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Crumley Mysteries #3
Let's All Kill Constance
A young screenwriter and his crafty partner, detective Elmo Crumley, protect an aging movie queen from a deadly enemy who is determined to put an end to both her career and her life.
Paperback
First published December 1, 2002
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About the author
Ray Bradbury
2,566 books25.4k followersRay Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).
The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
May 14, 2024
Ray Bradbury's writing style and poetic language employ a descriptive approach, with theatrical imagery, appealing to both the reader's senses and intellect. Bradbury uses symbols, analogies, and metaphors to create poetic landscapes that shift to fit various images he wants to project to the reader.
The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement in such a way as to make the girl who was moving there seem fixed to a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward. Her head was half bent to watch her shoes stir the circling leaves. Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity. It was a look, almost, of pale surprise; the dark eyes were so fixed to the world that no move escaped them. Her dress was white and it whispered. (R Bradbury)
The paragraph employs nature imagery to intentionally contrast the technology-obsessed society. It conveys that in nature exists a purity and innocence that has not yet been sullied by the destructive force of technology and the ignorance of society.
With a skill rarely matched, he employs imagery to illustrate the contrast between the negative and the positive aspects of society. While the dark and gloomy imagery represents societal decay and moral corruption, the lighter and brighter imagery signifies the hope and goodness that still might exist in the world. Usually, his writing technique by imagery shifts from darkness to light, which means a transfer, in his mindset, from despair to hope as in "Fahrenheit 451"; Or the other way around, like in the "Martian Chronicles".
In his texts, the author often switches between short, fragmented sentences to express rapid thoughts and long, run-on sentences to immerse the reader in the character's thoughts. Bradbury's writing, based on his observations of the world, has been transformed into stories that have made a lasting impact on the literary world.
In short, Ray Bradbury was one of the most interesting writers of the 20th century, with a body of work worth reading.
Everything by night, that's the ticket. Nothing at noon; the sun is too bright; the shadows wait. The sky burns so nothing dares move. There is no fun in sunlight exposure. Midnight brings fun when the shadows under the trees lift their skirts and glide. Wind arrives. Leaves fall. Footsteps echo. Beams and floorboards creak. Dust sifts from tombstone angel wings. Shadows soar like ravens. Before dawn, the streetlights die; the town goes briefly blind. (R Bradbury)
But, as with all the greatest authors, he wrote books of the highest quality and others less so, and this one falls in the "weak" category.
"Let's All Kill Constance" (2002) is a sequel to Bradbury's "Death Is a Lonely Business" (1985) and "A Graveyard for Lunatics" (1990) but it can be read independently.
After producing highly original and creative works like “Fahrenheit 451”, "Dandelion Wine", "Farewell Summer" and “The Martian Chronicles,” I found “Let’s All Kill Constance” to be an anticlimax.
The characters in the story were only partially developed and their actions often lacked coherence. This was surprising considering the author's reputation for creating well-crafted and developed characters. I found it difficult to understand the motivations of any of the characters as they appeared to meander aimlessly through the plot without any clear objectives or direction.
The plot of the story is rather enigmatic, leaving the reader with a sense of confusion. The characters, who are already intriguing, are led to various mysterious locations to encounter even more peculiar characters. However, the reader is left clueless as to why they are there, and what their ultimate goal is.
If this was Bradbury's attempt to make the novel satirical and bizarre, to me it comes off as merely weird.
And as we progress reading, we have to struggle with the strangeness of the dialogues, where
I could detect that there are all sorts of jokes, idiomatic expressions and cultural references but since I'm not an English-speaking native most of it, I'm sure, has gone right over my head. I was so lost in the stream of confusing dialogue that I'm not sure I would have recognized any that I did know even if I was born an English-speaker citizen.
You’re beginning to sound a lot like me,’ Crumley said. ‘God help me, I hope not. I mean —’ ‘It’s okay. You’ll never be Crumley, just like I’ll never be Jules Verne Junior????????????
Bradbury could write at the highest level; No one can argue about that. But I spent most of the time while reading this book feeling like I was in one of those post-modern museums where "art" is there just to make you frown and think that either, you are too "thick" to understand the subtleties of artistic creation or you are contemplating the works of the inmates of an asylum turning lose in the streets.
I wonder if Bradbury wasn't writing some kind of literary "Dadaist" experiment. In literary arts, Dadaists focused mostly on poetry, particularly the so-called sound poetry invented by Hugo Ball. Dadaist poems attacked traditional conceptions of poetry, including structure, order, as well as the interplay of sound and the meaning of language. With their mockery of elitism and tradition, and their experimental methods, Dada artists challenged the concept of what constitutes a work of art, and that was what I felt reading this book: that Bradbury was making a sort of protest stand and an artistic experiment as well, in an attempt to be stylistically innovative.
Whatever was his intention, to me this book fails and does so at the expense of the credit the author had built with all his impressive and wonderful catalogue. Obviously, at this point of his career and with a solid reputation built with many wonderful books already on the shelves of literature history he could afford to play around with words just for fun.
It's a Bradbury so it is worth reading but I don't recommend it to introduce the writer to anyone that never read anything from him. The disappointment will lead to the reader ignoring his first books which are really magnificent.
