Post by Charlynn on Oct 15, 2012 18:45:36 GMT -5
The Town (Previously Published as Prince of Thieves) by Chuck Hogan[/b]
There is a disconnect with The Town’s setting. Taking place in Boston during 1996, the story isn’t quite historical fiction. Yet, at the same time, it can’t be considered contemporary anymore either. Because most readers have lived through and remember those not-so-long-ago days, it is challenging to view such a modern decade as historical. Meanwhile, the out-of-date technology and pop culture references are obvious and disruptive, meaning that The Town is almost caught in a state of genre limbo. However, with this said, Hogan’s novel is still riveting. Forget the time setting. Forget the genre. What makes for an exceptional book are interesting, layered characters and an engrossing plot, both of which The Town boasts.
Four Boston natives – sons of Charlestown, the famed Boston community deeply ensconced in criminal activity and the inspiration for the novel’s title – hold up a bank, just one job in a long line of successful heists. At first the group’s partnership seems impervious to outside influence or corruption, but the house of cards quickly starts to crumble when Doug – the mastermind behind the gang’s illegal enterprise – falls for the same bank manager he and his fellow thieves terrorized and held hostage during the holdup. Finally connecting with someone, Doug slips far, far, farther away from his friends and criminal lifestyle, realizing that he wants more, deserves more, can be more, and is more when he leaves his past and Charlestown – including his partners – behind. All of this is made even more complicated by the FBI closing in on Doug’s operation… and his victimized girlfriend. This – the book’s premise – is compelling, but that still doesn’t explain The Town’s true appeal; it doesn’t explain Doug.
Yes, he’s a criminal and a recovering alcoholic. He steals from the rich to line his own coffers. He can be violent, he lies, and he threatens innocent people in order to manipulate and take advantage of them. But he wants to be better; he wants to love and be loved. There is this sense that, if someone could selflessly love Doug, he could be saved. It’s the ultimate fantasy, a fairytale but with sharp realities and ugliness to give The Town an emotional edge. Doug isn’t complicated, nor are his motivations difficult to understand or relate to. In fact, he’s a classic character, but, because of his situation, Hogan places him under extraordinary circumstances and pressures. This sets The Town apart from other crime novels, historical dramas, contemporary works, and any and everything else. Sometimes an author must break the rules to write a memorable book, and The Town is remarkably memorable.
Four out of Five Stars
There is a disconnect with The Town’s setting. Taking place in Boston during 1996, the story isn’t quite historical fiction. Yet, at the same time, it can’t be considered contemporary anymore either. Because most readers have lived through and remember those not-so-long-ago days, it is challenging to view such a modern decade as historical. Meanwhile, the out-of-date technology and pop culture references are obvious and disruptive, meaning that The Town is almost caught in a state of genre limbo. However, with this said, Hogan’s novel is still riveting. Forget the time setting. Forget the genre. What makes for an exceptional book are interesting, layered characters and an engrossing plot, both of which The Town boasts.
Four Boston natives – sons of Charlestown, the famed Boston community deeply ensconced in criminal activity and the inspiration for the novel’s title – hold up a bank, just one job in a long line of successful heists. At first the group’s partnership seems impervious to outside influence or corruption, but the house of cards quickly starts to crumble when Doug – the mastermind behind the gang’s illegal enterprise – falls for the same bank manager he and his fellow thieves terrorized and held hostage during the holdup. Finally connecting with someone, Doug slips far, far, farther away from his friends and criminal lifestyle, realizing that he wants more, deserves more, can be more, and is more when he leaves his past and Charlestown – including his partners – behind. All of this is made even more complicated by the FBI closing in on Doug’s operation… and his victimized girlfriend. This – the book’s premise – is compelling, but that still doesn’t explain The Town’s true appeal; it doesn’t explain Doug.
Yes, he’s a criminal and a recovering alcoholic. He steals from the rich to line his own coffers. He can be violent, he lies, and he threatens innocent people in order to manipulate and take advantage of them. But he wants to be better; he wants to love and be loved. There is this sense that, if someone could selflessly love Doug, he could be saved. It’s the ultimate fantasy, a fairytale but with sharp realities and ugliness to give The Town an emotional edge. Doug isn’t complicated, nor are his motivations difficult to understand or relate to. In fact, he’s a classic character, but, because of his situation, Hogan places him under extraordinary circumstances and pressures. This sets The Town apart from other crime novels, historical dramas, contemporary works, and any and everything else. Sometimes an author must break the rules to write a memorable book, and The Town is remarkably memorable.
Four out of Five Stars