Legs [Audio Cassette]

The plot:
He's crude, blunt, violent, and a severe sociopath, but when you are talking about one of America's most infamous gangsters, those aren't necessarily bad characteristics. Jack "Legs" Diamond is a quick-witted, prohibition-era mobster who makes himself a household name by being thrust into the public eye in the 1920's and 30's. Marcus Gorman, his attorney and confidant, narrates "Legs'" escapades finally culminating with Diamond's murder. Gorman the reliable narrator never seems to try to spin the truth, or miss one gory detail.

My take:
Kennedy writes in an easy to understand, flowing style which makes this book difficult to put down. He is very descriptive with his characters, which enables you to really explore their various psyches. Although, much of the mob life style in the book, which we have seen in countless movies and novels, may seem cliché, overall Legs is simply a very entertaining book that I would recommend for anyone looking for a causal read.

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.