The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement in such a way as to make the girl who was moving there seem fixed to a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward. Her head was half bent to watch her shoes stir the circling leaves. Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity. It was a look, almost, of pale surprise; the dark eyes were so fixed to the world that no move escaped them. Her dress was white and it whispered. (R Bradbury)
The paragraph employs nature imagery to intentionally contrast the technology-obsessed society. It conveys that in nature exists a purity and innocence that has not yet been sullied by the destructive force of technology and the ignorance of society.
With a skill rarely matched, he employs imagery to illustrate the contrast between the negative and the positive aspects of society. While the dark and gloomy imagery represents societal decay and moral corruption, the lighter and brighter imagery signifies the hope and goodness that still might exist in the world. Usually, his writing technique by imagery shifts from darkness to light, which means a transfer, in his mindset, from despair to hope as in "Fahrenheit 451"; Or the other way around, like in the "Martian Chronicles".
In his texts, the author often switches between short, fragmented sentences to express rapid thoughts and long, run-on sentences to immerse the reader in the character's thoughts. Bradbury's writing, based on his observations of the world, has been transformed into stories that have made a lasting impact on the literary world.
In short, Ray Bradbury was one of the most interesting writers of the 20th century, with a body of work worth reading.
Everything by night, that's the ticket. Nothing at noon; the sun is too bright; the shadows wait. The sky burns so nothing dares move. There is no fun in sunlight exposure. Midnight brings fun when the shadows under the trees lift their skirts and glide. Wind arrives. Leaves fall. Footsteps echo. Beams and floorboards creak. Dust sifts from tombstone angel wings. Shadows soar like ravens. Before dawn, the streetlights die; the town goes briefly blind. (R Bradbury)
But, as with all the greatest authors, he wrote books of the highest quality and others less so, and this one falls in the "weak" category.
"Let's All Kill Constance" (2002) is a sequel to Bradbury's "Death Is a Lonely Business" (1985) and "A Graveyard for Lunatics" (1990) but it can be read independently.
After producing highly original and creative works like “Fahrenheit 451”, "Dandelion Wine", "Farewell Summer" and “The Martian Chronicles,” I found “Let’s All Kill Constance” to be an anticlimax.
The characters in the story were only partially developed and their actions often lacked coherence. This was surprising considering the author's reputation for creating well-crafted and developed characters. I found it difficult to understand the motivations of any of the characters as they appeared to meander aimlessly through the plot without any clear objectives or direction.
The plot of the story is rather enigmatic, leaving the reader with a sense of confusion. The characters, who are already intriguing, are led to various mysterious locations to encounter even more peculiar characters. However, the reader is left clueless as to why they are there, and what their ultimate goal is.
If this was Bradbury's attempt to make the novel satirical and bizarre, to me it comes off as merely weird.
And as we progress reading, we have to struggle with the strangeness of the dialogues, where
I could detect that there are all sorts of jokes, idiomatic expressions and cultural references but since I'm not an English-speaking native most of it, I'm sure, has gone right over my head. I was so lost in the stream of confusing dialogue that I'm not sure I would have recognized any that I did know even if I was born an English-speaker citizen.
You’re beginning to sound a lot like me,’ Crumley said. ‘God help me, I hope not. I mean —’ ‘It’s okay. You’ll never be Crumley, just like I’ll never be Jules Verne Junior????????????
Bradbury could write at the highest level; No one can argue about that. But I spent most of the time while reading this book feeling like I was in one of those post-modern museums where "art" is there just to make you frown and think that either, you are too "thick" to understand the subtleties of artistic creation or you are contemplating the works of the inmates of an asylum turning lose in the streets.
I wonder if Bradbury wasn't writing some kind of literary "Dadaist" experiment. In literary arts, Dadaists focused mostly on poetry, particularly the so-called sound poetry invented by Hugo Ball. Dadaist poems attacked traditional conceptions of poetry, including structure, order, as well as the interplay of sound and the meaning of language. With their mockery of elitism and tradition, and their experimental methods, Dada artists challenged the concept of what constitutes a work of art, and that was what I felt reading this book: that Bradbury was making a sort of protest stand and an artistic experiment as well, in an attempt to be stylistically innovative.
Whatever was his intention, to me this book fails and does so at the expense of the credit the author had built with all his impressive and wonderful catalogue. Obviously, at this point of his career and with a solid reputation built with many wonderful books already on the shelves of literature history he could afford to play around with words just for fun.
It's a Bradbury so it is worth reading but I don't recommend it to introduce the writer to anyone that never read anything from him. The disappointment will lead to the reader ignoring his first books which are really magnificent.
January 29, 2019
I have never been one who fancied Ray Bradbury’s mystery novels. Reading “Let’s all kill Constance”, third in this particular series, I was kind of lost.
Essentially, an unnamed protagonist is pulled to his front door on a dark and stormy night by Constance, a wayward movie star who lives just down the beach. She is distraught, pushed over the edge by two “books of the dead”. The dead and nearly dead in these books are all know by her and seem to be harbingers of her own impending doom. the protagonist, along with a detective pal of his begin an informal investigation to help save her life, leading them to a priest, a psychic, a tomb and the ghosts of hollywood past.
all in all it was a decent story. I would suggest it to others and found that it was very enjoyable. The problem was the delay I experienced putting myself in the storyline. The clumsy (yet precise) speech and the conversations the characters had were the problem. The characters are all witty and seem to share constant inside jokes, without the courtesy of letting the reader in.
