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Bezig met laden... The Purples (editie 2010)door W. K. Berger
Informatie over het werkThe Purples door W. K. Berger Geen Bezig met laden...
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*AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL SEMIFINALIST* Shunned by his community... locked up for trying to help an innocent girl... ambushed by rivals and left for dead in the Detroit River: Joe Bernstein has a few scores to settle, and a bold plan to seize control of the Motor City in its booming 1920s heyday. With his faithful "agent" Abie, his brilliant but fragile brother Max, and an out-of-control enforcer named Grabowski (not to mention a couple of carnivorous creatures known as "the babies"), Bernstein gives rise to the infamous Purple Gang-so named by local merchants because the gangs members were said to be "tainted, like spoiled meat." Bernsteins boys set their sights on taking over the Detroit River, the pipeline connecting dry America to wet Canada. But Joe also must contend with having "a sweetheart in the nut house" and rising tensions within his gang. Worst of all, the D.A.s office has brought in an amputee war hero named Riley--who seems to be one step ahead of Joes big plans. A fast-paced thriller that builds to the climactic Collingwood Massacre (a seminal event that changed Detroit forever), THE PURPLES blends richly-detailed historical fiction with nonstop action, all narrated in the wry voice of the smart, self-deluding, and unforgettable Joe Bernstein. "Corruption in 1920s Detroit is brought to life in vivid detail in this accomplished book." -Publishers Weekly Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Berger is a very good writer of character, dialogue, internal monologue, description, and action, and that makes "The Purples" a very good book.
Written from the perspective of Joe Bernstein as he authors the history of The Purples from his prison cell, the book describes the Prohibition era in Detroit and Hamtramack, Michigan, with enterprising rival gangs, corrupt police and politicians, self-serving radio personalities, dedicated prosecutors, extended Jewish families, crime-enabling citizens, peaceful lakes and body-strewn rivers, and the paternalistic/evil pervasive presence of Henry Ford.
The characters are as well defined as if crafted by a malevolent Damon Runyan: Joe Bernstein, who engineers the rise of the Purple Gang by force of will and targeted assassinations; Bernstein's brother Max, a genius with a sometimes debilitating nervous condition; the Original Solly Levine, Bernstein's google-eyed spy; one-legged war hero and stalwart crime fighter Harry Riley; Rachel Roth, Joe's doomed girlfriend; Abie Zussman, a artist with a dagger who made going to the movies a chancy affair; Sugar House Gang leader Buster Weintraub, who transformed the Cream of Michigan diner into the Crime of Michigan; crazed killer Grabowski; and speakeasy owner, Tennessee Jenkins, a black woman who came up from the South to make her fortune.
"The Purples" is bloody, violent, thoughtful, and very well written. Here's an example, describing Grabowski, who since childhood has had a terrible case of eczema, and one of his dogs:
"He kept on scratching and as he did, patches of dried skin came loose and fell to the floor. The beast at his heels licked up the skin flakes and swallowed them, then looked back up, waiting for the next morsel to drop."
Oddly, given all the violence and despair within this book, Berger infuses his writing with humor, particularly through Joe Bernstein's voice. This is, after all, his story, and he knows how to tell a thrilling, fast-paced, funny yarn. I suppose he owes Quentin Tarantino a debt of gratitude, but Berger's earned his own accolades with "The Purples." I highly recommend it. ( )