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Le jour des Morts
Ville frontière entre le Mexique et l’Eldorado américain, Tijuana est une improbable Gomorrhe des temps modernes où tout s’achète et se vend pour une poignée de dollars. C’est dans cette cité-fournaise gangrenée par la corruption, le bruit, la misère, la violence et le sexe qu’a fini par échouer Vincent Calhoun, un ancien Marine devenu agent de la DEA, les Stups américains. Accro au jeu et endetté, Calhoun se maintient à la surface en monnayant ses services de passeur. Immigrants clandestins, criminels condamnés, barons de la drogue : peu importe la cargaison pourvu que l’argent rentre.
La veille du jour des Morts, Céleste Stone débarque d’un car de prisonniers nouvellement libérés sur la grand-place de Tijuana. Dix ans après un premier coup de foudre fatal et une condamnation pour viol sur mineure, alors qu’il est professeur d’espagnol et Céleste lycéenne, Calhoun retombe instantanément, viscéralement amoureux de la jeune femme. À bout de course, épuisé par une fièvre infectieuse, il veut croire au retour de sa bonne étoile ; la réapparition de Céleste précipitera pourtant sa descente aux enfers.
Le Jour des Morts de Kent Harrington est un grand thriller noir, une œuvre puissante qui explore les profondeurs de la corruption humaine en quête d’un peu de lumière, celle d’une possible rédemption.
Édition révisée : Cette édition de Le jour des Morts comprend des révisions éditoriales.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Kent Harrington
25 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Kent Harrington is a 4th generation San Franciscan, born to an Irish-Jewish father and Guatemalan mother. His early education was spent at the Palo Alto Military Academy, where he was sent at an early age. He attended San Francisco State University and received a degree in Spanish Literature. After living both in Spain and Latin America, he returned to the Bay Area and began his career as a novelist supporting himself as a teacher, carpenter, factory worker and life insurance salesman.
His first published work was the well-received noir thriller Dark Ride published in 1997. Booklist’s review wrote: “This is as noir as it gets.” His follow-up noir thriller Dia De Los Muertos is now considered a modern crime classic. Amazon’s editorial review says: “If "American noir" were in the dictionary, you might find Kent Harrington's picture in place of the definition.”
Other works include Red Jungle, set in Guatemala, and The Good Physician. Both novels were compared to Graham Greene and John le Carré’s work. Red Jungle was selected as one of the “10 best crime novels” of the year by Booklist.
Kent Harrington is the author of seven novels, the latest, The Rat Machine, will be published by Market Street Books in 2013. He lives in Northern California with his wife.
Kent Harrington is a 4th generation San Franciscan, born to an Irish-Jewish father and Guatemalan mother. His early education was spent at the Palo Alto Military Academy, where he was sent at an early age. He attended San Francisco State University and received a degree in Spanish Literature. After living both in Spain and Latin America, he returned to the Bay Area and began his career as a novelist supporting himself as a teacher, carpenter, factory worker and life insurance salesman.
His first published work was the well-received noir thriller Dark Ride published in 1997. Booklist’s review wrote: “This is as noir as it gets.” His follow-up noir thriller Dia De Los Muertos is now considered a modern crime classic. Amazon’s editorial review says: “If "American noir" were in the dictionary, you might find Kent Harrington's picture in place of the definition.”
Other works include Red Jungle, set in Guatemala, and The Good Physician. Both novels were compared to Graham Greene and John le Carré’s work. Red Jungle was selected as one of the “10 best crime novels” of the year by Booklist.
Kent Harrington is the author of seven novels, the latest, The Rat Machine, will be published by Market Street Books in 2013. He lives in Northern California with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 1, 2015
Well, it ain't opening night at the opera," Calhoun reminded himself, saying it out loud. "It's Tijuana at seven o'clock. Pussy, pot or pills is the order of the day!"
Calhoun is a DEA agent/criminal who runs a business shuttling paying customers across the border. He's suffering from dengue fever, agambling losing problem, and a blinding love for a dangerous woman. There's tons of action, sex and an obese man being rolled around on a dolly.
Wow! I made that sound really exciting, didn't I? And yet . . . this never really caught fire for me, and I found it a drag to read. I'm not sure why, as it's solidly written and Harrington does a great job of painting the rampant corruption. No one is innocent here - even Calhoun's doctor is a sleazy pederast. So, why didn't I care about any of these characters? I normally dig a good antihero, but I was rooting for our protagonist to die sooner rather than later. Throw in a fairly graphic description of a greyhound being tormented, and there's really not much here to recommend.
If you're looking for a good read about a corrupt Mexico city, check out The Black Minutes, instead.
