I ended up reading this entire book without realizing it was the third of a trilogy! I’m actually kind of upset that I did that, but I think it’s really awesome how Pelecanos made the book understandable to people like me who came across it and hadn’t read the first two. (In my defense, the research I did on it said nothing about it being part of a trilogy). Probably because I hadn’t read the first two, I felt like I didn’t get to see too much character development. (Naturally, the character development I did see is stuff I can’t talk about, because spoilers!). Nevertheless, I definitely got emotionally attached to the characters. Connie Sandlin wrote, “Even though there is much moral ambiguity in the actions of many of the characters, including Strange, I did come away with the feeling that the justice that had been done was mainly fitting. Pelecanos obviously knows his territory (Washington, D.C. and environs) very, very well and seems to have a keen sense of what goes on (and what has gone on, in the past) in his actual hometown of Washington, D.C.” I really agree with this; the amount of detail Pelecanos had to know about his setting is extensive, right down to the street names and the way the characters talked. Well, while I’m on the topic of the language, I understand that some could find it offensive, but I think it added a lot to the story. Laurie Stoll wrote that, “After reading 30 pages of Ebonics I finally gave up trying to read this story.” I thought that was what made the story more realistic, and, although some of it might have gone over my head, I thought it made the story better and kept me interested. Honestly, some of the parts seemed confusing at times (again, probably because I hadn’t read the other two). I was really moved by the ending specifically; it actually got majorly existential towards the end (and I can’t say anymore because of spoilers), and I absolutely LOVED it. The ending had to be the best part of the story, hands down. It could get a little slow or confusing at other points, but everything was tied together by the final chapter(s).Going with a psychoanalytic criticism for a moment (bear with me), I actually feel like could get a sense of the author’s opinion’s on certain political aspects, specifically gun control. Like David said, “Much of the gun control dialog was repetitive (there must have been 6 separate conversations reiterating the same opinion-guns need to be controlled) and I was able to grasp the author's viewpoint the first time.” I can’t say that I don’t agree with Pelecanos (and Strange) on the matter though. Like I said before, I haven’t read the first two books, so my review really only applies to what I’ve read, not the entire series. However, now that I know it’s part of a trilogy, I’m definitely going to end up reading the first two (and hate myself for spoiling the ending of the series—dang it!). I’ll probably get it from my library though; I feel like this book is worth the read, but not something I would spend my money on. Sorry! If you’re someone who’s into reading about law, detective-work, and gangs, you might enjoy this book more than I did. I’d also recommend it to actual adults, seeing as the main character is older and used a lot of references to ‘70s music. Finally, I think that guys would generally like it more; some of the things the characters said about women could be taking offensively and was just plain disgusting. Basically, I might recommend this book to my older cousin or grandpa, but I would never give it to my grandma. Overall, it was a good read. It will probably never be one of my favorites, however. I felt like I was dragging my feet through it at times, but it was full of action and definitely climatic. It also did a good job of getting me attached to the characters (even some of the “bad guys”), and the characters I didn’t like, I hated with a passion, so that’s always fun when I get to discuss it!
"Ashley made a half turn, blowing out an exhale of smoke and smiling, giving him a look at her ass cheeks hanging out the bottom of those shorts.'Don't you like the way I look in these, Ulee?'Foreman took her in and felt his mouth go dry. Her hindparts were bigger than most, but that was the way he liked them. And with those dimples and wrinkles and shit, it looked like someone had thrown oatmeal onto the back of her thighs. She had some veins on her, too, like blue lightning bolts, back there. Same thing went for her belly, and the shotgun-pellet-lookin' marks on her face, and her little upturned nose, didn't even look large enough to let the air in, to tell the truth. That switch on the bedside lamp was what he liked to call the Great Equalizer.""Foreman reached and cross-drew his guns just as Durham and Walker went for theirs. They never touched their guns. They dropped their hands to their sides, knowing they had been bested, looking at their own deaths down the barrels of the .357 and the .9. McKinley pulled his Sig and held it on the men.'You talk too much,' said Foreman, snicking back the hammer of the revolver, disgust on his face. 'Too god-damn much. For a minute there I thought you were gonna try and talk us to death. You had the draw on us, too. Motherfuckin' kids out here playin' gangster. Shit.' McKinley laughed shortly. 'Do it, big man.''Yeah,' said Foreman. 'Okay.'Foreman turned the LadySmith on McKinley and squeezed off two quick rounds. McKinley's blood blew back at him and Foreman kept firing, moving the gun from McKinley's belly to his chect, plaster exploding off the walls as the bullets exited his back. McKinley grunted, reached out for someting, and lost his feet. As he fell, Foreman shot him in the groin and chest. Then the hammer fell on am empty chamber with an audible click.Foreman still had the Colt trained on Durham and Walker. He hostered the revolver expertly, without looking for the leather, and faced them. Smoke was heavy in the candlelight."
