Shoot the Piano Player: Amazon.ca: David Goodis: Books

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Once upon a time Eddie played conert piano to reverent audiences at Carnegie Hall. Now he bangs out honky-tonk for drunks in a dive in Philadelphia. But then two people walk into Eddie's life--the first promising Eddie a future, the other dragging him back into a treacherous past.

Shoot the Piano Player is a bittersweet and nerve-racking exploration of different kinds of loyalty: the kind a man owes his family, no matter how bad that family is; the kind a man owes a woman; and, ultimately, the loyalty he owes himself. The result is a moody thriller that, like the best hard-boiled fiction, carries a moral depth charge.

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Once upon a time Eddie played conert piano to reverent audiences at Carnegie Hall. Now he bangs out honky-tonk for drunks in a dive in Philadelphia. But then two people walk into Eddie's life--the first promising Eddie a future, the other dragging him back into a treacherous past.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Destiny can be deadly., Jul 3 2004

By	Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Eddie is the name of the piano player of the book's title. For the princely sum of thirty dollars a week, Eddie provides background music in a rundown dive. He figures that if he has nothing, nothing can be taken away from him. And if he stays in the background, like so much wallpaper, no one will ever bother him.
Eddie's strategy for living works quite well. That is until an untimely visit from his hoodlum brother triggers a cascade of events that threaten his very life.
Shoot the Piano Player is a short allegorical novel that is dark and unapologetically downbeat. Deceptively simple in its construction, there's a lot of truth about life contained within its pages. If you take the time to read this book, you will learn more about what makes human beings tick than you ever would by reading any ten psychology texts put together. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

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4.0 out of 5 stars You Can't Escape Fate, Mar 13 2004

By	Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews

"Shoot the Piano Player" is quintessential American crime noir. The protagonist is Eddie, a piano player in a sleazy Philadelphia bar. He comes from a family of criminals but managed to escape that life. At one time, he was a promising classic pianist, but then he fell from grace. Now, Eddie's brother Turley literally stumbles back into his life, bringing chaos and uncertainty. At the same time, Eddie begins to tentatively woo a waitress at work. The plot is full of twists, although it's a bit of a mess at times.

The novel was originally released in 1956 as "Down There," which appropriately reflects the dilemma Eddie faces. Specifically, the book focuses heavily on fate, which seems to be dictating that Eddie return to "down there" from whence he came. The book's name was changed subsequently to reflect the classic 1960 movie it inspired - "Shoot the Piano Player," directed by French auteur Francois Truffaut. As with Truffaut's movie, the book's plot is secondary to character and ambience. Instead, Goodis reflects on small moments, such as Eddie's exhilaration at standing close to the waitress in an alley as they hide from gangsters. Indeed, the characters are well-delineated, and I found myself truly caring about them.

If you like Raymond Chadler, Jim Thomson or similar crime noir writers, then you'll probably enjoy this novel. Goodis is a skillful pulp writer. Unfortunately, most of his books have gone out of print - make sure you get this one while it's still available.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Brotherly Love Noir, Oct 21 2003

By	cortright Mcmeel (baltimore, md United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Moon in the Gutter shows the south philly sewer life and urban hell better and Blonde On the Street Corner is his tour de force. Shoot the Piano Player is more of a straight noir shoot 'em up. Still Goodis gives his main character Eddie more depth than any other mystery writer out there, Chandler included. The key to Goodis is the truth embedded in his simple, declaritive sentances and the sad reality of his circus of pathetic souls. Ex-wrestlers, obese blondes, bold 90 pound whores, and waitresses wielding hatpins dance under goodis direction like bizarre marionettes in the Bigtop Noir of Goodis's distinct and brawling literary world. Goodis is a master...nuff said.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and Poignant
Dark and melancholic? Yes. Oozing with despair? Yes. But also a wonderfully plotted and characterised story that poignantly displays a man who has done the best he could with the... Read more

Published on Aug 12 2003 by Untouchable

5.0 out of 5 stars Read the book - Much better than the movie!
Maybe one shouldn't compare the movie and book versions of a story. But sometimes that's inevetibable. And sometimes the movie actually improves on the book, ie. Read more

Published on Dec 31 2002 by idesofmarch2020

5.0 out of 5 stars Goodis does good...
Shoot the Piano Player is certainly a depressing yet fascinating read. The story is about, not surprisingly, a piano player. Read more

Published on Oct 28 2002 by lazza

5.0 out of 5 stars Existentialism, Noir and the Anti-Hero
A classic in the Black Lizard library. Goodis is as good a writer on angst and mystery as you will ever read. Read more

Published on May 2 2002 by Virgil