Once I picked up on the groove of their interactions, I was sitting in a much more comfortable position. Unfortunately, even as I neared the end of the book, I found I was reading and rereading passages to pick up the important details.
In review, it was a fantastic novel but not very accessible, even to an avid reader such as myself. The tongue in cheek humor, and self serving references to Fahrenheit 451 were enough to make the novel worth reading. Pick it up if you find interest in it.
Toastx2
Essentially, an unnamed protagonist is pulled to his front door on a dark and stormy night by Constance, a wayward movie star who lives just down the beach. She is distraught, pushed over the edge by two “books of the dead”. The dead and nearly dead in these books are all know by her and seem to be harbingers of her own impending doom. the protagonist, along with a detective pal of his begin an informal investigation to help save her life, leading them to a priest, a psychic, a tomb and the ghosts of hollywood past.
all in all it was a decent story. I would suggest it to others and found that it was very enjoyable. The problem was the delay I experienced putting myself in the storyline. The clumsy (yet precise) speech and the conversations the characters had were the problem. The characters are all witty and seem to share constant inside jokes, without the courtesy of letting the reader in.
Once I picked up on the groove of their interactions, I was sitting in a much more comfortable position. Unfortunately, even as I neared the end of the book, I found I was reading and rereading passages to pick up the important details.
In review, it was a fantastic novel but not very accessible, even to an avid reader such as myself. The tongue in cheek humor, and self serving references to Fahrenheit 451 were enough to make the novel worth reading. Pick it up if you find interest in it.
Toastx2
January 16, 2021
“Беше бурна и безлунна нощ.
Не е ли това един от начините да грабнеш читателя?
Е, добре тогава, беше бурна и безлунна нощ…”
.
Свалям с една звездичка надолу само защото това е Бредбъри, а той вече е доказвал хиляди пъти, че може и много повече. В “Хайде всички да убием Констанс” се преплитат криминален сюжет, магически реализъм и типичните за автора истории на ужасите, макар и в по-лек вариант. Романът сякаш ни праща в съновидение. Води ни през сцени, забулени в мистерия, и ни оставя пред един отворен финал. Краят на книгата е като събуждането - опитваме се да си припомним какво сме сънували, а щом се сетим, почваме да наместваме сцените и да донаписваме развръзката.
Главен герой е неназован писател (през цялото време звучи сякаш е самият Бредбъри, дори използва истинското име на жена си). В една бурна и дъждовна вечер на прага му се появява Констанс Ратиган - красива, но вече залязваща актриса от Холивуд. Констанс е сигурна, че някой я преследва. При нея са попаднали списъци с имена на нейни познати от миналото ѝ - вече починали или на смъртно легло. След като Ратиган мистериозно изчезва, младият писател прави всичко възможно да разгадае мистерията с имената и да разкрие стари тайни.
Макар и да е далеч от фентъзи романите и дистопиите на Бредбъри, тази книга е чудесно попълнение към богатото му творчество. Макар и на моменти да изглежда хаотично или нелогично, сюжетът е интересен и пъстър. Магичният ефект на нереалното е търсен, а не случаен. Това е сън, но не в лятна нощ, а в буря, сън в тъмни тунели, пълни с духове и призраци от миналото…
Не е ли това един от начините да грабнеш читателя?
Е, добре тогава, беше бурна и безлунна нощ…”
.
Свалям с една звездичка надолу само защото това е Бредбъри, а той вече е доказвал хиляди пъти, че може и много повече. В “Хайде всички да убием Констанс” се преплитат криминален сюжет, магически реализъм и типичните за автора истории на ужасите, макар и в по-лек вариант. Романът сякаш ни праща в съновидение. Води ни през сцени, забулени в мистерия, и ни оставя пред един отворен финал. Краят на книгата е като събуждането - опитваме се да си припомним какво сме сънували, а щом се сетим, почваме да наместваме сцените и да донаписваме развръзката.
Главен герой е неназован писател (през цялото време звучи сякаш е самият Бредбъри, дори използва истинското име на жена си). В една бурна и дъждовна вечер на прага му се появява Констанс Ратиган - красива, но вече залязваща актриса от Холивуд. Констанс е сигурна, че някой я преследва. При нея са попаднали списъци с имена на нейни познати от миналото ѝ - вече починали или на смъртно легло. След като Ратиган мистериозно изчезва, младият писател прави всичко възможно да разгадае мистерията с имената и да разкрие стари тайни.
Макар и да е далеч от фентъзи романите и дистопиите на Бредбъри, тази книга е чудесно попълнение към богатото му творчество. Макар и на моменти да изглежда хаотично или нелогично, сюжетът е интересен и пъстър. Магичният ефект на нереалното е търсен, а не случаен. Това е сън, но не в лятна нощ, а в буря, сън в тъмни тунели, пълни с духове и призраци от миналото…
April 19, 2015
Well, this book is certainly...interesting. What can I even say about it? Is it bad? No. Is it good? No. Did I like it? No. Did I hate it? Again, no.
