What do You think about Thirty (2010)?
I'm a big fan of LB and have read a large number of his books - well, there's a lot to read and I'm still only about half way through his total output. He's best known for his New York based crime fiction, with his Matt Scudder series being widely regarded as one of the best out there. But he's a gifted writer and he's produced work outside of this genre too, in the course of a long career. Recently, some of his very early pieces have been made available, after having been long out of print, and although most are not of the quality of his most recent novels they are in themselves interesting and entertaining. It's possible to glimpse the promise of what's to come and to admire, even in these stories, his ability to put words together in a style that few can match.So when offered the chance to listen to this ambiguously titled story on audiobook (I'm a huge advocate of listening to others do the reading work for me) I didn't hesitate. In the guise of one of his pseudonyms, this erotic romp is about as far from Scudder as you can get! It tracks the adventures of a 29 year old woman who liberates herself from an unsuccessful marriage to enjoy the full mix of pleasures available in latter day NYC. This turns out to be a downward spiral but there's no doubting the fun she has along the way.It's a short but engaging tale and I feel all the better for spending a few hours in its company.
—Andrew Smith
I'm a pretty big Lawrence Block fan and although erotica is not usually what I read - I did jump at the chance to read this book. It was released in 1970 when Block was writing erotica as Jill Emerson.We follow a year in the life of a woman who turns 29 and feels something missing in her life.This is standard Block in that is oozes New York and the dark side of life. He has the talent to just transport you somewhere else and make you feel what his characters are feeling, it's an amazing talent and Block has plenty of it.We follow our hero as she travels down life experiencing group sex, orgies, drugs, prostitution etc. etc. etc. Some of this is tame compared to life now but I'm sure was incredibly shocking in 1970 but the time difference doesn't really diminish the enjoyment of the book.I didn't give it a perfect rating just based on my personal enjoyment - a little too dark for me and I'm not thrilled with the ending (don't worry, no spoilers) but I would recommend this book.
—Scott
