Savage Season: A Hap and Leonard Novel (1)

I will try the second book to the series but I did a speed read through this one. Thank God it was a short book. Could not get into it.

The first in an amazing series involving Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, two most unlikely heroes (though heroes they are). The author performs a powerful magic that transforms a tale with a violent twist about characters that are theoretically undesireable into something unique and hard to put down or forget. Furthermore, should you never laugh out loud when reading this and don't feel moved to buy one of the other Hap & Leonard books I'll be surprised. The story, set in East Texas, is about a treasure hunt, Hap's old girl and much more. Caveat: this is perhaps the weakest of the series - it still rates 5 stars.

The author I've read the most is Stephen King at 17 books to date. Joe R. Lansdale is second with 10. Those numbers might not be impressive, but I try to read a little from a lot of different authors. Anyway, books like SAVAGE SEASON - or anything with Hap and Leonard - are why I like Lansdale's writing so much.For those of you that don't know, SAVAGE SEASON is the novel that introduces Hap Collins, a straight white liberal ex-con, and Leonard Pine, a humorously cocky black homosexual Vietnam veteran. Hap and Leonard catch news that a hundred grand is deep down in an East Texas river. Joining the hunt are three Sixties radicals. One of these radicals is Hap's ex-wife Trudy. Hap and Leonard are soon doublecrossed by the radicals, who still haven't given up their dreams of revolution. The radicals, along with Hap and Leonard, are betrayed by one of their own to a far worse criminal.This novel like a lot of Lansdale's work is violent, raunchy, funny, and not written to appease political correctness factions. Though the later Hap and Leonard novels like BAD CHILI and MUCHO MOJO are a bit more colorful, SAVAGE SEASON is the best place to start for the uninitiated.LONG LIVE HAP AND LEONARD!!!

I don't think I have picked up a Lansdale book I haven't liked, this guy has got to be the most diverse writer and dare I say brilliant. So many stories up his sleeve, always strange but thats my kinda writer. I wish they would make some of these into an X-files like Friday nite series staring these characters Hap and Lenoard with every week a new mystery to unturn. This story was a fast read and right to the point, don't bother trying to analysis Joe's stuff its great fun!

Many are familiar with Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books, but this one sometimes gets overlooked. That's a shame since this is by far the gritiest entry into the series and explains many things only glossed over in the rest of the series. This is one that is an ESSENTIAL for any Lansdale fan. His prose is, as always, fantastic and his dialouge , dead on. It can easily be stated that there isn't a writer working today with a voice as distinct and TRUE as Joe R. Lansdale

While one of Lansdale's early novels, this is still one of his best. Hap and Leonard are two of his most believable characters -- maybe not always all that likeable, but that's part of the charm. You'll read this novel in one sitting and turn the pages so quickly they'll almost set themselves on fire. The climactic final scenes will set your heart racing and haunt you for a long time to come