So, what DO I feel about this book, and why? The main word that comes to mind is "confused". This book is both confusing to the reader and confused in and of itself. It's labeled as a mystery, but it lacks true suspense. The main "mystery" is non-threatening and not very creepy, either. Our narrator, while somewhat charming, is bland overall, and his accomplices are all interchangeable. The title character is hardly in the book. The disappointing part is that she seems to be very complex and sad, but we don't explore her true feelings. She instead comes across as harsh and even evil in ways. If that was the intention, then Bradbury succeeded, but it seems like a bad idea to make the focus of your novel completely unlikable.
Another thing that bothered me was the dialogue. I kept thinking to myself, "Nobody really talks like that." It's full of smart-alek quips and random swear words just there to keep it colorful, not to lend to the mood. It felt phony.
Despite these complaints, I haven't given up on Bradbury as a writer. Most reviews say that this isn't one of his better books, so I assume that he's better in others. I plan on starting "Something Wicked This Way Comes" very soon, and I can only hope that it's more engaging that this book.
So, what DO I feel about this book, and why? The main word that comes to mind is "confused". This book is both confusing to the reader and confused in and of itself. It's labeled as a mystery, but it lacks true suspense. The main "mystery" is non-threatening and not very creepy, either. Our narrator, while somewhat charming, is bland overall, and his accomplices are all interchangeable. The title character is hardly in the book. The disappointing part is that she seems to be very complex and sad, but we don't explore her true feelings. She instead comes across as harsh and even evil in ways. If that was the intention, then Bradbury succeeded, but it seems like a bad idea to make the focus of your novel completely unlikable.
Another thing that bothered me was the dialogue. I kept thinking to myself, "Nobody really talks like that." It's full of smart-alek quips and random swear words just there to keep it colorful, not to lend to the mood. It felt phony.
Despite these complaints, I haven't given up on Bradbury as a writer. Most reviews say that this isn't one of his better books, so I assume that he's better in others. I plan on starting "Something Wicked This Way Comes" very soon, and I can only hope that it's more engaging that this book.
May 1, 2021
Éste libro escrito por Ray Bradbury no es tan fácil de clasificar, es como una mezcla de cosas raras, extrañas pero que al final combinan de una manera muy buena, para crear una historia absurda pero memorable.
Nada más iniciar el libro encontramos en un párrafo, una clase magistral para escritores. Seguimos avanzando y podemos identificar que el protagonista es el propio autor, quien enamorado de una estrella en decadencia de Hollywood, es capaz de embarcarse en una loca búsqueda para resolver la muerte de varias personas, y en el camino conocer historias de lo más increíbles.
Leer este libro con seriedad te llevará al fracaso, yo recomiendo leerlo con una sonrisa en el rostro, un vaso de algún licor espirituoso, con ganas de aprender de este escritor tan talentoso que logra darle veracidad a cualquier cosa.
El toque tétrico de Hollywood es genial, sabemos que el escritor sabe que esa fábrica de sueños y estrellas, era más bien un fangoso pantano donde todos se manchaban, pero eran adictos a la fama, al dinero, al brillo, adictos a la adrenalina de un público creyente de todo lo que el celuloide expone.
Me divertí mucho con la imaginación, las situaciones, los personajes, las toneladas de sarcasmo y humor negro que brotan cada dos que tres párrafos.
Si eres adicto a la ciencia ficción de Ray Bradbury, aquí no encontrarás ni un milímetro de eso, aquí encontrarás una novela policiaca nada seria, pero impecablemente escrita.
Nada más iniciar el libro encontramos en un párrafo, una clase magistral para escritores. Seguimos avanzando y podemos identificar que el protagonista es el propio autor, quien enamorado de una estrella en decadencia de Hollywood, es capaz de embarcarse en una loca búsqueda para resolver la muerte de varias personas, y en el camino conocer historias de lo más increíbles.
Leer este libro con seriedad te llevará al fracaso, yo recomiendo leerlo con una sonrisa en el rostro, un vaso de algún licor espirituoso, con ganas de aprender de este escritor tan talentoso que logra darle veracidad a cualquier cosa.
El toque tétrico de Hollywood es genial, sabemos que el escritor sabe que esa fábrica de sueños y estrellas, era más bien un fangoso pantano donde todos se manchaban, pero eran adictos a la fama, al dinero, al brillo, adictos a la adrenalina de un público creyente de todo lo que el celuloide expone.
Me divertí mucho con la imaginación, las situaciones, los personajes, las toneladas de sarcasmo y humor negro que brotan cada dos que tres párrafos.
Si eres adicto a la ciencia ficción de Ray Bradbury, aquí no encontrarás ni un milímetro de eso, aquí encontrarás una novela policiaca nada seria, pero impecablemente escrita.
March 17, 2018
It seems many reviewers have an issue with this book's elusive plot line and apparent lack of focus. However, I see this as Bradbury giving us an opportunity to glimpse into his mind so we can better understand the guiding principles behind his works. He even makes reference several times to the 'crazed mind of the writer'. To the reviewers claiming they are Bradbury fans - I say that if you are truly a fan, then for a change instead of just 'taking' from the author, you must be willing to 'give' when he is asking you to see more than what meets the eye. If one cannot be faithful and forgiving of a favorite author, then, as with any relationship, the book becomes merely a passing ship in the night and you will never get to know the mind of the person who has written it.
January 21, 2019
Първо, тази книга на български да се прекръсти на "Хайде всички да убием пунктуацията".
Толкова пропуски не съм виждала от месеци наред, даже да го сложим няколко години. Много, много лоша работа...