Calhoun is a DEA agent/criminal who runs a business shuttling paying customers across the border. He's suffering from dengue fever, a
Wow! I made that sound really exciting, didn't I? And yet . . . this never really caught fire for me, and I found it a drag to read. I'm not sure why, as it's solidly written and Harrington does a great job of painting the rampant corruption. No one is innocent here - even Calhoun's doctor is a sleazy pederast. So, why didn't I care about any of these characters? I normally dig a good antihero, but I was rooting for our protagonist to die sooner rather than later. Throw in a fairly graphic description of a greyhound being tormented, and there's really not much here to recommend.
If you're looking for a good read about a corrupt Mexico city, check out The Black Minutes, instead.
June 22, 2008
This is a piece of violent noir fiction set in Tijuana, Mexico. The main character is a corrupt, doom-driven U.S. DEA agent who sidelines as a "coyote", running human cargo over the U.S./Mexico border, and well...there's a girl involved (isn't there always?), as well as guns, booze, drugs, sex, tons of regret, madness and rapid-fire, savage death.
In some ways, it's reminiscent of Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO, at least to me...there's a brawling, hallucinatory aspect to some of the prose that seems to fit the perspective of the main character--a jaded, deadly man who, having lost his moorings a long time ago, just doesn't give a damn anymore.
I enjoyed it greatly, but "cozy mystery" readers should stay far, far away, so as not to offend their dainty sensibilities. You folks would be better served by dog-eared Ms. Marple paperbacks...but for anyone that likes to walk down much darker streets, this is a solid, fast-paced, twisted read. Recommended.
(Please note: this review is the same exact review I left for the hardcover version listed here on Goodreads. Are we cool on that? Cool.)
In some ways, it's reminiscent of Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO, at least to me...there's a brawling, hallucinatory aspect to some of the prose that seems to fit the perspective of the main character--a jaded, deadly man who, having lost his moorings a long time ago, just doesn't give a damn anymore.
I enjoyed it greatly, but "cozy mystery" readers should stay far, far away, so as not to offend their dainty sensibilities. You folks would be better served by dog-eared Ms. Marple paperbacks...but for anyone that likes to walk down much darker streets, this is a solid, fast-paced, twisted read. Recommended.
(Please note: this review is the same exact review I left for the hardcover version listed here on Goodreads. Are we cool on that? Cool.)
June 11, 2012
'Dia De Los Muertos' - Day of the Dead
Author Kent Harrington has written a deceptively good Mexican noir, personified by the desert grit and inner city grime that molds a second skin to the dangerous characters of his creation. Central to proceedings is Vincent Calhoun, a man sick with dengue fever who gives just as good as he gets. A degenerate gambler and sometimes silent type, he's the typical male lead where a hard man is required. Harrington did a good job at executing the fever pitch and pace of the novel to match Calhoun's own mind state.
"You're bleeding to death...you have dengue fever, and you want me to die with you for some money supposedly in Los Angeles, held in trust by a pretty girl"
Drugs, corruption, people smuggling, sex and humour blend together to provide an encompassing look at the seedy world of cross border illegal operations. There are many 'crossings' throughout all capturing a slightly different slant on the illegal nature (straight smuggling to dope peddling to political asylum) yet the story itself really comes to life about two thirds of the way through with the earlier passages serving as a precursor to the main event. That said, the back story and history surrounding Calhoun, his DEA partner and Mexican police contacts all added context to the final act.
The correlation between Vincent Calhoun and Tijuana is a reflection on all that is damaged, misguided, and dangerous under a camouflage of normalcy. The DEA cop is corrupt as they come, acting as coyote in trafficking people across the Mexico/US border for a fee; he's moved from one occupation tainted by his nature to another tainted yet again by a compulsion of self destruction. Formerly a teachers aid, Calhoun was found having inappropriate relations with a 16yr old student and promptly shipped off to the Marines. This did little to quench his lust for his teenage infatuation as throughout the novel he spouts a delusional proclamation for the love of his life and attempts to once again rekindle the embers of a past conquest.
The conclusion to 'Dia De Los Meurtos' is beautiful in its brutality and as many have said 'film worthy' - if ever Mexican noir needed a point of reference for the sub genre then this is it. A damn fine piece of writing offset with a healthy dose of action, suspense, violence and dread - without a doubt the strongest component to the novel. 4 stars.
The Forward and Backward by James Crumley provides and excellent overview of the novels intention and captures the essence of the tainted Tijuana and the attraction to it by those from across the border. Well worth the price of admission for Crumley's words alone. Kent Harrington also chips in with a semi-essay on the origins of the novel and his personal experience with Tijuana and some of its people.
Author Kent Harrington has written a deceptively good Mexican noir, personified by the desert grit and inner city grime that molds a second skin to the dangerous characters of his creation. Central to proceedings is Vincent Calhoun, a man sick with dengue fever who gives just as good as he gets. A degenerate gambler and sometimes silent type, he's the typical male lead where a hard man is required. Harrington did a good job at executing the fever pitch and pace of the novel to match Calhoun's own mind state.
