The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
It’s an odd book, this. Set in the 1960’s, this madcap caper has a man called Evan Tanner chasing around Europe looking for gold that has been hidden away in Turkey for some 40 years. As a result of an injury he sustained in the Korean War, Evan doesn’t sleep – ever. This gives him a number of advantages he utilises to the full, and he needs to as he gets into a lot of trouble along the way.The book is the first of a series Block penned, mainly during a five-year period from 1966, though there was a later, and potentially final, episode released in 1998. It’s unlike anything else I’ve come across from this prodigiously productive writer. It’s funny – though Tanner is not as wry as LB’s book-seller/burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr - but I can’t quite pigeon hole this story. It’s not crime fiction (his normal bread and butter) and it’s not purely comedic. It might have pretentions to be a thriller… but it’s not particularly thrilling. I give up!The enjoyment here is in the journey and in admiring how Tanner extricates himself from one predicament after another. The writing is crisp and up to the author’s early standard – in other words, pretty good but not as refined as it would become. As a footnote, there’s some historical interest here as Tanner links up with a number of nationalist groups on his travels. For example, his adventures in the Balkans reflect the stresses and inter-rivalries experienced by various factions within the then Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Overall it’s an ok read. But probably one for stalwart LB fans and others simply interested in passing a few hours in the company of something quick and unchallenging.
Evan Tanner is quickly becoming yet another of my literary heroes. Created by Mr Block back in 1966, the books have only just become available in e-format and consequently I have only just begun to saviour the delights of the apparent thief/ international diplomat / innocent victim of international politics. The character of Evan Tanner is remarkable complex. He is literate, incredibly well read and yet without a college degree. He has a strong sense of humour, is incredibly brave and perfectly capable in hand to hand combat. He never sleeps thanks to complications from a war injury suffered in Korea and of course his charms virtually guarantee plenty of social and sexual company virtually at will. What a lucky guy!The book is a joy to read and consequently flies along at supersonic speed with a good dose of humour, suspense, plot twists. Secondary / supporting characters are also as beautifully drawn as the towns and cities – and aeroplanes - the book is set in. For example, when Tanner first set his eyes on Ireland my heart and soul yearned to witness the country’s beauty first hand. The book is exciting to read, as well as a fun trip into the imagination of one of the world’s all time great story tellers.I award this classic four stars. Hugely recommended but as it is the first volume of what promises to be an entertaining 8 book series, I withhold full marks in order to recognise greatness.It is a Lawrence Block book, after all.
What do You think about The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep (2007)?
Evan Tanner is a Korea vet who, due to a freak head wound from shrapnel, never sleeps. So he spends his nights learning languages and facts, and joins every organization there is for a hobby. When he meets an Armenian woman who tells him about gold hidden from the Turks, Tanner heads off to Turkey. He’s arrested and deported, which results in an over the top, madcap spree across Europe back to Turkey again.This book (the first in a series) is far less realistic and gritty than Block’s Scudder books, and it calls for far more suspension of disbelief (lack of sleep or not, few people learn dozens of languages well enough to hide their nationality). Still, it’s huge fun, like a sort of James Bond lite, with as much regard for realism as those later films.
—Ensiform
Firstly, there wasn't all that much thieving for a book that has "thief" in the title. (view spoiler)[He isn't even a real thief, more like a treasure hunter. Okay, up until the part where he has to steal to get by, but that's not what I think of when I think of fictional thieves. (hide spoiler)]
—Ubiquitousbastard
What a fun easy read. Five stars if you're in the mood for a fast paced, slightly surreal, and decidedly madcap adventure through a Europe and Turkey that once was in the sixties. Written in a breezy first person voice, we discover how Evan Tanner accidentally becomes an unofficial spy for a secret arm of the US government, an organization so secret that its Chief doesn't even know all its members. Is Evan Tanner smart, wily, or simply blessed with good old dumb luck plain and simple? Or maybe a bit of all three? In any case, I fell in love with the character and the break in the day that such irreverent enthusiasm can bring to you.I read one book after the other in the series, each in a couple of hours. It's pure fun fluff.
—Glenn Younger
