Richard Price, author
I’m thinking I may have a new favorite author – Richard Price – and wonder if anyone else has read him or seen movies based on his books (Clockers, Freedomland, The Wanderers). I have listened to Lush Life read by Bobby Cannavale and am almost done listening to Samaritan read by Richard Allen.
A review of Samaritan in Booklist says it better than I could:
Booklist Review: /*Starred Review*/ Price (Freedomland, 1998; Clockers, 1992) wastes no time starting his story: Ray Mitchell, an Emmy-nominated TV writer who returned to teach pro bono at his old high school amid the projects of Dempsy, New Jersey, has had his head bashed in. Nerese Ammons, a cop 10 weeks from retirement, takes the case personally because of a good turn Ray did her when they were children. But Ray, deteriorating in the hospital, doesn’t want to tell her who attacked him. Why not? And why has Ray, a compulsive do-gooder, had such wrong done to him? As Nerese’s investigation moves forward, Price deftly fills in the past so that each new revelation is charged with significance. And because Price is not just a gifted writer but also one who thinks long and hard about human behavior, when we learn the answers, we understand why they are complicated. We know from page one, though, that we’re in good hands, with masterful detail, vivid scene-setting, and acutely observed, naturalistic dialogue. The crime-solving framework pulls us forward but is unencumbered by the pedantic detail of a police procedural, and the depth of the characterizations is magnificent: Ray, Nerese, and the considerable supporting cast are fully imagined beings who surprise us but never test our credulity. Enmeshed in this taut storytelling is a meditation on the complicated nature of giving and a caution that, with ill-considered charity, we can hurt others even when we think we’re doing them a favor. Superb.
(Reviewed November 15, 2002) — Keir Graff
Please – let me know if you have any opinions about Richard Price. He should at least be considered for a National Book Award!
Posted by pam | Posted under Authors
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As a ginormous fan of “The Wire,” I must echo the praise for Price. Along with literary-crime giants Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos, Price helped make that show what it is.
And what is it, you may ask? Only the best show on television.
It was the summer of 1995 in Chicago; the infamous heat wave where the temperature rose to 105 and 600 people died, but I didn’t care because I was locked in my air-conditioned bedroom readiing Clockers.
I should also mention that Richard Price will be in Chicago as part of Columbia College’s Story Week, which runs from March 15-20th. There are a number of fantastic authors on the bill, including Lydia Millet and Francine Prose. Here’s the press release, and when the official schedule is announced, you can find it here.
I read Lush Life a few months back, and have just finished Clockers. I tried to make it last but just couldn’t put it down! Have ordered others from Amazon; what a superb author.
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