Колкото до останалото - разделям се с Бредбъри. Не е моят автор, види се. Може да има яки идеи, но на мен ми идва отегчително и изобщо нищо не си спомням, за да ме вдъхновява.
Толкова пропуски не съм виждала от месеци наред, даже да го сложим няколко години. Много, много лоша работа...
Колкото до останалото - разделям се с Бредбъри. Не е моят автор, види се. Може да има яки идеи, но на мен ми идва отегчително и изобщо нищо не си спомням, за да ме вдъхновява.
October 22, 2018
Страхотна бредбърийска атмосфера, но тия ми ти мъже в историята бяха като някакви пет годишни дечурлига. Прекалено наивен сюжет, който в края малко се понамества. Пък и реших, че не е необходимо да се нарочват трите звезди за лоша оценка. Това са чудесни три звезди.
May 23, 2022
A bit too chaotic for me to love, but still entertaining and smooth
February 25, 2021
”Mallomars! Women! Can’t live without ‘em!”
If you didn’t know that Ray Bradbury was weird, we all know that now.
What caught my attention with this book is the cover, obviously. A patron came into the Library and checked it out. The old Hollywood vibe sold me on reading it without even knowing what it was about. It’s wrong of me to do something like that but at least I admitted to it. *shrug*
It was entertaining while I was reading it but it’s not one that I would read again. Parts were memorable while others weren’t. There were times where I was confused and I’m sure Bradbury felt the same way while never really knowing where he was going with it.
Let’s All Kill Constance was quite weird. It’s anything but ordinary and shows us what fame and fortune can do to a person. If you enjoy ghosts, murder, and the glamour of old Hollywood, then you may want to try this bizarre read.
If you didn’t know that Ray Bradbury was weird, we all know that now.
What caught my attention with this book is the cover, obviously. A patron came into the Library and checked it out. The old Hollywood vibe sold me on reading it without even knowing what it was about. It’s wrong of me to do something like that but at least I admitted to it. *shrug*
It was entertaining while I was reading it but it’s not one that I would read again. Parts were memorable while others weren’t. There were times where I was confused and I’m sure Bradbury felt the same way while never really knowing where he was going with it.
Let’s All Kill Constance was quite weird. It’s anything but ordinary and shows us what fame and fortune can do to a person. If you enjoy ghosts, murder, and the glamour of old Hollywood, then you may want to try this bizarre read.
August 14, 2013
This is one of Bradbury's last books. I can only describe it as a stream-of-consciousness screwball noir. I don't know if that's a thing but there it is. Entirely dialogue driven and every other page contains a great turn of phrase or Solid punch line. I lost the thread of the plot a few times and never cared at all. It all comes together in the end but the plot is the least important part of the book. Check it out. If you like crackling (cliche alert) dialogue. This one's for you .
April 14, 2022
I suppose when you are a prolific author who has written the number of critically acclaimed and bestselling books that Ray Bradbury did in his lifetime, you are entitled to a stinker or two.
Bradbury was particularly adept at capturing a time or place in beautifully crafted sentences (Dandelion Wine), or tackling the social issues of the day (“Fahrenheit 451” as well as the under appreciated “The Firemen”). He was however on seemingly far less surer footing when trying to sound like Mickey Spillane in this, for me at least, disappointing ode to Hollywood and the detective story.
Why does it fail?
Perhaps first and foremost it is the stilted and staccato dialogue Bradbury uses to attempt to capture the dime store detective stories of the 40’s and 50’s. While he does occasionally leave behind a sentence that reminds you that this is indeed Ray Bradbury, more often than not it just simply doesn’t come off.
If you’re Pavarotti, you may want to branch out from opera where you feel like you’ve done it all in favor of hip-hop, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea or that it will end well however.
Bradbury for me is the Pavarotti of the short story and short novel. It’s the skill he was blessed with.
Bradbury was, as are all authors of course, entitled to write what they like, but likewise nobody can tell me I must read it.
As I put this clunker down for the last time, I was reminded of a comment someone directed at John Legend when he opined on some political matter. The poster told him “stay in your lane”.
Legend replied “Human being. Earth. I know my lane homey”
Some people have extraordinary wide lanes. Others do not.
This book won’t put me off my love of Ray Bradbury, but I won’t be turning down Bradbury Mystery lane again any time soon.
Bradbury was particularly adept at capturing a time or place in beautifully crafted sentences (Dandelion Wine), or tackling the social issues of the day (“Fahrenheit 451” as well as the under appreciated “The Firemen”). He was however on seemingly far less surer footing when trying to sound like Mickey Spillane in this, for me at least, disappointing ode to Hollywood and the detective story.
Why does it fail?
Perhaps first and foremost it is the stilted and staccato dialogue Bradbury uses to attempt to capture the dime store detective stories of the 40’s and 50’s. While he does occasionally leave behind a sentence that reminds you that this is indeed Ray Bradbury, more often than not it just simply doesn’t come off.
If you’re Pavarotti, you may want to branch out from opera where you feel like you’ve done it all in favor of hip-hop, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea or that it will end well however.
Bradbury for me is the Pavarotti of the short story and short novel. It’s the skill he was blessed with.
Bradbury was, as are all authors of course, entitled to write what they like, but likewise nobody can tell me I must read it.