"You're bleeding to death...you have dengue fever, and you want me to die with you for some money supposedly in Los Angeles, held in trust by a pretty girl"
Drugs, corruption, people smuggling, sex and humour blend together to provide an encompassing look at the seedy world of cross border illegal operations. There are many 'crossings' throughout all capturing a slightly different slant on the illegal nature (straight smuggling to dope peddling to political asylum) yet the story itself really comes to life about two thirds of the way through with the earlier passages serving as a precursor to the main event. That said, the back story and history surrounding Calhoun, his DEA partner and Mexican police contacts all added context to the final act.
The correlation between Vincent Calhoun and Tijuana is a reflection on all that is damaged, misguided, and dangerous under a camouflage of normalcy. The DEA cop is corrupt as they come, acting as coyote in trafficking people across the Mexico/US border for a fee; he's moved from one occupation tainted by his nature to another tainted yet again by a compulsion of self destruction. Formerly a teachers aid, Calhoun was found having inappropriate relations with a 16yr old student and promptly shipped off to the Marines. This did little to quench his lust for his teenage infatuation as throughout the novel he spouts a delusional proclamation for the love of his life and attempts to once again rekindle the embers of a past conquest.
The conclusion to 'Dia De Los Meurtos' is beautiful in its brutality and as many have said 'film worthy' - if ever Mexican noir needed a point of reference for the sub genre then this is it. A damn fine piece of writing offset with a healthy dose of action, suspense, violence and dread - without a doubt the strongest component to the novel. 4 stars.
The Forward and Backward by James Crumley provides and excellent overview of the novels intention and captures the essence of the tainted Tijuana and the attraction to it by those from across the border. Well worth the price of admission for Crumley's words alone. Kent Harrington also chips in with a semi-essay on the origins of the novel and his personal experience with Tijuana and some of its people.
June 11, 2009
The Bad Lieutenant goes to Tijuana. With a little Fear & Loathing thrown in.
The book makes such an effort to show the dark side of Tijuana (not difficult) that it creates little empathy for any of the characters. On top of that, many of the characters are stock and familiar.
I'll give the book one thing, the pace is breakneck. It hits the ground running and never really lets up. If it's non-stop action you want, I would definitely recommend it. Even if it gets a little silly and over-the-top.
The James Crumley foreword is great. If you see the book on a shelf, take the five minutes and read the foreword.
The book makes such an effort to show the dark side of Tijuana (not difficult) that it creates little empathy for any of the characters. On top of that, many of the characters are stock and familiar.
I'll give the book one thing, the pace is breakneck. It hits the ground running and never really lets up. If it's non-stop action you want, I would definitely recommend it. Even if it gets a little silly and over-the-top.
The James Crumley foreword is great. If you see the book on a shelf, take the five minutes and read the foreword.
June 5, 2018
Quelque peu décevant malgré le prémice assez alléchant.
Je n'ai malheureusement pas pu accrocher avec l'histoire ou les personnages.
Je n'ai malheureusement pas pu accrocher avec l'histoire ou les personnages.
November 28, 2018
Chronique de Diana :
Voici un thriller noir, son atmosphère va vous coller à la peau comme le soleil brulant et implacable de Tijuana. D'ailleurs vous verrez ô combien la ville est partie intégrante de cette enquête.
Tijuana pourrit tout, les gens, les commerces, les administrations. Notre héros n'échappe pas à ce monstre vorace et tombe au plus bas en frayant avec la lie de la population. On va suivre la descente aux enfers de Calhoun,
Le destin se fait cruel quand Céleste son amour de toujours réapparait en ville. Dès lors, il n'a plus qu'une seule idée en tête la sortir de sa condition de prisonnière et construire une vie avec elle. Pourtant Céleste n'est plus la jeune étudiante qui lui a volé son coeur et sa vie.
Cependant nos personnages courent après une rédemption ou une vie meilleure sans jamais pouvoir échapper à la corruption ambiante. Calhoun rêve d'une vie meilleure avec Céleste, de rebâtir sur les cendres du passé un avenir lumineux. Mais comme toute l'ambiance du roman, la cruauté, la corruption les collent à une réalité sordide.
Ce récit est extrêmement bien écrit, tout est minutieusement orchestré pour vous faire ressentir la lourdeur, le fait qu'on ne peut réécrire son histoire malgré les bonnes intentions. C'est assez dur à lire mais tellement réaliste. J'ai apprécié le fait qu'on se retrouve spectateur en immersion totale en voyant arriver le pire sans jamais pouvoir changer la trame. C'est un peu comme regarder une voiture se crasher sans détourner les yeux. On dépérit avec Calhoun qui est un personnage détruit entièrement mais qui arrive à sublimer ses actions par amour. C'est seulement ainsi qu'il trouve sa rédemption tant recherchée.
