In another installment in the popular mystery series featuring detective Bernie Rhodenbarr, Rhodenbarr meets the woman of his dreams at a Humphrey Bogart film festival, a woman whose past may be as dark as a movie theater. Reprint. K.
The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart
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From Publishers Weekly
This time out, the recently revived Bernie Rhodenbarr, Greenwich Village bookseller and dedicated burglar, is swept away by a gorgeous foreigner who comes into his store one day. They share a passion for old Bogart movies and are soon spending successive nights sharing popcorn at a Bogart film festival. There is even more to Ilona than meets the eye, however, as Bernie finds out after he retrieves a portfolio from a locked apartment for another customer. Soon his client is dead, and so is one of the client's partners, and Bernie is up to his eyes in a bizarre mystery involving exiles from a never-never land in Central Europe, retired CIA men and what may (or may not) be a fortune in ancient bearer bonds. The tale goes down smoothly, much helped by the usual ditsy conversations with Bernie's lesbian best friend Carolyn and some neat use of famous Bogart dialogue. The only thing that keeps this from equaling last year's Ted Williams in the Burglar series is the slightly too fanciful and tangled plot. But even middling Rhodenbarr has entertainment value to burn.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
"Justice gets served last, and usually winds up with leftovers." Yes, it's witty, but what really makes this line work is that the man speaking it, bookstore owner and master burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, finds not just irony but opportunity in its meaning. That's the thing about the Rhodenbarr mysteries: Bernie keeps you on your toes. He has a heart of gold, but he loves to steal, both for the thrill and the profit. Sentimental, yes, but selfish, too, thank God--sort of like Bogart, which leads us to the just-plain-fun plot of Bernie's latest caper. Out of all the bookstores in all the towns in all the world, this girl named Ilona happens to walk into Bernie's: they get to talking, she buys a book on Bogart, and before you can say, "Here's looking at you, kid," they've made a date to see two Bogey flicks at a New York film festival. After that, it gets complicated fast: they keep going to the Bogey festival every night; Bernie steals some documents; his sort-of-partner is killed; an enigmatic fat man appears, lusting after the documents; Ilona disappears, leaving Bernie holding the popcorn; and, inevitably, Ilona takes the midnight plane, dedicating her life to helping another man achieve an idealistic political dream, but not before Bernie has a chance to mutter, "We'll always have Twenty-fifth Street." What does it all mean? Not much, but if you're a film fan, who cares? It's funny, it's silly, it's stupendously clever, it's drop-dead romantic. Play it again, Bernie. Bill Ott
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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At a quarter after ten on the last Wednesday in May, I put a beautiful woman in a taxi and watched her ride out of my life, or at least out of my neighborhood. Read the first page
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At a quarter after ten on the last Wednesday in May, I put a beautiful woman in a taxi and watched her ride out of my life, or at least out of my neighborhood. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Knowing the writer's very good reputation and popularity as a mystery writer was probably a disadvantage in reading this book. This book was a dissapointment. I soon tired of the device of weaving the Bogart film festival into the far-fetched mystery. Glad when I got to the end. No more Burglar books.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!
So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart is the seventh book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza, The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian and The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar in the Library comes next in the series.
The series, always comical and satirical, takes a new turn in The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart. The spoof expands to the detective/thriller genre in general. I found this change to be a welcome and charming one. Anyone who is a Bogart fan will appreciate the many references to Bogart movies and famous lines in them.
My fascination with Bogart began when I was a freshman in college, and a local theater offered a Bogart festival every semester . . . just when students were supposed to be catching up on their reading and getting ready for final exams. For eight semesters, I spent many happy hours seeing the same Bogart movies . . . over and over again. As Bernie spends three weeks at the movies in this book, I felt like I was back in college again watching him.