As I put this clunker down for the last time, I was reminded of a comment someone directed at John Legend when he opined on some political matter. The poster told him “stay in your lane”.
Legend replied “Human being. Earth. I know my lane homey”
Some people have extraordinary wide lanes. Others do not.
This book won’t put me off my love of Ray Bradbury, but I won’t be turning down Bradbury Mystery lane again any time soon.
October 27, 2015
Като за първа среща с Бредбъри останах приятно изненадана. Със сигурност можех да избера по-подходяща книга, за да се запозная с творчеството му, но пък "Хайде всички да убием Констанс" се оказа забавен избор. :)
С голямо удоволствие се включих в "убийството" на Констанс и за кратко време искрено съжалявах, че споменатите имена на покритите с прах холивудски звезди, са ми непознати. Убедена съм, че ако имената ми говореха нещо, щях да се смея на глас, не само да се подсмихвам на странните и абсурдни разговори и случки. Въпреки тази малка пречка, искрено се забавлявах със странната дружина и лудешкото им приключение, изпълнено с догадки, трупове, китайски мавзолей, канални зомбита и още куп други неща, на които не успявам да дам имена. :)
Няма толкова абсурдна история, която така да те радва и същевременно да ти дава усещане за по-важно и значимо послание. Така де, едва ли скоро ни е хрумвало да си зададем въпроса: Колко мои Аз съм убил досега?
С голямо удоволствие се включих в "убийството" на Констанс и за кратко време искрено съжалявах, че споменатите имена на покритите с прах холивудски звезди, са ми непознати. Убедена съм, че ако имената ми говореха нещо, щях да се смея на глас, не само да се подсмихвам на странните и абсурдни разговори и случки. Въпреки тази малка пречка, искрено се забавлявах със странната дружина и лудешкото им приключение, изпълнено с догадки, трупове, китайски мавзолей, канални зомбита и още куп други неща, на които не успявам да дам имена. :)
Няма толкова абсурдна история, която така да те радва и същевременно да ти дава усещане за по-важно и значимо послание. Така де, едва ли скоро ни е хрумвало да си зададем въпроса: Колко мои Аз съм убил досега?
August 19, 2014
This book was not good. What works in a short story does not translate to a 200+ page novel. It's not a good sign that I was reading a Philip K. Dick book at the same time, and THIS book was more heady and trippy. The mistake Bradbury makes (yeesh, that sucks to say) is not giving the reader anything tangible to stand on. We are constantly whisked away here and yonder before we really know what's going on. It's very quick and conversational, which works fine in his shorter works, but doesn't work to great or even good effect for me here. Not near the best from an undoubtedly great author.
October 9, 2007
This was rather disappointing because the story was all over the place. I kept on reading in the hopes that it would get better and something would make the plot worthwhile. The identity crisis theme could have been better developed. But there were definitely some interesting scenes.
oh-well-i-tried
October 31, 2020I made it about a third of the way through and it just wasn’t doing anything for me so decided not to bother any more. Too convoluted and deliberately (I assume) vague, probably lots of references I wasn’t getting.
February 24, 2018
I recommend you pick some other Bradbury work to read unless your a fan of 20's & 30's Hollywood stars and wacky detective novels.
January 2, 2026
“—¿Cómo es posible que alguien como Constance sea relámpago, foca circense, bromista desatada y ser humano carcajeante al tiempo que demonio encarnado y experta en el manejo despiadado de la baraja trucada de la vida?
—Pregúntaselo a Alejandro Magno (…) Mira a Atila, el rey de los hunos, que adoraba a los perros; Hitler también (…) ¿Cómo se puede acunar gatitos y cortar cuellos, dorar galletitas al horno y retostar personas también?”
Este libro se sintió como una extraña mezcla entre Shakespeare por el estilo teatral de los diálogos, y Agatha Christie por la atmósfera de misterio. Y honestamente son las únicas cosas que rescato del libro. No terminé de entender muy bien la conexión que tenían ninguno de los personajes entre sí ni sus motivaciones, aunque sorprendentemente el único personaje que creo que pude comprender fue el de Constance, del resto entiendo sus roles narrativos dentro de la historia, pero no sé muy bien quiénes son como personajes, lo cual me llevaba a preguntarme en ocasiones por qué les importa resolver el misterio detrás de Constance, pero quiero creer que fue intencional. Sin embargo, el misterio me mantuvo muy enganchada hasta la ultima página.
—Pregúntaselo a Alejandro Magno (…) Mira a Atila, el rey de los hunos, que adoraba a los perros; Hitler también (…) ¿Cómo se puede acunar gatitos y cortar cuellos, dorar galletitas al horno y retostar personas también?”
Este libro se sintió como una extraña mezcla entre Shakespeare por el estilo teatral de los diálogos, y Agatha Christie por la atmósfera de misterio. Y honestamente son las únicas cosas que rescato del libro. No terminé de entender muy bien la conexión que tenían ninguno de los personajes entre sí ni sus motivaciones, aunque sorprendentemente el único personaje que creo que pude comprender fue el de Constance, del resto entiendo sus roles narrativos dentro de la historia, pero no sé muy bien quiénes son como personajes, lo cual me llevaba a preguntarme en ocasiones por qué les importa resolver el misterio detrás de Constance, pero quiero creer que fue intencional. Sin embargo, el misterio me mantuvo muy enganchada hasta la ultima página.
