Elmore Leonard

[papercut88]

I've decided to star reading the works of Elmore Leonard and was wondering where is a good place to start. His volume of work is very large, so do I start chronicolgically or by most popular? Just go at random?

What are your thoughts? When starting to get into a new author, where do you start?

 

[Occlith]

I'm sorry to say that I have not read any of his books, however, I did visit the Elmore Leonard website and someone asked a similar question on the forum. The top answers seem to be -

Swag
Pagan Babies
Out of Sight
Cuba Libra

Perhaps some more enlightened members can offer suggestions...

 

[domani]

^ I'd agree with Swag and Out of Sight. I lost interest in Cuba Libre and didn't finish it; maybe it's a love-it-or-hate-it novel.

Some other good ones:

- I started reading Leonard with Rum Punch and went on to read many others by him, so I'd call that an endorsement as a good starting book.

- Stick, which is a sequel to Swag

- The Switch is an earlier novel with many of the same characters who later reappeared in Rum Punch

 

[velocipede2288]

I have read many Elmore Leonard's books. Just finished one. Out of Sight. Terrific. Her are a few suggestions.Riding the Rap. Swag. Pronto. The Hunted. Get Shorty.
All great reads. He writes terric Westerns too. Many made into films.

 

[papercut88]

Thanks to everyone.

@velocipede2288- Yes, i was suprised by how many of his works were made into movies... I guess the most popular being Rum Punch (Jackie Brown) and Out of Sight.

On a side note I found the fact that the same character of Ray Nicolette is played by Michael Keaton in two movies by two diffrent directors very interesting...

Again thanks for the replys everyone.

 

[pontalba]

The only Leonard I've read is 52 Pick-Up, I happened on a used copy and as I'd seen the film with Roy Scheider years ago, I bought it. The film seemed to follow the book pretty closely, well, at least as far as the intervening years can verify.

I think they're worth reading, if only for the ambiance.

 

[753C]

I have read several of the massive Elmore Leonard collection. Out of Sight was one of the best.
There was also one called the blackbird that was quite good. Late made into a pretty bad movie starring Mickey Rourke.
Leonard's strong suits are his plots, which are usually pretty suspenseful and the language the characters use, which always feels authentic.

 

[velocipede2288]

Thanks to everyone.

@velocipede2288- Yes, i was suprised by how many of his works were made into movies... I guess the most popular being Rum Punch (Jackie Brown) and Out of Sight.

On a side note I found the fact that the same character of Ray Nicolette is played by Michael Keaton in two movies by two diffrent directors very interesting...

Again thanks for the replys everyone.

Get Shorty was another film, and Pronto another. Several Westerns were made into films from his books Valdez is coming. Last Stand a Saber River,and Hombre, are the best known.