Pike (Switchblade)

I really wanted to read something that satisfied my taste for dark, depressing, and captivating literature. Pike hit the spot on all three fronts. I have no complaints about the book at all. The story is written in short 1-3 page chapters that flow nicely. The dialog is pretty stripped down but these are the type of folk we are dealing with here, those that only say what they mean. Whitmer's pensive prose and desolate descriptions of Cincinnati and other parts of rural Ohio give the book a melancholic vibe that is unsettling yet comfortable.Pike is a great character. When we meet Pike, he has just been informed that his estranged daughter is dead and he has a granddaughter named Wendy that has nowhere else to go. Pike has a violent and mysterious history that you learn more about as the book moves along. Pike is a complicated man and his desire to reconcile his history with his current situation is what makes the story move. Pike's daughter's body was discovered by a crooked killer cop named Derrick, who gets Pike's attention when he starts harassing Wendy. Pike decides to get to the bottom of everything for himself and the safety of his granddaughter.I read Whitmer's more recent release Cry Father when it first came out and really enjoyed it which is why I picked up Pike. I liked both, but Pike is my favorite of the two books. I will definitely be checking out Whitmer's future work as well. If you like stripped-down noir that is equal parts family drama and vicious pop a cap in your a** violent, then Pike if your book. Also, recommended to fans of Donald Ray Pollock or William Gay.

I do like a noir themed story which is why I bought this book. And I guess I got what I asked for - smash mouth noir and violence to the extreme, All is fine if you prefer 100% noir in a short read and the author is more than adept at putting it in print. The problem for me, at least, is that there is not enough or any, for that matter, counterpoint to the noir - not much plot, if any, along with characters that are plodding stiffs or druggies + even little Wendy doesn't seem to have much of future with a grandfather, who besides being serial assasin (and why exactly is he?), a drunk and a chain smoker does not fit the role of care taker in the worst of circumstances. And what's the story with Rory and the Sheriff? They just show up in the text but add nothing. Here's an author who can write a competent narrative but appears in this book to be following a scripted paradigm in order to make the story as unappeasing as possible.

Finally got around to reading this after having it on my list for a couple years, and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's not an easy book to read (for me at least, as someone who is seriously affected by violence in literature) but it's so well written and the story is so compelling I often had a hard time putting it down. It revolves around one Douglas Pike, a man whose past is a dark one, characterized by dirty dealings, spousal abuse, and murder. In his later years he has calmed down somewhat, but hasn't lost all the sharp edges of his personality. He's living in an Appalachian town and spending his time on whatever odd jobs come his way, along with his partner, Rory, when events begin to conspire to shatter his relative peace. First, he learns that his estranged junkie daughter has overdosed when one of her friends shows up at his door with his 12-year-old granddaughter, Wendy. Then, just as they're beginning to become accustomed to each other and form a reasonably good relationship, a dirty cop from Cincinnati shows up and begins to take an unhealthy interest in Wendy. When Pike and Rory travel to Cincinnati to try to uncover the sordid facts behind his daughter's life and death, the learn things that set into motion a downward spiral of pursuit, revenge, and death.Part of the appeal of this story for me (perhaps obviously) is the fact that much of it is set in my hometown of Cincinnati, and it's always fun (although that's honestly not a word I'd apply to this story) to see descriptions of places that are very familiar to you in the book you're reading. But really that's only a small part of what's appealing about this novel. The characters are all so real and well developed, even the minor ones; which is not to say they're people I'd like to know, but Mr. Whitmer has made them into totally flesh-and-blood people who are absolutely believable. And the story... well "dark" and "gritty" seem to be completely inadequate adjectives for this one. There is so much misery, hopelessness, and violence depicted here! A few scenes were SO difficult to get through! I was also impressed by the way the author was able to make me really feel what it would be like to be either an addict or the parent/child/loved one of an addict by giving me the opportunity to get into the minds of all of them! This is really an excellent book.

If you're a fan of Larry Brown's Joe, then Pike is the gritty redneck stepbrother. Whitmer tackles many of the same issues: a life that's been squandered by bad decisions, family alienation, and the irrevocable loss of our loved ones. The hardest part for Pike is realizing his role in all of this, and through the absurdity of our world, he's given a chance to make something whole for a change.I loved this book. As a start to a new year, I'm a little pissed as I know I will measure everything else I read against this. That said, Whitmer really is a master of the art. There's no fat in here and there's plenty of room to breathe at the same time. I found myself constantly thinking about this book when I had to lay it down, and I as I finished this 2 days ago, I'm still mulling this one over.

A Good Read

Anglais difficile pour francaisHistoire pas tres credible, violence gratuiteJe ne recommande pas du tout ce livre que je n'ai meme pas fini