January 17, 2014
Meh. I'm a fan of Ray Bradbury. But, if you're looking for a great Bradbury book, this isn't the one. Kept waiting for the story to take off or and it's just . . . well, boring. One of those books you stick with to the end and then wish you'd trusted your instincts and put it down after chapter 1. :(
If you're looking for something great by Bradbury, try "Dandelion Wine" or "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
If you're looking for something great by Bradbury, try "Dandelion Wine" or "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
March 23, 2018
Няма нещо, което да ми хареса в книгата. Наистина не трябваше да чета "криминалните" романи на Бредбъри, за да си остана с възторга от класическите му произведения. "Смъртта е занимание самотно" също не беше нищо особено, но Констанс удари дъното. Не мога да повярвам, че един и същи автор е писал "Вино от глухарчета", "Сбогом, лято", "451 градуса по Фаренхайт" и това!
September 24, 2025
2.75/5
This started off quirky but interesting, but ended up just being a big bowl of nonsense.
This started off quirky but interesting, but ended up just being a big bowl of nonsense.
April 17, 2024
I love Fahrenheit 451 but this one is not for me.
March 9, 2025
Ok so this story is written in a super silly way and the characters are outrageous. I didn't enjoy the entire reading of this story, but overall I found it entertaining. Finally, I was in the end surprised by the depth of the story. It has a really beautiful touching last scene that kind of made my heart bleed. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because, come on, Bradbury is an amazing storyteller, I just didn't expect this style from him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2013
This was not what I expected from Ray Bradbury. As I was reading it, I found I was not getting it.
I was compelled to read on because the dialogue was interesting but it seemed like the reader wasn't supposed to know all the references because I certainly didn't. I just couldn't put the book down so I kept reading and then about 50 pages from the end, I was saying, "OH, okay, yes, I do get it." I had to read fast to find out the conclusion. I don't think I've ever read a book so fast.
One of my favorite parts was toward the end when the chairs were set up for all the characters and things were explained by the narrator.
I was compelled to read on because the dialogue was interesting but it seemed like the reader wasn't supposed to know all the references because I certainly didn't. I just couldn't put the book down so I kept reading and then about 50 pages from the end, I was saying, "OH, okay, yes, I do get it." I had to read fast to find out the conclusion. I don't think I've ever read a book so fast.
One of my favorite parts was toward the end when the chairs were set up for all the characters and things were explained by the narrator.
August 15, 2012
I read Death is a Lonely Business and A Graveyard for Lunatics years and years ago, and they were magical. Now I'm afraid to reread them, because either I was just totally wrong, or this third book in the series is a tossed-off afterthought (please let that be the case). This was just kind of a mess. It had the same breathlessness, the same endearingly madcap characters, but none of the depth of the others.
May 22, 2015
This was surprising. Bradbury is one of my favorite writers, but I found this novel's writing style to be choppy and disjointed. I think that Bradbury's writing style just works better in sci-fi and dystopian than it does in mystery. This book was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I found I had to force myself to read when I didn't want to and that it was just a very dull book for me.
July 4, 2019
Not great, not terrible. Екзистенційно-метафоричний Бредбері - про старіння і буття собою. Але все це вибудувано на ностальгії за кінокультурою 1930-х — 1940-х рр., тому неамериканському читачу не буде зрозумілим і ностальгійним.
October 28, 2011
Well....you might find Ray Bradbury's Let's All Kill Constance shelved at your local library or bookstore under "mystery" but let me tell you, this ain't your usual detective novel. This is Bradbury channeling Faulkner or some other stream-of-consciousness writer and throwing all his lovely language and metaphors into a mixer and spewing out craziness. Seriously.
As if it's not crazy enough that our unnamed hero has an aging, has-been Hollywood star, Constance Rattigan (Is that a glamorous, star-studded name or what....makes me think of Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. Sorry, got distracted there for a minute.)...where was I? Oh, yeah. An aging, has-been Hollywood star, Constance Rattigan, pounding on his door one "dark and stormy night" swearing that Death is following her. Literally. He's left his calling card on her her doorstep in the form of two "books of death": an old phone book where everyone she knows is dead (except her) and her old, discarded "little black book" where nearly everyone is dead and the ones who aren't (including her) seem to be marked for the grave. She begs for his help, dumps the books, and vanishes. He spends the rest of the book hunting down ghosts. Ghosts of Hollywood past. Ghosts of Contance's past. Ghosts that seem to be dogging his footsteps. With his sidekick, Crumley, he takes off in a dilapidated old car and visits characters from Tinseltown's glory days. Each one leading him further on the trail of secrets. Is everyone really out to kill Constance or is she the one leaving a path of destruction in her wake?
And this doesn't even touch the strangeness that passes for dialogue in this novel. I'm quite sure there are all sorts of in-jokes and references that have gone right over my head. But I was so lost in the stream that I'm not sure I would have recognized any that I did know. Bradbury can write. You'll get no argument from me on that one. But I like it a lot better when I feel like I've got solid ground under my feet. I spent most of the book feeling like I was in one of those Fun Houses at the Carnival where the floor suddenly tips or bounce or slides or you-name-it. I couldn't get a grip on any of it.