Ce roman est palpitant, angoissant, prenant et suffocant. La plume est une merveille et d'une efficacité sans faille dans le genre. Un récit pour les amateurs de thriller noir et brut avec une ambiance qui vous pousse à bout.
Voici un thriller noir, son atmosphère va vous coller à la peau comme le soleil brulant et implacable de Tijuana. D'ailleurs vous verrez ô combien la ville est partie intégrante de cette enquête.
Tijuana pourrit tout, les gens, les commerces, les administrations. Notre héros n'échappe pas à ce monstre vorace et tombe au plus bas en frayant avec la lie de la population. On va suivre la descente aux enfers de Calhoun,
Le destin se fait cruel quand Céleste son amour de toujours réapparait en ville. Dès lors, il n'a plus qu'une seule idée en tête la sortir de sa condition de prisonnière et construire une vie avec elle. Pourtant Céleste n'est plus la jeune étudiante qui lui a volé son coeur et sa vie.
Cependant nos personnages courent après une rédemption ou une vie meilleure sans jamais pouvoir échapper à la corruption ambiante. Calhoun rêve d'une vie meilleure avec Céleste, de rebâtir sur les cendres du passé un avenir lumineux. Mais comme toute l'ambiance du roman, la cruauté, la corruption les collent à une réalité sordide.
Ce récit est extrêmement bien écrit, tout est minutieusement orchestré pour vous faire ressentir la lourdeur, le fait qu'on ne peut réécrire son histoire malgré les bonnes intentions. C'est assez dur à lire mais tellement réaliste. J'ai apprécié le fait qu'on se retrouve spectateur en immersion totale en voyant arriver le pire sans jamais pouvoir changer la trame. C'est un peu comme regarder une voiture se crasher sans détourner les yeux. On dépérit avec Calhoun qui est un personnage détruit entièrement mais qui arrive à sublimer ses actions par amour. C'est seulement ainsi qu'il trouve sa rédemption tant recherchée.
Ce roman est palpitant, angoissant, prenant et suffocant. La plume est une merveille et d'une efficacité sans faille dans le genre. Un récit pour les amateurs de thriller noir et brut avec une ambiance qui vous pousse à bout.
May 17, 2017
This is a decent, "South of the Border" escapade, though it's by no means one of the better examples of the border-noir genre. "Dia" follows the exploits of an American ex-pat named Calhoun who works by day as a lawman and by night as a smuggler of human cargo across the border. He lives a seedy life as a gambler, suffering from dengue fever and struggling to hold on to the love of a woman who loves another senorita.
The writing crackles at times, as when Calhoun goes to the race-track and puts all of his money on a dog with PEDs coursing through its system. And there's a funny scene wherein the hapless antihero tries to cross a morbidly-obese, corrupt politician over the border (using a handcart/dolly). Too often, though, the depiction of life south-of-the-border feels cliche-ridden and the whole tale has a secondhand feel to it. Harrington also never really dives into the most fascinating aspect of his character's life (the smuggling) except to show him gunning his jeep over unforgiving terrain while blasting Rolling Stones really loud in his car. I've read some about the life and work of coyotes (i.e. Ted Connover's book on the subject, as well as "Clandestine Crossings") and Harrington fails to really inject this portion of his tale with much life. A subplot about another law enforcement agent having a homosexual obsession with Calhoun also felt forced and a bit silly.
That said, there were enough flashes of brilliance in the work for me to want to read more Harrington (I've got another one of his novels in my to-read stack), and I'm looking forward to giving another of his books a day in court.
The writing crackles at times, as when Calhoun goes to the race-track and puts all of his money on a dog with PEDs coursing through its system. And there's a funny scene wherein the hapless antihero tries to cross a morbidly-obese, corrupt politician over the border (using a handcart/dolly). Too often, though, the depiction of life south-of-the-border feels cliche-ridden and the whole tale has a secondhand feel to it. Harrington also never really dives into the most fascinating aspect of his character's life (the smuggling) except to show him gunning his jeep over unforgiving terrain while blasting Rolling Stones really loud in his car. I've read some about the life and work of coyotes (i.e. Ted Connover's book on the subject, as well as "Clandestine Crossings") and Harrington fails to really inject this portion of his tale with much life. A subplot about another law enforcement agent having a homosexual obsession with Calhoun also felt forced and a bit silly.
That said, there were enough flashes of brilliance in the work for me to want to read more Harrington (I've got another one of his novels in my to-read stack), and I'm looking forward to giving another of his books a day in court.
July 14, 2018
Merci à Netgalley et aux éditions Amazon Publishing pour cette lecture. Ce roman est une réédition du roman d'origine paru à la fin des années 90.
Dans "Le jour des Morts", on découvre Vincent Calhoun , agent américain, en poste à Tijuana, au Mexique. Bien adapté à la vie locale, il s'est adapté à cette ville aux protes de l'Enfer, en se mêlant à tout un tas de trafics . Sauf qu'en ce jour veille du Dia de los Muertos, tous bascule.
