Get Shorty

I loved the movie Get Shorty, as well as the other Leonard books that have been turned into movies (Rum Punch, Out of Sight), so I had to try out this book. It's a great read and much of the snappy dialoge from the movie is taken right from the book's narrative. The dialoge works great both on screen and in the novel. I appreciated the subtle differences in the plot line between the movie and the book, and the differences were enough to keep me interested in the book despite knowing much of the movie by heart. Leonard is a master at writing dialoge. He uses grammar that precisely captures the way people speak, and each character has a unique way of talking that is personally identifiable. The character descriptions were so similar to the movie that I had to wonder if Leonard wrote the novel with certain actors in mind! I recommend this as a companion to the movie. They can be enjoyed together as the same story via two different mediums, each with its own richness.

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. The dialogue was very believable. The plot made for a very interesting read. Chili Palmer was one of the best charactors I have ever had the privilage to read. If you are looking for a book with action, suspense, humor, and double cross, this is the book to get. Elmore Leonard has a way of making this charactor out to be the coolest person in the world. He makes you believe it too. You really begin to love these charactors like they are your own friends. Elmore Leonard is one of the best Crime-Fiction Writers ever.

With Elmore Leonard we get a new book every year or so, and it's a good thing, because even though not every one is a solid success, they are all fun and every now and then a real masterpiece emerges. I believe that Get Shorty is such a success. It's a Cinderella story as if written by Damon Runyan. Chili Palmer, a small time mobster on the trail of a deadbeat who has run off with $300,000 of mob money after faking his own death, finds himself in Hollywood getting involved with movie making instead of recovering the money. On one level the book is pure Leonard an exciting underworld story with great street talk and those edgy characters that he does so well. On another level the book is a wonderful social satire and, with its shift from Vegas to L.A., shows us a contemporary world lost in greed and seduced by show biz. Palmer's easy success as a producer (in essence doing his own life story) is a thinly veiled commentary on the shallowness of Hollywood and the lack of skill of many of its leaders. Not a surprising position for a writer who has seen almost all of his books (till this one) made into truely terrible movies (remember Stick? Mr. Majestek? The Moonshine Wars?).Whatever else, this book is a fast paced and entertaining piece of fiction. The characters are interesting, the dialogue is memorable and funny, and the plot is ingenious and leads to a very satisfactory conclusion. This is Leonard at his best - and that is awfully good. And surprise, this time he even got a good movie out of it!

This the first novel I have read by Elmore Leonard and I am IMPRESSED! The crackling, witty dialogue is unbelievable. Chili Palmer, the main character is a loan shark of limited education but a boundless ego, whose only source of information on the world comes as a result of being an avid movie fan. Leonard does not need to utilize violence and vulgarity to bring across the notion that Chili is a dangerous man. Leonard does it the old fashion way with incredible dialogue where the meaning is to be found in what is not said as opposed to what is. This is a must read for anybody who wants a light, delightful distaction.