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Review
“Writing a couple of years ago . . . John Banville reckoned the Parker novels to be 'among the most poised and polished fictions of their time and, in fact, any time.' That's high praise from an impeccable source, and Banville is right to single out the technical excellence of these books. The Parkers read with the speed of pulp while unfolding with an almost Nabokovian wit and flair. . . . Original editions of these books, and even later reprints, change hands for scores or hundreds of dollars on the Net, and it’s excellent to have them readily available again—not so much masterpieces of the genre, just masterpieces, period. . . . . The Hunter glitters with seemingly effortless intricacy, being aimed at one episode—a stunner, the kind of moment in fiction that really does have you leaping from your chair and exclaiming in surprise and glee.”—Richard Rayner, Los Angeles Times
(Richard Rayner Los Angeles Times 20080912) “Parker is refreshingly amoral, a thief who always gets away with the swag.”—Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly
(Stephen King Entertainment Weekly 20080828) “Parker . . . lumbers through the pages of Richard Stark’s noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells. . . . In a complex world [he] makes things simple.”—William Grimes, New York Times
(William Grimes New York Times )“Whatever Stark writes, I read. He’s a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.”—Elmore Leonard
“Richard Stark’s Parker novels . . . are among the most poised and polished fictions of their time and, in fact, of any time.”—John Banville, Bookforum
“Parker is a true treasure. . . . The master thief is back, along with Richard Stark.”—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
“Westlake knows precisely how to grab a reader, draw him or her into the story, and then slowly tighten his grip until escape is impossible.”—Washington Post Book World
“Elmore Leonard wouldn’t write what he does if Stark hadn’t been there before. And Quentin Tarantino wouldn’t write what he does without Leonard. . . . Old master that he is, Stark does all of them one better.”—Los Angeles Times
“Donald Westlake’s Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap you’ve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proust—these are the books you’ll want on that desert island.”—Lawrence Block
“If you’re looking for crime novels with a lot of punch, try the very, very tough novels featuring Parker. . . . The Hunter, The Outfit, The Mourner, and The Man with the Getaway Face are all beautifully paced, tautly composed, and originally published in the early 1960s."—Christian Science Monitor
(Christian Science Monitor )“Richard Stark writes a harsh and frightening story of criminal warfare and vengeance with economy, understatement and a deadly amoral objectivity—a remarkable addition to the list of the shockers that the French call romans noirs.”—Anthony Boucher, New York Times Book Review
"Parker is a brilliant invention. . . . What chiefly distinguishes Westlake, under whatever name, is his passion for process and mechanics. . . . Parker appears to have eliminated everything from his program but machine logic, but this is merely protective coloration. He is a romantic vestige, a free-market anarchist whose independent status is becoming a thing of the past."—Luc Sante, New York Review of Books
(Luc Sante New York Review of Books )"I wouldn't care to speculate about what it is in Westlake's psyche that makes him so good at writing about Parker, much less what it is that makes me like the Parker novels so much. Suffice it to say that Stark/Westlake is the cleanest of all noir novelists, a styleless stylist who gets to the point with stupendous economy, hustling you down the path of plot so briskly that you have to read his books a second time to appreciate the elegance and sober wit with which they are written."--Terry Teachout, Commentary
(Terry Teachout Commentary )"If you're a fan of noir novels and haven't yet read Ricahrd Stark, you may want to give these books a try. Who knows? Parker may just be the son of a bitch you've been searching for."--John McNally, Virginia Quarterly Review
(John McNally Virginia Quarterly Review )"The University of Chicago Press has recently undertaken a campaign to get Parker back in print in affordable and handsome editions, and I dove in. And now I get it."--Josef Braun, Vue Weekly
(Josef Braun Vue Weekly )"Whether early or late, the Parker novels are all superlative literary entertainments."--Terry Teachout, Weekly Standard
(Terry Teachout Weekly Standard )
Product Description
You probably haven’t ever noticed them. But they’ve noticed you. They notice everything. That’s their job. Sitting quietly in a nondescript car outside a bank making note of the tellers’ work habits, the positions of the security guards. Lagging a few car lengths behind the Brinks truck on its daily rounds. Surreptitiously jiggling the handle of an unmarked service door at the racetrack.
They’re thieves. Heisters, to be precise. They’re pros, and Parker is far and away the best of them. If you’re planning a job, you want him in. Tough, smart, hardworking, and relentlessly focused on his trade, he is the heister’s heister, the robber’s robber, the heavy’s heavy. You don’t want to cross him, and you don’t want to get in his way, because he’ll stop at nothing to get what he’s after.
Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark’s eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded by critics for his taut realism, unapologetic amorality, and razor-sharp prose-style—and adored by fans who turn each intoxicating page with increasing urgency—Stark is a master of crime writing, his books as influential as any in the genre. The University of Chicago Press has embarked on a project to return the early volumes of this series to print for a new generation of readers to discover—and become addicted to.
In The Hunter, the first volume in the series, Parker roars into New York City, seeking revenge on the woman who betrayed him and on the man who took his money, stealing and scamming his way to redemption.