Dans l'ensemble cette lecture reste pour moi une déception.
Du côté des points positifs, j'ai trouvé la description de la ville de Tijuana, et ses vices, très instructive et très fouillée. On se verrait presque au coeur de ses rues, aux côtés de ses habitants. C'est d'ailleurs cette ville et ses codes, qui prend très vite le pas sur l'histoire. On plonge dans la noirceur de ses allées, de ses embrouilles, et du caractère de ses habitants, obligés de s'adapter face à une situation toujours plus dangereuse.
Car c'est là le point négatif, je n'ai pas réussi à accrocher à l'histoire principale, ni à ses personnages. Même s'ils sont loin d'être lisses et inintéressant, je n'ai adhéré ni à leurs actions , ni à leurs destinées. L'intrigue m'a semblé longue, et j'ai eu du mal à finir ce récit très sombre pourtant bourré d'action .
Un polar bien sombre donc , sur lequel je vous laisse vous faire une idée.
Dans "Le jour des Morts", on découvre Vincent Calhoun , agent américain, en poste à Tijuana, au Mexique. Bien adapté à la vie locale, il s'est adapté à cette ville aux protes de l'Enfer, en se mêlant à tout un tas de trafics . Sauf qu'en ce jour veille du Dia de los Muertos, tous bascule.
Dans l'ensemble cette lecture reste pour moi une déception.
Du côté des points positifs, j'ai trouvé la description de la ville de Tijuana, et ses vices, très instructive et très fouillée. On se verrait presque au coeur de ses rues, aux côtés de ses habitants. C'est d'ailleurs cette ville et ses codes, qui prend très vite le pas sur l'histoire. On plonge dans la noirceur de ses allées, de ses embrouilles, et du caractère de ses habitants, obligés de s'adapter face à une situation toujours plus dangereuse.
Car c'est là le point négatif, je n'ai pas réussi à accrocher à l'histoire principale, ni à ses personnages. Même s'ils sont loin d'être lisses et inintéressant, je n'ai adhéré ni à leurs actions , ni à leurs destinées. L'intrigue m'a semblé longue, et j'ai eu du mal à finir ce récit très sombre pourtant bourré d'action .
Un polar bien sombre donc , sur lequel je vous laisse vous faire une idée.
July 9, 2012
Nei paesi dell'America latina, e prevalentemente in Messico, il due novembre si celebra il Giorno dei Morti in modo analogo a come la festa è vissuta nell'Italia meridionale. In Sicilia la paura della morte viene esorcizzata con dolci e regali per bambini il cui dono viene attribuito ai cari estinti; in Messico si festeggia il ritorno dei morti tra i vivi per ritrovare l'affetto familiare, una cerimonia cristiana con radici precolombiane. Cortei, epitaffi divertenti dedicati ai defunti (ma anche ai vivi), doni portati alle tombe e agli altari, dolci a forma di teschi e decorazioni grottesche (soprattutto scheletri truccati e vestiti da abitanti del luogo) mettono al bando ogni timore per il Tristo Mietitore.
E' proprio nel Giorno dei Morti che il romanzo di Kent Harrington è ambientato, in un'afosa Tijuana degli anni '90: alla vigilia del día de los muertos, Vincente Calhoun, corrotto poliziotto impiegato alla DEA, viene ingaggiato da uno strozzino cui deve una gran somma di denaro a causa della sua passione per le corse dei cani funestata da un lungo periodo di malasorte. Da tempo Calhoun, per sostenere le spese delle sue scommesse, si occupa del cosiddetto carico umano, ossia di trasportare clandestini paganti oltre il confine con gli USA per conto del delinquente Slaughter. Con addosso una dengue -detta anche “febbre spaccaossa”- in stato degenerativo che gli annebbia il cervello e lo squassa di tremori, Calhoun si avvia all'alba della giornata più lunga della sua vita, che inizia con un vis-à-vis con la donna che gli ha rovinato la vita quando, giovane di belle speranze, desiderava intraprendere la carriera dell'insegnamento.
Un romanzo non troppo lungo che risulterebbe godibile se non difettasse di un elemento molto semplice: una trama solida che da un punto A conduca a un punto B. Il genere noir è spesso caratterizzato dalla mancanza di una trama rilevante, ma nove decimi del romanzo di Harrington semplicemente descrivono la giornata di Calhoun, i suoi incontri con i creditori, con i complici, con i clienti che trasporterà alla frontiera, in un ritmo serrato -questo sì- e quasi delirante (come il protagonista affetto dalla dengue) che si conclude al termine del giorno festivo. La giornata di Calhoun si configura come il culmine della sua vita da fallito, da delinquente, da giocatore d'azzardo nelle corse e nella vita stessa, senza però, di fatto, costituirsi come un percorso narrativo che risulti significativo. Il ritmo è così serrato da lasciare incredulo il lettore che tutti gli avvenimenti siano accaduti in un unico giorno (agnizioni, sesso, sparatorie, corse clandestine, rapine, fughe rocambolesche, ...) e la sola, vera protagonista degna di nota resta la città di Tijuana, la cui afa opprimente viene resa in modo spettacolare dallo stile dell'autore, perfetto per un noir. Tutto il resto (avvenimenti e protagonisti) è purtroppo troppo frenetico per lasciare un segno duraturo sul lettore.
