Books May 2015
Westlake’s nonfiction
A review of The Getaway Car: A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany by Donald E. Westlake.
I believe my subject is bewilderment,” said Donald Westlake. “But I may be wrong.”
Westlake, who published more than 100 books and wrote a dozen screenplays, was the very model of the writer as talented, disciplined, prolific professional. All but two of his books are fiction. A third of them feature either the ruthless criminal sociopath Parker or the hard-luck burglar John Dortmunder—each, in his way, also a consummate pro. Many regard the Parker novels, published under the pen name Richard Stark, as Westlake’s best—short and fierce, written in a bleak, stripped-down prose. The Dortmunder novels are genial, expansive comedies. Their typical arc: When his carefully planned caper-like robbery is sabotaged by bad luck, Dortmunder must do some fancy tap-dancing to get out of the resulting fix. His big score slips away and he is lucky to cover his costs.
The other...
A Message from the Editors
Support our crucial work and join us in strengthening the bonds of civilization.
Your donation sustains our efforts to inspire joyous rediscoveries.