“Westlake knows precisely how to grab a reader, draw him or her into the story, and then slowly tighten his grip until escape is impossible.”—Washington Post Book World
“Elmore Leonard wouldn’t write what he does if Stark hadn’t been there before. And Quentin Tarantino wouldn’t write what he does without Leonard. . . . Old master that he is, Stark does all of them one better.”—Los Angeles Times
“Donald Westlake’s Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap you’ve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proust—these are the books you’ll want on that desert island.”—Lawrence Block
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
48 of 53 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Parker - The Anti-Hero, Aug 7 2004
By David N. Cook - Published on Amazon.com
The Hunter (also known by it's movie names of Point Blank or Payback) is the beginning of the "Parker" series written by Donald E. Westlake under the penname of Richard Stark. These were paperback originals in a noir crime vein with Parker as the master thief and organizer of major robberies. Written from the early 60's through the mid-70's, the first 12 or so novels became cult classics especially popular with prisoners! DEW resumed the series due to popular demand in the 90's and has completed about 4 more with 1 more just being released. The writing style is stripped-down for fast action and none of the characters seems to have any conscience, least of all Parker. About half of the jobs Parker is involved in go bad due to unforseen problems like greed and betrayal, so murder (but only out of necessity) and revenge are common themes. This series has been reprinted over and over as new readers discover Parker and his single-minded focus on robbery to maintain his quietly luxurious but anonymous lifestyle. Serious literature? NO! Great fun for the crime novel fan? YES!
34 of 40 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Parker Rules, Dec 2 2007
By Gunner - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Hunter (Paperback)
The HunterThis is the book where Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark introduces us to Parker in 1962. After re-reading the book after thitysomething years I realize that Lee Marvin was probably cast as a truer version of Parker. Danny DeVito would have been a good messenger and James Gandolfini would have made a better Mal Resnick. The ending was changed for the movie, but what the hey, that's Hollywood. I think I'll reread them all as my next project. They're that good.
I think Sam Elliott would make a great Parker. He could make a whole career out of this series.
As far as I can tell the other Parker books are:
1) The Hunter (1962; AKA Point Blank, Payback; Parker, by Richard Stark).
2) The Man With the Getaway Face (1963; AKA The Steel Hit; Parker,
3) The Outfit (1963; Parker, by Richard Stark)
4) The Mourner (1963; Parker, by Richard Stark)
5) The Score (1964; AKA Killtown; Parker, by Richard Stark)
6) The Jugger (1965; Parker, by Richard Stark)
7) The Seventh (1966; AKA The Split; Parker, by Richard Stark)
8) The Handle (1966; AKA Run Lethal; Parker, by Richard Stark)
9) The Rare Coin Score (1967; Parker, by Richard Stark)
10) The Green Eagle Score (1967; Parker, by Richard Stark)
11) The Black Ice Score (1968; Parker, by Richard Stark)
12) The Sour Lemon Score (1969; Parker, by Richard Stark)
13) Slayground (1971; Parker, by Richard Stark)
14) Deadly Edge (1971; Parker, by Richard Stark)
15) Plunder Squad (1972; Parker, by Richard Stark)
16) Butcher's Moon (1974; Parker, by Richard Stark)
17) Comeback (1997;
18) Backflash (1998; Parker)..
19) Flashfire (2000; Parker, by Richard Stark)..
20) Firebreak (2001; Parker, by Richard Stark) ..
21) Nobody Runs Forever (2004) Parker, by Richard Stark
Highly recommended for Parker fans and fans of action adventure stories.
Gunner December, 2007
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hunter Hero, Nov 4 2010
By W. Easley "Opa" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Hunter: A Parker Novel (Paperback)
Several friends have suggested that I read the "Parker" stories. The Hunter is the first in the Parker series and the first Richard Stark novel I have read.Donald Westlake, under the pen name Richard Stark, writes an atypical style of mystery. The Hunter is a story of conniving, betrayal and violence. The main character, Parker, is a ruthless violent man, that despite his unsavory qualities is a hero for whom the reader cheers. The primary characters are clearly described and realistic. The story if believable and interesting.
In many ways Parker reminds me of John Wayne in western movies, he is a strong, tough man who means what he says and says little. Parker was betrayed by his wife, Lynn, and his friend Mal Resnick. He was shot, assumed dead and left in a burning building. As a result he has two missions: revenge against those who wronged him, and gathering a significant financial stake to begin a new life.
In the beginning of the story, Parker is alone, afoot, with tattered unkempt clothing and holes in his shoes and socks. Parker needs a new start, so he forges a drivers licence and cashes checks for an invented alias, Edward Johnson. It takes four banks before one will accept his tale of woe that he lost his checkbook and account number. The fourth bank actually has an account for an Ed Johnson, accepts Parkers forged ID and provides him with blank checks. In a matter of a few hours Parker has new clothing and several hundred dollars in his wallet.
Parker is an excellent detective. He quickly finds his ex-wife and gains information about his betrayer. Parker's plans and actions are clever and imaginative as he accomplishes his goals. Without divulging "spoiler" information, I can say that Parker's plans outwit his adversaries. I can also say that Parker can be an exciting and violent man.
The Hunter is an excellent mystery novel. The action is fast paced and exciting. The plot is believable and interesting. I recommend "The Hunter".
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