Ritengo che il ritmo del romanzo sia più adatto a una versione cinematografica, ma penso che un divoratore del genere potrebbe apprezzarlo ugualmente (alcuni pareri sul web considerano Dìa de los muertos una perla inspiegabilmente celata); per tutti gli altri c'è Tijuana.
E' proprio nel Giorno dei Morti che il romanzo di Kent Harrington è ambientato, in un'afosa Tijuana degli anni '90: alla vigilia del día de los muertos, Vincente Calhoun, corrotto poliziotto impiegato alla DEA, viene ingaggiato da uno strozzino cui deve una gran somma di denaro a causa della sua passione per le corse dei cani funestata da un lungo periodo di malasorte. Da tempo Calhoun, per sostenere le spese delle sue scommesse, si occupa del cosiddetto carico umano, ossia di trasportare clandestini paganti oltre il confine con gli USA per conto del delinquente Slaughter. Con addosso una dengue -detta anche “febbre spaccaossa”- in stato degenerativo che gli annebbia il cervello e lo squassa di tremori, Calhoun si avvia all'alba della giornata più lunga della sua vita, che inizia con un vis-à-vis con la donna che gli ha rovinato la vita quando, giovane di belle speranze, desiderava intraprendere la carriera dell'insegnamento.
Un romanzo non troppo lungo che risulterebbe godibile se non difettasse di un elemento molto semplice: una trama solida che da un punto A conduca a un punto B. Il genere noir è spesso caratterizzato dalla mancanza di una trama rilevante, ma nove decimi del romanzo di Harrington semplicemente descrivono la giornata di Calhoun, i suoi incontri con i creditori, con i complici, con i clienti che trasporterà alla frontiera, in un ritmo serrato -questo sì- e quasi delirante (come il protagonista affetto dalla dengue) che si conclude al termine del giorno festivo. La giornata di Calhoun si configura come il culmine della sua vita da fallito, da delinquente, da giocatore d'azzardo nelle corse e nella vita stessa, senza però, di fatto, costituirsi come un percorso narrativo che risulti significativo. Il ritmo è così serrato da lasciare incredulo il lettore che tutti gli avvenimenti siano accaduti in un unico giorno (agnizioni, sesso, sparatorie, corse clandestine, rapine, fughe rocambolesche, ...) e la sola, vera protagonista degna di nota resta la città di Tijuana, la cui afa opprimente viene resa in modo spettacolare dallo stile dell'autore, perfetto per un noir. Tutto il resto (avvenimenti e protagonisti) è purtroppo troppo frenetico per lasciare un segno duraturo sul lettore.
Ritengo che il ritmo del romanzo sia più adatto a una versione cinematografica, ma penso che un divoratore del genere potrebbe apprezzarlo ugualmente (alcuni pareri sul web considerano Dìa de los muertos una perla inspiegabilmente celata); per tutti gli altri c'è Tijuana.
February 12, 2012
Vincent Calhoun is sick with dengue fever. He is sick to his very soul, betraying his country, his oath as a DEA agent, and his "clients." Calhoun is an American drug agent working in Tijuana, indulging in the excesses and corruption of that Mexican border town. He supplements his income - and tries to to cover his losses at the dog track - by smuggling illegal aliens across the border into California. His partner of choice is a Mexican federal cop. His partner of necessity is a well-bred, young, violent British fixer. The pressure on Calhoun mounts as he's "hired" to mule a group of Chinese girls across the border; unknown to him the girls have ingested balloons of heroin. He reunites with an American girl who started his downward spiral in California, pledging to get her back across the border along with a Chilean family and a 500 lb. Mexican crime lord. Everything comes to a head on Mexico's Dia de los Muertes - the Day of the Dead.
In some all too obvious ways, this classic novel noir reminded me of Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil." A central character has no idea of the forces that are leading him. There is ambition, money, lust, and violence. But, unlike Charlton Heston's film character of Mike Vargas, there is no character with a moral center. Calhoun is more like a younger, handsome version of Welles' character, Hank Quinlan. Calhoun has opportunities to get his life straight, but his physical and moral sickness keep him spiraling down to a violent climax.
La Dia de los Muertes is a fast-moving book that rises above the level of pulp, full of fleshed-out colorful characters who populate a continuum of amorality. I enjoyed this book a lot, but felt like taking a shower after I finished it to wash away the sights, smells, and sounds of Tijuana and the denizens of this novel.
