Customer Reviews

End of the Tiger

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The short story format was how JDM got his start, but he later proved that full-length novels were more his strong suit. This collection features mostly stories from after the author had fully established himself, including some written in the 1960s after the creation of Travis McGee. The best stories for me were "Hangover" and the novella "The Solid Gold Trap", which is a mini-version of JDM's suburban drama novels such as "The Crossroads", "Clemmie", "Cancel All Our Vows", and "Contrary Pleasure". In general, the writing here is much smoother and more assured than the earlier work compiled in "The Good Old Stuff", "More Good Old Stuff", and "Seven".

End of the Tiger consists of 15 short stories authored by legendary writer John D. MacDonald between 1949 and 1966. Thirteen of the 15 stories are excellent, one is so-so and one is completely ill-conceived.

The ill-conceived one is entitled "The Trouble with Erica" and the less said about it the better. The so-so entry is entitled "The Fast Loose Money", a story which sacrifices believability for gimmickry. Though it should be noted that Travis McGee fans might want to read it anyway because some of the plot elements used would later appear in The Deep Blue Good-by, the first of MacDonald's Travis McGee series.

The remaining stories serve as showcases for John D. MacDonald at his best. They all display authentic characters, believable dialogue and insightful glimpses into human nature and behavior. Among the most compelling is the lead off story, entitled simply "Hangover". Here MacDonald skillfully describes an alcoholic's heart wrenching descent into self-destruction.

All in all, End of the Tiger is a quite good short story collection. Recommended.