|
4.0étoiles sur 5
Evolution of a Marine, Oct. 27 2003
I was a little skeptical of an Elmore Leonard novel set in Israel. However, 'The Hunted' pleasantly surprised me.Al Rosen is hiding out in Israel, living off the checks sent his way by the company he helped found. He spends his days hanging out in hotel lobbies, getting sun, and just simply staying out of sight. Before he knows it, he finds himself on the run after his picture appeared in the daily newspapers in the States--the result of having helped a dozen senior citizens escape a hotel fire. Sgt. David Davis is about to finish his tour with the marines. The big problem is that he has no idea what to do with himself once he is out. On the side, he has helped deliver packages for Rosen, without really knowing who Rosen is. Before he knows it, his future plans are of no real concern as he attempts to help Rosen out of his mess. I'll give Elmore credit, he took what I thought would be an uninteresting setting, and really turned it into something. There isn't a lot, but Leonard makes some interesting observations about Israel and Americans there. Most of it comes from the ignorance of some of the American characters as they interact with the Israelis. The dialogue is classic Leonard. Some of the best conversations come between Rosen and Davis as Rosen attempts to give Davis advice on what to do when he finally gets out of the marines. Nearly every scene involving Mel Bandy, Rosen's sleazy lawyer (and he is sleazy), involve some comical dialogue. Rosen's assistant, Tali, has some decent remarks as she deals with Bandy and translates for others. The only disappointment is the end. To some degree, it seems like Leonard just ran out of things to write about and came up with whatever plausible ending occurred to him. Still, its a good read and will be appreciated by Leonard fans.
|