In some all too obvious ways, this classic novel noir reminded me of Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil." A central character has no idea of the forces that are leading him. There is ambition, money, lust, and violence. But, unlike Charlton Heston's film character of Mike Vargas, there is no character with a moral center. Calhoun is more like a younger, handsome version of Welles' character, Hank Quinlan. Calhoun has opportunities to get his life straight, but his physical and moral sickness keep him spiraling down to a violent climax.
La Dia de los Muertes is a fast-moving book that rises above the level of pulp, full of fleshed-out colorful characters who populate a continuum of amorality. I enjoyed this book a lot, but felt like taking a shower after I finished it to wash away the sights, smells, and sounds of Tijuana and the denizens of this novel.
August 2, 2011
Nei paesi dell'America latina, e prevalentemente in Messico, il due novembre si celebra il Giorno dei Morti in modo analogo a come la festa è vissuta nell'Italia meridionale. In Sicilia la paura della morte viene esorcizzata con dolci e regali per bambini il cui dono viene attribuito ai cari estinti; in Messico si festeggia il ritorno dei morti tra i vivi per ritrovare l'affetto familiare, una cerimonia cristiana con radici precolombiane. Cortei, epitaffi divertenti dedicati ai defunti (ma anche ai vivi), doni portati alle tombe e agli altari, dolci a forma di teschi e decorazioni grottesche (soprattutto scheletri truccati e vestiti da abitanti del luogo) mettono al bando ogni timore per il Tristo Mietitore.
E' proprio nel Giorno dei Morti che il romanzo di Kent Harrington è ambientato, in un'afosa Tijuana degli anni '90: alla vigilia del día de los muertos, Vincente Calhoun, corrotto poliziotto impiegato alla DEA, viene ingaggiato da uno strozzino cui deve una gran somma di denaro a causa della sua passione per le corse dei cani funestata da un lungo periodo di malasorte. Da tempo Calhoun, per sostenere le spese delle sue scommesse, si occupa del cosiddetto carico umano, ossia di trasportare clandestini paganti oltre il confine con gli USA per conto del delinquente Slaughter. Con addosso una dengue -detta anche “febbre spaccaossa”- in stato degenerativo che gli annebbia il cervello e lo squassa di tremori, Calhoun si avvia all'alba della giornata più lunga della sua vita, che inizia con un vis-à-vis con la donna che gli ha rovinato la vita quando, giovane di belle speranze, desiderava intraprendere la carriera dell'insegnamento.
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E' proprio nel Giorno dei Morti che il romanzo di Kent Harrington è ambientato, in un'afosa Tijuana degli anni '90: alla vigilia del día de los muertos, Vincente Calhoun, corrotto poliziotto impiegato alla DEA, viene ingaggiato da uno strozzino cui deve una gran somma di denaro a causa della sua passione per le corse dei cani funestata da un lungo periodo di malasorte. Da tempo Calhoun, per sostenere le spese delle sue scommesse, si occupa del cosiddetto carico umano, ossia di trasportare clandestini paganti oltre il confine con gli USA per conto del delinquente Slaughter. Con addosso una dengue -detta anche “febbre spaccaossa”- in stato degenerativo che gli annebbia il cervello e lo squassa di tremori, Calhoun si avvia all'alba della giornata più lunga della sua vita, che inizia con un vis-à-vis con la donna che gli ha rovinato la vita quando, giovane di belle speranze, desiderava intraprendere la carriera dell'insegnamento.
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http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
January 6, 2012
Vincent Calhoun lives a thrilling life and not one that I envy, but one that took me for a ride and often held me in suspended disbelief. His reality is unapologetically candid and had me looking on with fascinated horror at each turn of events. Vincent is a man from the wrong side of the tracks literally, working in Tijuana for the DEA. With the sort of luck he has had all his life, including a troubled past that saw him leaving his job as a student teacher in a cloud of scandal, it's small wonder that same past is catching up to confront him. He doesn't count on reuniting with a girl from his past, he doesn't count on falling ill with hemorrhagic fever, but he does count his pesos and his life. His past has led him to this forsaken and foreign path, but it's the present that's the most dangerous.
The story is set mainly in Tijuana, where the culture and people has a strong presence in the story. The language especially is very present in the writing. A few times I found the Spanish words distracting because I couldn't easily catch on to its meaning.
There is a lot going in Vincent's life in a relatively short time with each chapter opening with a specific time and place. It makes it easier to keep track of all the happenings. The story is full of irony and dark humor; two big things that make up Vincent's life.
The story is set mainly in Tijuana, where the culture and people has a strong presence in the story. The language especially is very present in the writing. A few times I found the Spanish words distracting because I couldn't easily catch on to its meaning.