What do You think about Soul Circus (2004)?
Usually, any book I read keeps me so invested that even when I know I should be doing something else, I cannot seem to pull myself away from the story world that I am consumed in at the moment. With Soul Circus however, I found that I could put this book down any time I wanted to, it wouldn’t even matter if I was mid- paragraph, mid- sentence, mid- whatever. I am absolutely baffled by the fact that ANYONE enjoyed this book or gave it a five star, or even a two star review. This was THE worst book I have ever read in my entire lifetime. I have never read a story with a plot more boring that this- I would rather have read the dictionary. There are too many characters, yet none of them are developed or relatable to in the least. Pelecanos keeps talking about random street names in Washington D.C., and what music he is listening to at any given, unimportant, moment, yet I had no clue what he was referring to because I have not studied a detailed map of D.C. or become familiar with songs from a different era. He spends more time on these random details instead of paying attention to developing a well thought out, gripping plot. If you asked me to summarize this book, I would have no idea what to tell because there is no established plot, but rather somewhere around 10 mini plots that barely tie into each other. But I must say, existentialism is a big theme in this book, with the meaning of life (for Stange, its protecting the city) and death, debated throughout the book. Also, they use the vilest and most disgusting language I have ever heard and talk about women in the most disrespectful way in about every other sentence of this book. The last, maybe 20 pages, is the only part that actually grabbed a portion of my attention. There are some heartwarming scenes, and the last few lines gave me chills. But the rest of the book, I literally forced myself to read. I remember reading a review before I started this book that said you would find yourself rereading violent scenes for the beauty of the words, but there are absolutely no beautiful words or advanced literary writing styles in this book. I cannot stress this enough that unless reading this will determine your life or death, no one should ever, EVER, read this book.
—Hannah Cuesta
There I go again, ignoring foreshadowing when it's right there in front of my face. I got all excited about Strange & Stefanos working together without ever once thinking anything more than, wow, fancy that. Dan flat out told me, "I think even Pelecanos was getting tired of Quinn's shenanigans." Well, yes, of course, who wouldn't be . . . ?Oh. I see what everyone was trying to get at. Pour one out on the curb for Terry Quinn, who couldn't stand being punked, so he came up with the stupidest
—Melissa
Pretty compulsive reading. Actually a 3 1/2 more than a 3 out of 5, but definitely not a 4. George Pelecanos' formula is so well-realized that you only need to read a few, but I will always pick one up, jus like a person might often default to ordering their favorite pizza, even though they could cook a fancy meal. The story moves along with the economy of a shortish feature film. Its characters are instantly sympathetic, even the bad ones, but the problem I find is with the self-consciously hip dialogue. In his efforts to bring gritty realism to the lingo, he sometimes falls short of mastering it, and it jumps out of the page at you when he gets it wrong. Still, it's not too stilted, and as I say, it moves along so fast you hardly have to worry about a few awkward scenes. I must admit, I predicted the redemptive epilogue a mile away, as well as the plot twist at the end. He's a poor man's Newton Thornburg, which is probably what makes him the richer individual.
—Patrick James
