3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy, funny and frightening, an authentic slice of the hustling life, October 26, 2010
Teenage runaway Randy meets a genius con artist: Kristal, one of the most
indelible characters ever and apparently based on a true person. Kristal sees
Randy as a potential partner, so she teaches Randy the refined art of the "dry
hustle": arousing a man's sexual expectations and then making off with his cash
instead of delivering the goods. Basically a dry hustle is advanced c***teasing.
The two women go on the road, practicing their nefarious trade from strip
joints to hotel lounges, from Vegas casinos to an exclusive ski resort. A lot
of the fun of the book is in keeping track of the never-ending scams, as Randy
falls deeper under Kristal's spell. But then a fellow con-artist named Cody
crosses their lives, and all bets are off. The sex scene with Cody is the
erotic centerpiece of the novel, but there's also a scene where Randy is
pleasuring herself with a TV game show on in the background that is just
hilarious.
I read this book back when it was first published in the late 70's, when
feminist sex sagas like Fear of Flying and Kinflicks were all the rage.
Revisiting Dry Hustle now, I find it even better than I remembered. The writing
is sharp and smart, the characters are classic, the story is as cunning as...
well, a dry hustle. I highly recommend it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gad to have it in digital form!, November 2, 2010
I'm so glad to see this book back in circulation in digital form. I picked it up years ago at a library sale. It was one of my better purchases, and I haven't read anything like it before or since. I got ready for a cheesy read but found myself mesmerized by the sheer chutzpah and ingenuity of the two main female characters. There's plenty of sex talk - after all, that's what a dry hustle is - and there are some memorable sex scenes - but what you also get is a fantastic road movie and a window into the soul of a con artist. Above all you get Kristal, she of the monster boobs and bottomless bag of scams. While it may make a man wince (I know I did) to see the male race taken for a ride so easily, there is also home truth on every page. The book turns surprisingly poignant toward the end. I guess if you had to compare it with anything, it would be Midnight Cowboy or The Sting. Bravo and 5 stars to Kernochan for bravery and originality.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intricate cons and great characters, October 31, 2010
Just devoured this overnight. You will get all the sex talk you want from this book, and then some. But, taking the Tantric approach, or should I say the dry hustle approach, you have to wait for the actual act. In the meantime you're turning pages because the web of cons woven by these two felons is so fascinating. And then along comes a male scammer who's going to bust up the team by using his sexual talents. At this point Dry Hustle turns wet, ha ha. An added bonus is larger-than-life characters who draw you in and the author's unique teenage voice as she wises up. Bang for your buck.
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