There is a lot going in Vincent's life in a relatively short time with each chapter opening with a specific time and place. It makes it easier to keep track of all the happenings. The story is full of irony and dark humor; two big things that make up Vincent's life.
June 14, 2016
Oh my … I think Harrington is a talented writer who can craft a hard-boiled crime novel. This book focuses on Vincent Calhoun, a DEA agent working in Tijuana, Mexico, who has given in to gambling and corruption. The entire story takes place in about 30 hours, beginning on Nov 1 at 2:00 pm, and ending just short of midnight on the night of Nov 2. In that time frame Harrington manages to cram in several shootings, car chases through the desert, ambushes, drug trafficking, animal doping, loan sharking, kinky sex and even a grossly obese billionaire who is wheeled on a refrigerator dolly through back streets full of drunken revelers. Really? The characters might have been interesting, but as written they were about as flat as the desert landscape. With the exception of a young Guatemalan couple who make just a cameo appearance, I just didn’t care what happened to any of them. What really turned me off, though, was extensive gratuitous sex and violence. It seemed that every time Harrington wrote his character into a jam the way out was either through f**king or killing. He may have the talent to write crime novels, but he wasted it on this drivel.
December 29, 2007
Dia de los Muertos - NR
Harrington, Kent A.
Set in Tijuana during the Day of the Dead festival on November 2, the story follows Vince Calhoun, a DEA agent gone totally off the rails. As a young man he was a teacher in Southern California -- that is, until he couldn't keep his hands off a sexy student and was brought up on statutory rape charges. He chose Marines over jail, and it's implied, spent some dirty years in Central America at the behest of Uncle Sam. Now, he's a man with nothing to lose, smuggling people across the border for a hefty fee and losing all of this back at the greyhound tracks. Although he's scum, he's not the lowest scum in Tijuana -- that would be an Englishman named Slaughter, the one Vince owes a lot of money to.
Set in Mexico with illegals and a corrupt DEA officer, this book is very noir/pulp fiction and contains everything I dislike. It was definitely not for me.
Harrington, Kent A.
Set in Tijuana during the Day of the Dead festival on November 2, the story follows Vince Calhoun, a DEA agent gone totally off the rails. As a young man he was a teacher in Southern California -- that is, until he couldn't keep his hands off a sexy student and was brought up on statutory rape charges. He chose Marines over jail, and it's implied, spent some dirty years in Central America at the behest of Uncle Sam. Now, he's a man with nothing to lose, smuggling people across the border for a hefty fee and losing all of this back at the greyhound tracks. Although he's scum, he's not the lowest scum in Tijuana -- that would be an Englishman named Slaughter, the one Vince owes a lot of money to.
Set in Mexico with illegals and a corrupt DEA officer, this book is very noir/pulp fiction and contains everything I dislike. It was definitely not for me.
June 22, 2008
This is a piece of violent noir fiction set in Tijuana, Mexico. The main character is a corrupt, doom-driven U.S. DEA agent who sidelines as a "coyote", running human cargo over the U.S./Mexico border, and well...there's a girl involved (isn't there always?), as well as guns, booze, drugs, sex, tons of regret, madness and rapid-fire, savage death.
In some ways, it's reminiscent of Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO, at least to me...there's a brawling, hallucinatory aspect to some of the prose that seems to fit the perspective of the main character--a jaded, deadly man who, having lost his moorings a long time ago, just doesn't give a damn anymore.
I enjoyed it greatly, but "cozy mystery" readers should stay far, far away, so as not to offend their dainty sensibilities. You folks would be better served by dog-eared Ms. Marple paperbacks...but for anyone that likes to walk down much darker streets, this is a solid, fast-paced, twisted read. Recommended.
In some ways, it's reminiscent of Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO, at least to me...there's a brawling, hallucinatory aspect to some of the prose that seems to fit the perspective of the main character--a jaded, deadly man who, having lost his moorings a long time ago, just doesn't give a damn anymore.
I enjoyed it greatly, but "cozy mystery" readers should stay far, far away, so as not to offend their dainty sensibilities. You folks would be better served by dog-eared Ms. Marple paperbacks...but for anyone that likes to walk down much darker streets, this is a solid, fast-paced, twisted read. Recommended.
June 24, 2013
I never forgot Kent Harrington's "Dark Ride" after I read it. I wondered for years what he had done next, because his work was not easy to find in the bookstores. What I like about the Harrington style is the combination of truly unsettling, often harrowing situations that still contain a pronounced vein of vicious black humor.
September 21, 2012
Want to get a really gritty feeling and understanding of how things work down on the border. Read Kent Harrington's fascinating novel. It will stay with you long after you close the book.
Read
June 27, 2016disturbing book, but if you like noir books this is one for you.
Want to read
March 16, 2019Synopsis: DEA Agent Calhoun and his crooked partners are rich from helping crooks and refugees into the US from Tijuana. Then a girl arrives.
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