What do You think about The Burglar Who Liked To Quote Kipling (2005)?
Did you think I was joking when I said I plan to read all the books in the series featuring professional burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr? Oh, ye of little faith! This is No. 3, and while I may take a break and knock off something a bit different for my next book, I fully intend to be true to my word. The books are just that good.In this one, Bernie has put burglary on the back burner (well, for the most part), focusing instead on running a used bookstore he's purchased in Greenwich Village. When a book collector asks Bernie to find (read: steal) a rare book by Rudyard Kipling for a fairly substantial fee, he thinks about it for about a minute - and then agrees because the bookstore isn't making much of a profit (and truth be told, he still loves the thrill of picking locks).Bernie pulls off the heist with ease, but when he delivers the purloined book to the buyer at an apartment, the whole scheme goes horribly wrong. Instead of coming back to the bookstore with a pocket full of money, he unsuspectingly takes a sip or two of a heavily drugged beverage and wakes up with a gun in his hand, a body on the floor and police banging on the door. From there, it's a merry chase to elude the cops and identify the real killer - with some help from friend Carolyn Kaiser, a dog groomer who's happy to help out and learn more about the burglary trade. This book didn't elicit nearly as many chuckles as the first two, but it has its moments. But like the others, it provides a fun and almost effortless reading experience and one that will leave you ready for another one. Bring it on!
—Monnie
Following the pattern laid down by our forefathers in the late 18th century, Mr. Block gives us another installment in clever writing and plotting. When I stumble upon a book that I like I usually try to go back to the start (or earliest available volume) and then read forward. I enjoy watching how the author and, if a series, characters develop over time. For some reason I jumbled up the order reading this story after a much later one ("The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza").In a way it was a lucky thing as it confirmed my feeling that as good as the early books are I find myself liking that later ones more. I'm not sure if it is because the characters feel more "worn" and "warm" like a well-fitting ice skate or just the baseline of who's what in this fictional universe. (Perhaps not the most lucid description of the feeling, but I suspect everyone knows what I mean by it.)This is a good book. The plot is interesting and has intricate side-plots. The nugget of information that gets transmitted to us (concerning Kipling's late life writings and behavior) is new to me and interesting. The writing is smooth and well-constructed and Bernie again avoids the frame for a murder he did not commit. So is it really only a "3"? No. It should be at least a "3.5" or "3.75", but I can't justify giving it a "4" this time. I liked it, I enjoyed reading it, and I would not mind having to read it again if stuck in an airport with nothing else available. Put it down to a quirk of my nature, but pick up the book and enjoy it yourself.
—Mike
Lawrence Block is fun to read for his rendering of eccentricities through the eyes of bookstore owner and recovering ex-con burglar named Bernie Rhodenbarr. There is a wealth of upper class ideology filtered through the middle to low class Bernie the burglar. Bernie feels more at home among the social elitists than he does among his given class of cohorts. He does, however haphazardly, manage a relationship with a dog grooming lesbian named Carolyn who has no dogs but loves cats instead. Quirky right? This book succeeds in educating the reader in upper end gated community's lively-hoods as well as pointing out that rakes exist across the social spectrum. From the well to do to the lowly criminal, some greed remains universal. That being said, I still have a hard time identifying with Bernie's burglaries even if he is portrayed as the protagonist. Even if he wins in the end. Even if the rich are just as corrupt or worse than him. He is a moral dilemma that I do not want to take seriously. Although, I admit this was a fun story and appreciate the author Block's ability to immerse me in a world of eccentric delinquencies that most only converse about over a glass of wine. Said glass, as per Bernie's own thoughts, Rhodenbarr should institute at his store for book club night and give up the criminal nature. Three (+) stars for quirky fun and upper class shenanigans that ends up being a decent caper.
—Neil Campbell
