“More than anyone, you’ll see Hemingway’s influence in Elmore’s early prose. When my father was just staring he told me he would put a blank piece of paper of the page of a Hemingway story and rewrite the scene his way. It how he learned to write.” (p. vii).
Peter Leonard, Elmore Leonard’s son, relates stories about his father’s work ethic as he struggled to become a writer: “While my father was writing the stories in this volume he worked at Campbell-Ewald, an advertising agency, writing Chevrolet ads. For almost a decade he got up at 5:00 A.M. and wrote two pages of fiction before he went to work. His rule: he couldn’t turn the water on for coffee, until he wrote a page.” (p. viii)
Elmore Leonard died in 2013 and this collection of Leonard’s unpublished stories, published in 2015, includes both crime stories and western stories–the two genres Leonard excelled in. The title story, “Charlie Martz,” features a showdown between Martz, an overworked sheriff, and a gunman from his past who wants to kill him. “Siesta in Paloverde” concerns another Martz confrontation with another unsavory character who wants to shoot Martz dead. My favorite story in Charlie Martz and Other Stories is “Evenings Away From Home” from 1959. The narrator is an ad executive assigned to work with a flamboyant photographer. The photographer attracts a beautiful airline stewardess and talks her into modeling for him on this assignment. Of course, the atmosphere is sexually charged and Leonard navigates the crisis moments with flare…and a couple of surprises.
Sure, these unpublished stories don’t have the polish Elmore Leonard gained later in his career. But even a mediocre Leonard story is better than many writers’ best stories. Are you an Elmore Leonard fan? Do you have a favorite novel or story of his? GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Elmore Leonard; foreword by Peter Leonard — vii
One, horizontal — 1
Charlie Martz — 19
Siesta in Paloverde — 33
Time of terror — 47
A happy, lighthearted people — 67
Arma virumque cano — 81
Confession — 91
Evenings away from home — 109
For something to do — 125
The Italian cut — 141
The only good Syrian foot soldier is a dead one — 155
The line rider — 171
The trespassers — 183
The bull ring at Blisston — 203
Rebel on the run — 219
I’m a big Leonard fan. I have not read many of his western novels/stories, but I have read everyone of his crime novels. I’m particularly fond of City Primeval and 52 Pickup, both of which take place in Detroit. When I worked at the Birmingham Bookstore he came in on a few occasions. A very nice man. He was also influenced by George V. Higgins in his use of dialogue.
Steve, Elmore Leonard and George V. Higgins–two terrific writers!
I didn’t discover Leonard until probably the mid-80s, making me something of a latecomer who had a lot of catching up to do. And believe me, catching up was a lot of fun. As well as I can determine these many years later I read all of the crime novels, maybe a third of the westerns, and a couple of story collections. His work also translated well to the screen, with movies like OUT OF SIGHT and my favorite, JACKIE BROWN. And has there ever been a tv show of its kind than JUSTIFIED?
Michael, like you I read all of Leonard’s crime novels. I still have a couple of his westerns waiting to be read on my shelves. OUT OF SIGHT, JACKIE BROWN, and JUSTIFIED–all great viewing!
Don’t forget Get Shorty.
Steve, GET SHORTY–the movie version–became a fan favorite!
GET SHORTY the tv series better than the films. Epix taking its sweet COVID time in bringing on the new season, but I’ll wait.
Todd, I’ve had EPIX as part of my cable package from time to time and liked it.
“The Tonto Woman”, a short film (about a half hour) based on a Leonard short western story, is a good one, as well. The Vimeo copy is marginally better to my bleary eye than the YT: https://vimeo.com/156456059. Oscar nom in its year for Best Short Film. (Opening sequences can be NSFW, with some aftermath of violence and then a woman washing her upper body.)
Todd, Elmore Leonard is an underrated western writer. I love his crime writing, but Leonard’s westerns don’t get the respect they deserve.
Those who know westerns at all, I’ve found, certainly respect his work…unless they don’t like much beyond Zane Gray…
Todd, Zane Grey was big…but Louis L’Amour was bigger and better.
I was lucky enough to hear him speak several times. Megan interviewed him for some publication and fell for his charm too. His Hollywood stories were the best. I now live just down the road from his house.
I love Leonard, have read pretty much all of his crime stuff and a few of his westerns. It would be hard to pick out one or two. I loved JUSTIFIED too. Somehow, I seem to have missed this, but as you say, even mediocre Leonard is worth reading, so I reserved a copy. I think I’ve read his other published stories.
OK, I take it back. I went back and checked, and I DID read this in 2015!
Jeff, I had a feeling you read this!
Easier to recall the one disappointing Leonard novel I recall reading, the late DJIBOUTI, than to pick a single favorite, but FREAKY DEAKY despite its title is up there.
Todd, I’m a fan of FREAKY DEAKY, too!
Don’t know him at all.
As a student I’d read everything available in the America House but from 1970 I concentrated on SF – and couldn’t even read all the books I bought …
How did you all manage to read so much?
Afaik you all had jobs too that asked for more than 40 hours a week.
Wolf, I didn’t watch much TV so I had more time to read. I always have a book with me so if there’s DownTime, I get busy reading. Plus, I read quickly.
A lot of bus-riding as a teen (an hour each way to get from Kailua, Hawaii to downtown Honolulu to get to high school and first year and half of college) and devoting a lot of my leisure time to reading from about age four. Too much screen time throughout those years as well, of course. My last steady employment was 17.5 years of 50-60-hour weeks
I know this is shocking but I have read nothing by Elmore Leonard. I have several of his books on my shelves but just never tried any of them. I will have to do something about that.
Imagine a slightly less irritated Donald Westlake. A rather similar flavor.
Todd, I started reading Westlake and Leonard around the same time, the early 1970s. I was also reading and loving the caper novels of “Richard Stark” who I later learned was Westlake.
Todd, that is a great description. I have read some of Westlake’s books, both when I was younger and in the last 10 years.
Tracy, I highly recommend Elmore Leonard’s books. And many of the films–like OUT OF SIGHT–are wonderful!
I have seen OUT OF SIGHT and also GET SHORTY, and have copies of the books, so I should start there I guess.