith does an enviable job of making Los Angeles as a city an equally interesting main character.
This was one of those surprising reads where I really knew nothing about the story and enjoyed watching it unfold. Good stuff.
Very noir feel without being cheesy. A fascinating, original main character and Smith does an enviable job of making Los Angeles as a city an equally interesting main character.
This was one of those surprising reads where I really knew nothing about the story and enjoyed watching it unfold. Good stuff.
This book was written by a slightly disenfranchised teenager who is incredibly self-absorbed and who has just starte his first high school physics class. I got past the first page only because I took it on a 6-hour flight with me. AVOID.
Very well written, lives up to its title, creepy and contemporary classic LA noir.
Apr 10, 2013
Lisa H.
marked it as to-read
Feb 07, 2013
Hal
added it
Aug 01, 2012
Frank
marked it as to-read
Jun 11, 2012
Jj Mclaughlin
marked it as to-read
Jan 28, 2012
Carolyn
marked it as to-read
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May 27, 2007 04:24pm
May 27, 2007 04:24pm