Had me from the first sentence, but then kind of fizzled at the end

books:


	• Crooked Little Vein: A Novel Warren Ellis William Morrow, 2007 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 51 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Had me from the first sentence, but then kind of fizzled at the end

I fell in love with this book after reading the first several pages here on Amazon and reading several other's reviews. I devoured the book within 4-5 days, which is good given that I work 40-50 hours a week and have a life. The author's descriptions of people, places, and somewhat disturbing acts, were very original and inspiring in my own writing. I sometimes forget that you really can say anything you want in your writing and it is up to the audience to either love it or leave it. The only disappointing thing and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars, was that I felt close to the end of the story the author either gave up or couldn't come up with any other way to end the story. It almost felt like he wrote all but the last 10-15 pages, and some editor tacked their resolution on at the end. The book took you through a fun, intriguing, bizzare, nail-biting journey, and then simply dumped you back on the ground. A book with a story this great should have ended with a much large finale. I will be interested to see what his next book is like. Maybe he can improve on this.

for more information click here

Filth With Heart!

A superbly written, in-your-face, car-crashing, gore-splattering, laugh out loud joyride with heart! In a break from the comic-writer turned novelist cheese that often is published as their "first" novel... Ellis springs forth, screaming into action with a really interesting story, involving main characters and more than a little bit o' filth.

Mike McGill is a VERY down-on-his-luck private investigator who is offered the chance to find a codicil to the US constitution. One that has the ability to bring the country back to the god-fearing, white-bread middle-America so often bemoaned as the lost ideal state by the Moral Majority.

His client, a high functioning heroin addict just happens to be the most powerful man in the US government - the chief of staff. Our introduction to Ellis' style comes from McGill's client's description of how he shoots up in hotel rooms watching fashion TV, listening to Enya while his bowels leave little marble-sized presents behind for the maids. And it goes from there...

Yes, I thought that there were times where Ellis' description of various depravities got a little bogged down by his desire to shock and the book does suffer slightly for it. However, the story and the action more than makes up for it.

And can you believe that there's a love-story tied into it too? One that you can't ever imagine working... Kind of like a lot people will feel about the book. But I have to tell you, it does work. It has heart! Here's the spoiler... It has a happy ending!

Damn it, I didn't want it to work... I wanted to place it into my "bad first book from a comic guy" category and I can't! It works!!! And it works fricken' wonders!!!

for more information click here

No acid, but a trip, nevertheless

There are things here, you would not have imagined you would run into in a detective novel. A cross country tour of gutter level America. It's like watching an accident, you can't turn away. Nor can you put it down.

Amazing!

I couldn't get enough of this book. Ellis has made the leap from the graphic novel to the novel with seemless perfection. He paints a grim sex driven world that our protagonist must wade through to find the truth behind our country's real power. The only book I've ever liked better was "Motherless Brooklyn". Two books cut from the same cloth but vastly different in their own decadence.

for more information click here

A Great Start

I picked this up on a whim at my local Borders (Braintree MA). Having been a comicbook fan, I of course knew the name Warren Ellis. Seeing as how at the time many Novelist had then went into Comics, why not a Comic Book writer going into Novels?
I read it in 2 days. I couldnt put it down. Its a quick read, yes, but a good read. The "Story" itself isnt that important, it's the journey we go on thats worth the ride.
A great Start, I'm sure as he releases more it will just get better and better

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

My Books of the Year(s) Intro Page (for A-Store)
Drinking Gasoline Is Good For You
Weekly Book Rec Archive
Favorite Books in 2008
Deployment Book List

search for books
crooked little, crooked, little, novel, vein

Impressum / about us