Driven [Paperback]

James Sallis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

Drivenis the sequel toDrive, now also an award-winning film. As we exit the initial novel, Driver has killed Bernie Rose, “the only one he ever mourned,” ending his campaign against those who double-crossed him.Driventells how that young man, done with killing, later will become the one who goes down “at 3 a.m. on a clear, cool morning in a Tijuana bar.” Seven years have passed. Driver has left the old life, become Paul West, and founded a successful business back in Phoenix. Walking down the street one day, he and his fiancee are attacked by two men and, while Driver dispatches both, his fiancee is killed. Sinking back into anonymity, aided by his friend Felix, an ex-gangbanger and Desert Storm vet, Driver retreats, but finds that his past stalks him and will not stop. He has to turn and face it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Lean and lethal...The underworld characters Driver deals with have a tendency to wax philosophical. 'You think about stuff much? Why you're here, what it all means?' one of the hit men asks him. 'Not really,' Driver answers. And then he kills the guy'' --New York Times

''The enigmatic loner known as Driver, introduced in 2005's Drive, takes to the road again after two thugs assault him and his fiancee' on a Phoenix street in this terse, brutal, poetic, perfectly wrought sequel.'' --Publishers Weekly, starred review

''Sallis, perhaps the most genuinely poetic crime writer alive, bleeds tone on every page, crafting sentences that read like a Thomas Hardy lyric.'' --Booklist, starred review

'' . . . on the heels of the 2011 film version of cult favorite Drive, this gritty, gristly tale will rivet Sallis's growing audience.'' --Library Journal

''Imagine the heart of Jim Thompson beating in the poetic chest of James Sallis and you'll have some idea of the beauty, sadness and power of ''Drive''...[it] has more thought, feeling and murderous energy than books twice its length.'' --Chicago Tribune, praise for Drive --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

JAMES SALLIS is the author of the popular Lew Griffin novels and over a dozen other books, including the biography "Chester Himes, "a "New York Times "Notable Book. He has been short-listed for the Anthony, Nebula, Edgar, Shamus, and Gold Dagger awards. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
"An "Entertainment Weekly "Top 10 Book of 2005
A "Washington Post "Best Book of 2005"

Product Details

• Paperback: 147 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781464200113
• ISBN-13: 978-1464200113
• ASIN: 1464200114
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A perfect read for noir fans. April 3, 2012

By M. Lignor

Format:Kindle Edition

For those who have not read or seen the movie Drive,and I don't imagine that there are a lot of you. I'll try and bring you up to date. The young man called Driver,was left alone when mother killed father. A family named Smith took him in and took good care of him but, one day he left taking their car and leaving a note telling them he was SORRY!! Heading for Los Angeles, he finds people that will help him out. He becomes a stunt driver for the movies by day and, seems to have found his niche in life. Unfortunately, he also comes across some people who hire him to drive for them. People that are on the other side of the law and they come after Driver, to end his career in both fields. The Driver disappears into the gloom and is incognito for about seven years. He left his old ways behind and took the new identity of Paul West, who has his own business and is about to marry his fiancée, Elsa. One day, while out walking the two of them are attacked by two men and Elsa is killed. Now, we start the sequel called Driven!

This is a review of Driven,the sequel to Drive.

A few years have passed and Driver has become Paul West. After the tragedy of his fiancee's death Paul goes into hiding and, with the help of an old friend Felix, he tries to get away from these folks from his criminal past, who want him out of the way. He finds a car and soups it up so he can get away from these folks and, for a time, it works. But, he finds out that when he gets away from one group, another is right behind him so, eventually he has to turn and face them.

For folks who liked the movie, this book will be right up their alley. It's pure Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. Or, at least it was for this reader. It's a short narrative that explains what happened to the Driver and probably there will be more. When the driver drives away he says "I Drive, that's what I do," and he isn't kidding. We'll definitely be seeing more of him. And, that's OK with noir lovers.

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars All the strengths and weaknesses of noir mysteries April 8, 2012

By David

Format:Paperback

Others have summarized the plot well. This is hardcore noir--people either speak in extremely short, terse sentences or like university psychology or physics professors. Most of the living quarters are roach infested. Characters have, at most, one name. The bad guys are always able to track down the hero, without any explanation of how. The action begins immediately and the book is very short. The action scenes are exciting, but the characters are stick figures. There is a great deal of violence. Ryan Gosling did a wonderful drive bringing the hero to life in Drive--a better job than the author does on the page.

This is a treat for noir lovers and not bad for noir haters.

It is a terrible shame that The Driver never teamed up with Richard Stark's Parker.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Take the Ride April 1, 2012

By Gary Griffiths TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you made it to the Cineplex to see Ryan Gossling in Nichols Nefn's neo-noir masterpiece, "Drive," don't wait to see if there's going to be a sequel - you can read in now. "Driven" is James Sallis' brilliant follow-up to his dark tale of Driver, a 26 year-old reclusive Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a robbery wheelman. Driver is now 32, living as Paul West in Phoenix, having gone-to-ground to escape the mobsters he dispatched in the first episode. Or so he thought. Sallis wastes no time getting to the action and violence; the first page hasn't turned before Driver leaves two would-be killers broken and dying on the pavement. From here out the formula is straightforward - Driver, with some assistance from the shadowy Gulf War vet Felix - brutally retires a seemingly endless parade of thugs send to kill him, while he soups up an inconspicuous Ford Fairlane and hunts down those behind the repeated attempted hits.

This is a simple story, a fast read that could be mediocre were it not delivered by James Sallis. Despite its brevity, the talented Sallis packs more imagery and power into 140 pages than the average crime writer could muster in 1,000; that rare brand of prose that is atmospheric without being bloated. This is lean, stripped down fiction, reminiscent of Jim Thompson or Raymond Chandler, but more elegantly told in sentences that, despite the grisly fare, read more like poetry than pulp fiction.

Like its predecessor "Drive," "Driven" is American crime writing at its best, and James Sallis is the unsung master of the genre. If you haven't discovered him yet - with or without Ryan Gossling - this quick pair of novels is a great place to make the acquaintance.