The Easiest Thing in the World

by George V. Higgins, Robert B. Parker (Introduction), Matthew J. Bruccoli (Editor)

The Easiest Thing in the World is a riveting collection of stories, film treatments, plays, and two never-before-published novellas—the titular work and Slowly Now the Dancer. This is the prose we've come to expect from Higgins: tough tales of corruption and revenge, wrapped in a meticulously informal dialogue that is astoundingly familiar in its tenor yet emanating from a part of town most would rather not visit. This is an indispensable addition to not only the Higgins library but also to the canon of American crime fiction.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Crime

308 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2004

About the author

George Vincent Higgins was a United States author, lawyer, newspaper columnist, and college professor. He is best known for his bestselling crime novels.

Reviews

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a hodgepodge of things not published (for the most part) prior to Higgins death in 1999. Two of the short stories fall just short of being novellas. It's the type of dialogue you expect from Higgins, and the characters are the usual crooks and counselors. I spent time studying his use of dialogue (and dialect) and rhythms. Like Elmore Leonard, Higgins always uses "said," if a character speaks...they never "breathlessly" or "somberly"...they just "said." Good rule.