When I read his mystery Death Is a Lonely Business, I said:
"The plot line is a bit shaky...disappearing in the mist at times like the shadowy character of Death's friend, but his descriptions are solid and the clues are there if the reader is quick enough to spot them. His characters are real and you feel the unnamed hero's frustration and fear as he tries to figure out who is next on Death's list and unmask the killer before he claims all his victims."
This time I had no clue whatsoever what was going on. Two stars (sortof) out of five.
As if it's not crazy enough that our unnamed hero has an aging, has-been Hollywood star, Constance Rattigan (Is that a glamorous, star-studded name or what....makes me think of Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. Sorry, got distracted there for a minute.)...where was I? Oh, yeah. An aging, has-been Hollywood star, Constance Rattigan, pounding on his door one "dark and stormy night" swearing that Death is following her. Literally. He's left his calling card on her her doorstep in the form of two "books of death": an old phone book where everyone she knows is dead (except her) and her old, discarded "little black book" where nearly everyone is dead and the ones who aren't (including her) seem to be marked for the grave. She begs for his help, dumps the books, and vanishes. He spends the rest of the book hunting down ghosts. Ghosts of Hollywood past. Ghosts of Contance's past. Ghosts that seem to be dogging his footsteps. With his sidekick, Crumley, he takes off in a dilapidated old car and visits characters from Tinseltown's glory days. Each one leading him further on the trail of secrets. Is everyone really out to kill Constance or is she the one leaving a path of destruction in her wake?
And this doesn't even touch the strangeness that passes for dialogue in this novel. I'm quite sure there are all sorts of in-jokes and references that have gone right over my head. But I was so lost in the stream that I'm not sure I would have recognized any that I did know. Bradbury can write. You'll get no argument from me on that one. But I like it a lot better when I feel like I've got solid ground under my feet. I spent most of the book feeling like I was in one of those Fun Houses at the Carnival where the floor suddenly tips or bounce or slides or you-name-it. I couldn't get a grip on any of it.
When I read his mystery Death Is a Lonely Business, I said:
"The plot line is a bit shaky...disappearing in the mist at times like the shadowy character of Death's friend, but his descriptions are solid and the clues are there if the reader is quick enough to spot them. His characters are real and you feel the unnamed hero's frustration and fear as he tries to figure out who is next on Death's list and unmask the killer before he claims all his victims."
This time I had no clue whatsoever what was going on. Two stars (sortof) out of five.
April 18, 2017
I have to start off by saying that I don't believe that there is such thing as over-analyzing books. With that out of the way, I have to say that the second time reading the book was so much better for me. The first time I thought that only the ending is open to interpretation, however now as I think more of it, I feel like the whole thing is open to interpretation. Even though we have the main reveal displayed straightforward, I find many underlying themes that can be interpreted in so many various ways. It was so fascinating thinking what each theme meant for me and how it can be more deeply understood.
Admittedly, I have some minor criticism about the story, however I am willing to overlook the particular portions that I disliked, giving it off to the fact that I am so not familiar with the time the storyline is set. In other words, I decide to not blame the book for not explaining/ elaborating on the things I found honestly annoying. Instead, I admit that I don't have enough knowledge of the background of the story (the age and the previous books). The annoying parts did not last for very long so all was good, because they did not stay for long enough to annoy me so much that I actually pay more attention to them.
There is more to the book than what we see at first. I am sure that if I try to rad it again in a year or two, I will delve even deeper into the story and probably find even more fascinating revelations.
Admittedly, I have some minor criticism about the story, however I am willing to overlook the particular portions that I disliked, giving it off to the fact that I am so not familiar with the time the storyline is set. In other words, I decide to not blame the book for not explaining/ elaborating on the things I found honestly annoying. Instead, I admit that I don't have enough knowledge of the background of the story (the age and the previous books). The annoying parts did not last for very long so all was good, because they did not stay for long enough to annoy me so much that I actually pay more attention to them.
There is more to the book than what we see at first. I am sure that if I try to rad it again in a year or two, I will delve even deeper into the story and probably find even more fascinating revelations.
February 5, 2009
I bought a signed copy of this book at the LA Times book fair at UCLA in 2008 because, after reading Fahrenheit 451, I was inspired to read another of Bradbury's books. It was not what I had expected of Bradbury. But don't get me wrong, I don't mean that in a bad way. All I mean to say is that, being used to Bradbury's usual sci-fi futuristic theme, I was surprised to find this one a mystery. But, nevertheless, I loved every second of it. There were two things about this book I will never forget:
1) Bradbury starts the book with: It was a dark and stormy night and then addressing the reader with Is that one way to catch the reader's attention?
2) He makes a subtle reference to Fahrenheit 451 and this came out nearly 10 years before Fahrenheit 451, sort of like foreshadowing his own writing. I won't spoil the fun for you but if you end up reading this book, look for it and tell me if you find it!
I love that Bradbury always knows how to catch the reader's attention and is always bold in doing so.
1) Bradbury starts the book with: It was a dark and stormy night and then addressing the reader with Is that one way to catch the reader's attention?
2) He makes a subtle reference to Fahrenheit 451 and this came out nearly 10 years before Fahrenheit 451, sort of like foreshadowing his own writing. I won't spoil the fun for you but if you end up reading this book, look for it and tell me if you find it!
I love that Bradbury always knows how to catch the reader's attention and is always bold in doing so.
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