Hugo Candlemas comes to Bernie's Barnegat Books and mentions that they have a friend in common, Abel Crowe, a fence who appeared in The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza. They arrange to meet later at Hugo's apartment, where Bernie agrees to lift a portfolio from a desk in another apartment for a minimum of $5,000. The actual caper reprises with slight variations some of the highlights of earlier novels in the series like The Burglar in the Closet and The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian. The story is set against a backdrop of Bernie falling in love with the beautiful and mysterious Ilona, whom he meets every night to watch two Bogart films, share a tub of popcorn, hold hands and then part in separate cabs. The Ilona thread of the story builds off of Casablanca. After Bernie fails to get secure the portfolio, mysterious strangers begin appearing, making offers for the item. This part of the story builds from some of the base of The Maltese Falcon. Watch for Wilmer in a close reference. Throughout, Bernie finds himself drawn to living the role of the classic Bogart hero, uncaring on the surface . . . but with a heart of gold and the mind of an idealist.
You are not supposed to take this mystery and story too seriously, but it does have a nice "dying clue" element that will intrigue many hard core mystery buffs.
The theme of this book focuses on what is valuable and what is not. Mr. Block comes down soundly on the side of friends, loyalty and love over mere physical possessions. It's his best critique yet of our obsessions with material goods and so-called wealth. After you enjoy this wonderful book, ask yourself where you could have a richer life by putting people ahead of possessions.
Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
By Paul Skinner
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you want a light-hearted mystery full of intellectual stimulation, check out the burglar series. This excellent addition puts our hero into an Eastern European conspiracy to re-carve maps that might not have been settled right after World War I. Bernie is never seriously in danger, and the police are not about to arrest him, but nevertheless, he feels compelled to solve the puzzle, if only for the sake of the the mysterious Ilona. Bernie assembles the suspects into his bookstore for a showdown reminiscent of Nero Wolfe in his top form.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Never Again
It takes a lot of time (or it seams that way) to get through this book. I do not know what slowed me down more, the disjointed writing or the plot that seamed to just be thrown... Read more
Published on April 11 2002 by John G. Hilliard
4.0 out of 5 stars
He steals from the rich
Meet Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extra-ordinary. This isn't your
ordinary burglar, however. He is a man who steals only the best:
jewelry, coin collections, works of art... Read more
ordinary burglar, however. He is a man who steals only the best:
jewelry, coin collections, works of art... Read more
Published on Mar 17 2002 by Charles Lewis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Second-rate mystery, First-rate Bernie
This is certainly not the best book in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but it is still entertaining in the way I expect from Block. Read more
Published on Feb 25 2002 by Craig Clarke
3.0 out of 5 stars
It Doesnï¿t Really Amount To A Hill of Beans
Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire is recruited by the friend of an old acquaintance to break into an apartment to steal some documents. Read more
Published on July 30 2001 by Untouchable
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best Bernie book, but still worth reading
Lawrence Block is one of the finest mystery writers, bar none. In particular the Bernie Rhodenbarr mysteries are among the best in the genre. Read more
Published on July 7 2001
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Brain Candy
For those days when you want something nice and light, and not too challenging then this book is the ticket. The main character, Bernie, is very likable, witty and yes, charming. Read more
Published on Dec 27 1999 by Jason Debly
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not one of his best.
I think Larry tried to fit in a few too many formulae in this one. It seemed a bit strained to me.
Published on May 24 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
RHODENBARR THE GREAT!
LAWRENCE BLOCK'S "THE BURGLAR WHO THOUGHT HE WAS BOGART" HAS GREAT ROMANCE, BIG MYSTERY, GREAT CHARACTERS, A GREAT HOMAGE TO THE THING THAT IS BOGART, AND OF COURSE, THE... Read more
Published on Jun 14 1998 by Linda W Finocchiaro
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must reading for Bogart fans
Bernie may be too generous for his own good in Lawrence Block's seventh Burglar Who..." series. Read more
Published on May 28 1998 by Harold L. Laroff
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bernie does a decent Bogart impression in his seventh caper
Set against the backdrop of Bernie's nightly attendance at a Bogart film festival, THE BURGLAR WHO THOUGHT HE WAS BOGART is unusually moody and not quite up to par. Read more
Published on Nov 16 1997 by Steven Cross
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