Going in Style

The book has all the earmarks of being a pulpy, movie-of-the-week type novel. It's a simple, rather amusing story, and there's not much depth to it at first glance. But at second reading, it becomes more apparent to the reader that there is more to the story than meets the eye.Joe, Al, and Willie are three men in their seventies, living in New York in the mid-80's. They are all on Social Security, and none of them work or a=have anything to do with their time but sit in the park and talk to each other and watch the world go by. They seem to be waiting for something to happen to them - for life to end, for something to change. Grossbach makes the point that waiting is not any easier for old people, though many may think it is; it is simply that old people are less vocal in their frustration. It is a story that provides excellent insight into old age."Terminal boredom" is how the author describes the perpetual state that the characters live in, and just when it seems that they haven't got long to live before they simply give up, an idea comes to them. They have no lives, no money, no family, and nothing to lose. Why not do something with what remains of their lives? Why not rob a bank?Although the premise seems incredible, the story is executed with believability and grace. It goes from being a story with a silly premise to a story that could have actually happened, a story that is more about the men and their lives than it is about the robbery itself. It's a realistic, satisfying, funny book - not too lighthearted to be taken seriously, but not so serious that it weighs the reader down.