Legs

It fairly sings. What's not to love about Legs? He's selfish, he's beautiful, he has style to burn, he's amoral, he's a one-off, and he dies in the end. Break my heart, why don't you.

_Legs_ opens with a number of former friends and associates of the late Jack "Legs" Diamond reminiscing about the nature of the legendary gangster's death. Despite the subject matter of this rambling discussion I was struck by its high content of "gallows humor."What I liked about this novel was although William Kennedy attempted to humanize Jack Diamond to a certain extent, Kennedy did not sentimentalize or apologize for him. I had no doubt that Jack Diamond was exactly what he was: a booklegger, a thief, and a murderer. Despite numerous arrests, Jack Diamond was "The Teflon" gangster--none of the state charges against him would stick. Jack was a true media celebrity, in the same sense that the popular, but corrupt New York Mayor, Jimmy Walker, was at the time, although Jack was often unkind to reporters and photographers. Jack had loads of fans, who were mostly "the common man" who probably identified with Jack's humble beginnings. He also had many detractors, some of whom wanted to kill him. Jack also had a loving wife, Alice, and an adoring mistress, Marion "Kiki" Roberts, a dance hall girl. Jack loved them both in his own fashion. In a particularly trying time towards the end of his short life, Jack sought comfort from both women by keeping them near him, in separate rooms, on the same floor in a hotel in which he was staying at the time. His body guards were in another room. It seems that the only person Jack ever truly loved was his brother, Eddie, who died many years before of tuberculosis. Just mentioning Eddie would cause Jack's eyes to well-up with tears. But any doubts of Jack Diamond being a vicious and sadistic criminal were completely dispelled in his kidnapping, torture, and near-hanging of an old man (accompanied by his young companion) who Jack erroneously believed was a rival bootlegger. It was this event (brutally described in the book and not for the squeamish) that caused Jack to be brought to trial, which included federal charges and unwanted media attention.William Kennedy wrote _Legs_ in a light, informal style that also never let up on the intensity. I found reading the book fun, but with a constant, lingering sense of dread and doom that never left me. The fact remains that Legs Diamonds lived the last months of his life in constant fear of assasination and in spite of his greed for money, he died impoverished.

This was the first book of Kennedy's that I'd read and am thrilled at the thought of having the rest of his books to look forward to. First of all, it's just the sheer quality of writing. Kennedy dances into, out of and all around the mind of Jack Legs Diamond, the prohibition era gangster. He'll take you close to him, then appal you with his ruthlessness. Kennedy is essentially trying to deal with a knot of myth and cliche. Legs' story has been played over again and again in literature and film. He really was the good-time gangster with the faithful wife and show girl mistress, the quick one-liners and aggressive ambition. This may have appealed to a writer, but how then to humanize him? Kennedy succeeds mainly because of the voice(s) through which he approaches the story. Marcus, Legs' lawyer, is the perfect guide - people tell lawyers their stories and here, he has passed them on. But the narrative is never that simple, flipping from waiter's anecdotes to mistress's yearnings, and all without losing or confusing a reader. Kennedy presents an incredible portrait. It simply doesn't matter whether or not he has figured out who Jack Diamond really was, for he has imagined an incredible three dimensional replacement of his own.

My brother mentioned that he liked this book and I started reading his copy to kill time, not intending to finish it. I found myself simultaneously repelled by the violence and seduced by William Kennedy's wonderful knack for storytelling and beautifully simple style. Needless to say, I kept reading. Kennedy's characterizations are as fascinating as his story. Legs Diamond is a murderous hedonist whose infectious personality makes his amorality palatable, if not forgivable. The narrator is appropriately colorless in contrast, making him the ideal non-intrusive storyteller. In other words, Legs is like sour candy--it makes you wince, but it's addictive!

William Kennedy did his research before writing this book. Kennedy used a factual basis for Legs, but just enough to make you wonder what is fact or fiction. His historical accuracy draws you into a fast paced fictional world full of deception, hatred, revenge, murder, love, and booze. Because of this book, the gangster Jack "legs" Diamond will live on as a legend. Read it at least three times.