Customer Reviews

The Anderson Tapes

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book in a second-hand shop and, having seen the Sean Connery film, thought it would be worth a read. The plot itself is relatively simple (a bunch of mafia-funded crooks heist a well-to-do apartment building), but the main raison d'etre is that all the plot and dialogue is relayed via a series of witness statements or wiretaps. Whilst it is very unlikely that all the wiretaps detailed in the book would all have been put in place by different federal units, it is even more unlikely that all the key events in the build up to the heist would have been held in the prescence of these wire taps. Still, as a dramatic device, the novelty value of this approach makes the book interesting. However, by writing the book in this relatively fragmented fashion, the pace of the book does lag in the buildup to the heist; also, I found it hard to get into the minds of any of the characters as most of the plot concerns what people say or do rather than what they think. This approach was supposedly groundbreaking at the time the book was written (late 60's), but the book is pretty run-of-the-mill now.

THE ANDERSON TAPES is one of the most unusually constructed novels I have ever read. It is the story of a robbery - its planning, execution and aftermath - but it is notable for being written almost entirely in the form of transcribed wiretaps, which have been assembled by the author in such a way as to tell a coherent and often gripping crime story.

The novel is set in New York City in 1968. Professional burglar John "Duke" Anderson, fresh out of prison, is already planning his next caper, the "one big score" which will allow him to retire. Seems that Duke has his eye on cleaning out a luxury apartment building from basement to rooftop - robbing the rich tenants of their jewels, artworks, and ready cash. To pull off this score, he needs a whole crew of men - scouts, con-men, alarm experts, muscle, getaway drivers.
He also needs the permission, and the help, of the local mob - and not only do they want a piece of the action, they also have a "special request" which Anderson has no choice but to grant.
As the day of the big heist approaches, Duke attempts to plan for every contingency, every possible thing that could go wrong, until the entire operation is hatchway tight and completely foolproof. The question he fails to ask is: Is it genius-proof, too?

Although I'm a huge Lawrence Sanders fan, THE ANDERSON TAPES is not a book I expected to like. The device of telling a whole story by wiretap and through "official reports" is a bit daunting, but once you warm to it it's actually pretty damn compelling as well. It's true that Sanders' understanding of the Mafia is tainted by a lack of knowledge; however, that's not his fault; when this book was written the mob's secrets were still largely secret. And while Sanders is arguably the best prose-writer of his era, his dialogue was never realistic - like Mario Puzo, he could never resist putting outsize words in the mouths of his characters, so that his Mafia Dons sound more like Oxford Dons, and subeducated hustlers use five-syllable words. However, in the end, the book does exactly what it sets out to do - it entertains, grips, and makes you turn pages faster and faster as you follow Duke Anderson through the intricacies of his One Big Score. For the record, it also paints a fascinating picture of crime in the pre cell-phone era. It is also notable for introducing toward the end of the book the character of Edward X. Delaney, an NYPD precinct commander who was later to become the central character of Sanders' DEADLY SIN mystery series.

In short, if you like crime stories, I can't imagine you won't enjoy THE ANDERSON TAPES.

Somewhat surprised by the other reviews which only gave it a mild thumbs up. I thought the book was extraordinary and thrilling. It was a breakthrough book at the time and, I believe, was the stepping stone for Lawrence Sanders to quit journalism and become a full time crime writer. It has a wonderful flavor of the late 60's early 70's New York and has that feeling of a fictionalized true story in the style of In Cold Blood by Capote. I think there is a movie with the same name, but as I recall it has nothing to do with this book. I recommend this book to all my friends.

I recently finished reading, "The Anderson Tapes", A book I purchased from Amazon.com. This was Lawrence Sanders first book. I found the unique method he used in writing the book - chapters done in report style - entertaining. The book had a good blend of characteriaztion, suspense and dialogue. What I liked the most about the book was, even though most of the chapters were done in a report format, the characters came to life on the page. A tribute to Mr. Sanders ability as a writer. For thoses Lawrence Sanders fans, I recommend you give it a read.

I read this book a few days ago and it is very interesting. It was a completly new style at the time it was written, and continues to be outstanding. The whole story is conveyed through tapes, so recorder knowingly while others from bugs and survailence devices. I would recommend it.