The Sucker's Kiss: A Novel

by Alan Parker

From the highly acclaimed director of Midnight Express and The Commitments comes a sparkling story of a pickpocket's odyssey through America. During the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, seven-year-old Thomas Moran finds himself accidentally embarking on a career in pick-pocketing. In the following years he becomes a master of his dubious craft and grows to manhood traveling from state to state across America. His picaresque journey takes him through Prohibition and the Depression; into the desperate highs of the Hootchy-Kootchy and the dying vineyards of California, accompanied by an array of richly drawn characters frantically clutching at the crumbling American Dream. Italian and Chinese gangsters, con-artists, corrupt clergy, and speak-easy bootleggers all have a part to play in Tommy's destiny, but it is Effie, the great love of his life, who offers him the chance to change his future, and tries to save him from himself. Colorfully written, engaging and richly evocative of an extraordinary period in American history, The Sucker's Kiss marks the literary debut of a master storyteller.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining lightweight read about the adventures of a pickpocket, Tommy Moran, taking place during the Great Depression and Prohibition in the San Francisco Bay Area. The story starts during the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco but doesn't really delve into the earthquake situation as deeply as I had hoped. Though I thoroughly enjoyed taking the journey with him, the book came to a rather abrupt conclusion rather than resolving conflicts developed within the storyline. The character development was excellent in the book and made being able to visualize the characters very easy. From a woman's point of view, I would have enjoyed more character development of Effie so that at the conclusion, we could understand exactly what she went through and why she made the choices she made. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I thoroughly enjoyed the references to real locations in the Bay Area as Tommy made his travels.

[Tama · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to buy Alan Parker’s ‘Sucker’s Kiss’ at the time of finding it. And I almost have to read it seeing as this man directed my favourite movie. And is undoubtedly a god in cinematic storytelling :)

But ‘Sucker’s Kiss’ feels like a person trying their hand at writing the most basic novel possible. Crafting scenes to state dramatic ironies, and build a character so you know their background and hopefully say something about humanity that way. I love his poetry work, of which I only know his ‘Birdy’ piece. But this one is unimportant.

It is that kind of history-buff-old-person’s project, where they try to make something average and passable. It’s not the worst thing I’ve read. But its suited more to a middle grade reader, only that it has a threesome scene for no good reason. Felt filthy. Mr. Parker. And then mutilated naked bodies...

I couldn’t get past halfway. Read the last few pages to satisfying dissatisfaction. It’s insane how bad it is when this man is capable of lyrical creation in every other regard. He’s written some kind of 1910s exploitation movie dressed up with a simple narration. No doubt he worked hard on it, but this thing is a flop.

[Kim Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely descriptive & I enjoyed remembering the streets in San Francisco & how beautiful Napa & Sonoma Valley are in California. It is indeed a wonderful odyssey through America during the time period of the Great Depression & Prohibition. Why Thomas Moran does what he does in the end seems a bit sudden & the story quickly concludes. Perhaps the ending is realistic, but it just seems to have reached an abrupt end.

[Preloved reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of Peaky blinder's kind of read, it's a Yes for me...felt like watching a movie...Tommy is a filthy animal yes yet it is wonderful story told,definitely worth a read. if only there would be a movie adaptation please make Tom Hardy as Tommy, he is my Tommy and he is what i imagine while reading it so please producers hear me out :)

[Madge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning was great, then got alittle slow..

[Jackie Thurston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this some sad parts and some really funny parts worth the read

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one which made it from the back to the front of the bookcase when i unpacked, but a much luckier find. It follows Tommy, born in 1899, from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through into the 30's. Tommy lives by picking pockets and keeps on the move across America. The story takes you through prohibition and the depression, and into some fairly shady places, while Tommy is definitely a flawed hero. But he's always written with compassion, and i was rooting for him to get a happier ending than he did. The other characters are well drawn and interesting, both the major and the minor ones. The author, by the way, is a film director who did Bugsy Malone and Angela's Ashes. Plus quite a few others but i think he drew on what he learnt in those two in particular in writing this debut novel. The book left me thinking afterwards. Not a cosy read, but one i'm glad i found again.

[Christopher Dionesotes]

It began as a pickpocket's story. The journey the story travelled took a major detour although it told quite a story! It's told in the first person, and it took quite a while to get accustomed to the way the main character spoke without thinking the writing was awful. The last 50 pages were the most interesting although they really had nothing to do with the way the novel was marketed. Take a pass on this book.

[Mom2nine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an easy read, but oddly written. Follows the life of a boy who starts picking pockets at 7, is on his own at 14. He travels the country by rail connecting with the underbelly of society. Not really a plot with an ending, rather vignettes of his life. Parker should probably not quit his day job, as this could possibly be turned into a movie, but just didn't have the natural flow of a book.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea why so many gave this book such a low rating. It is a picaresque Bildungsroman with touches of Oliver Twist, Little Big Man (one of my favorites), Huckleberry Finn, Ragtime, and an added dash of The Scarlet Letter. How could you go wrong? It is entertaining and well researched. I flew through it, at least by my standards of flying.

[Sid Hawkins was ballard · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reminded me a little of 'Once Upon a Time in America', I think as the author is primarily a film director, I can see how it would work as a film, but it doesn't work as well as a book - there's not enough depth to it somehow. I was confused by the ending too, did his old friend Sammy ultimately stitch him up or help him avoid death row?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one I picked up at the Goodwill. Cool story about a kid who finds that he has a talent for picking pockets during the San francisco earthquake and makes a career out of it. The story follows him through prohibition and the great depression. The ending isn't that hot though.

[Chambodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, but choppy. It actually reads like a collection of short stories for the first half due to the nature of the main character's life as a pickpocket vagabond. When the plot does coalesce in the second half, the story gets weighted down and more bleak than I expected.

[Rae Stanton · Rating 2 out of 5]

a good yarn about a young pickpocket who travels around the US without much purpose, until he meets a girl. The story (along with the young man) gets a bit more grounded and things start to get interesting. Nothing fancy, but quite entertaining.

[Amy Black]

so far so good :)

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone. The story line carries fluidity starting with a pickpocket that has a pickpocket's morals and flows right through to the Mafia in all its glory.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Parker should stick to movies.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really have a lot to say about this book, I found it totally inoffensive but not really interesting on any level. Not bad, just not exciting!

[Kate Gardner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed for my student paper.

[Pipa Guest · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a colleague at work and i thoroughly loved it. A gentle story about America during prohibition and a young boy who grows up whilst it is in force.

[Anne Mcallister · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, was expecting a Mills and Boon from the picture on the cover, bit it was a bit more interesting than that.

[Sofsof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Señora de la biblioteca why did you made me read this 😔

[Þóra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hugmyndin góð en frásögnin nær aldrei flugi og endirinn passaði einhvern vegin ekki.

[Aj Davenport · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found the main character engaging and loved the setting. I didn't feel there was much of an arc in the story.

Not a bad book, not a great book. Just a little brain candy.