Enough Rope [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Lawrence Block (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2002

Lawrence Block's novels win awards, grace bestseller lists, and get made into films. His short fiction is every bit as outstanding, and this complete collection of his short stories establishes the extraordinary skill, power, and versatility of this contemporary Grand Master.

Block's beloved series characters are on hand, including ex-cop Matt Scudder, bookselling burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and the disarming duo of Chip Harrison and Leo Haig. Here, too, are Keller, the wistful hit man, and the natty attorney Martin Ehrengraf, who takes criminal cases on a contingency basis and whose clients always turn out to be innocent.

Keeping them company are dozens of other refugees from Block's dazzling imagination -- all caught up in more ingenious plots than you can shake a blunt instrument at.

Half a dozen of Block's stories have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, and three have won it outright. Other stories have been read aloud on BBC Radio, dramatized on American and British television, and adapted for the stage and screen. All the tales in Block's three previous collections are here, along with two dozen new stories. Some will keep you on the edge of the chair. Others will make you roll on the floor laughing. And more than a few of them will give you something to think about. Enough Rope is an essential volume for Lawrence Block fans, and a dazzling introduction for others to the wonderful world of ... Block magic!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This hefty collection of acclaimed mystery master Lawrence Block's short fiction is packed with delights for fans of his many popular series as well as first-time readers who haven't yet met the engrossing protagonists who people them, including Keller, the thoughtful hit man; private eye Matt Scudder; burglar and bookstore owner Bernie Rhodenbarr; and Martin Ehrengraf, the well-dressed lawyer who takes criminal cases on a contingency basis and has his own devious methods for making sure his clients are always acquitted. But it's the non-series stories that are the standouts here, particularly "Cleveland in My Dreams," in which a psychiatrist comes up with a novel way to rid a patient of a relentless nightmare, and the patient passes on the "cure" to an unsuspecting friend; "Collecting Ackermans" and "Death Wish," two standouts about jealousy and its discontents; and a handful of other little gems with central characters who may not merit their own series because they're just not very likable, but show off Block's ability to keep the reader guessing until the last sentence. It may be hard to pick up--if only because it runs nearly a thousand pages--but this wry, witty, well-wrought collection is even harder to put down. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

A month before the mass market edition of his bestseller Hope to Die hits shelves, whodunit Grand Master Lawrence Block will come out with Enough Rope"in Blocks words, a huge doorstop of a thing "a collection of 83 stories spanning a career that began nearly five decades ago. With early tales (1957s You Cant Lose ) and recent ones (Terrible Tommy Terhune ), not to mention plenty featuring series heroes Martin Ehrengraf, Matthew Scudder and Keller, this compendium of sharply written short fiction will delight Blocks many fans, and likely earn him new ones.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 883 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st U.S. edition (August 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060188901
• ASIN: B00009PH96
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,348,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Block attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Leaving school before graduation, he moved to New York City, a locale that features prominently in most of his works. His earliest published writing appeared in the 1950s, frequently under pseudonyms, and many of these novels are now considered classics of the pulp fiction genre. During his early writing years, Block also worked in the mailroom of a publishing house and reviewed the submission slush pile for a literary agency. He has cited the latter experience as a valuable lesson for a beginning writer.

Block's first short story, "You Can't Lose," was published in 1957 in Manhunt, the first of dozens of short stories and articles that he would publish over the years in publications including American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and the New York Times. His short fiction has been featured and reprinted in over eleven collections including Enough Rope (2002), which is comprised of eighty-four of his short stories.

In 1966, Block introduced the insomniac protagonist Evan Tanner in the novel The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep. Block's diverse heroes also include the urbane and witty bookseller--and thief-on-the-side--Bernie Rhodenbarr; the gritty recovering alcoholic and private investigator Matthew Scudder; and Chip Harrison, the comical assistant to a private investigator with a Nero Wolfe fixation who appears in No Score, Chip Harrison Scores Again, Make Out with Murder, and The Topless Tulip Caper. Block has also written several short stories and novels featuring Keller, a professional hit man. Block's work is praised for his richly imagined and varied characters and frequent use of humor.

A father of three daughters, Block lives in New York City with his second wife, Lynne. When he isn't touring or attending mystery conventions, he and Lynne are frequent travelers, as members of the Travelers' Century Club for nearly a decade now, and have visited about 150 countries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enough already  buy this book!, August 11, 2002

By 

David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enough Rope (Hardcover)

Fans of Block's series characters will find plenty to enjoy here, including nine Matt Scudder stories, three featuring burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and five with hit man Keller. They have all appeared elsewhere at one time or another, but unless you're a Block completist, you're unlikely to have seen several of them before. Even if you have read some of them, this book is still an invaluable addition to your collection, as it includes all of the stories and presents them in chronological order, something impossible to find prior to this.

Perhaps the best thing about "Enough Rope," though, is the inclusion of a dozen new works, most of them fairly lengthy for short stories, all of them superbly crafted and delightful little reads. A few in particular, like "Almost Perfect" (about a murderous baseball game) and "Points" (about a father and son) stand out for their quality and inventiveness. Even after half a decade of writing short fiction, Block is still trying, and succeeding at, new things. (For historical value, if nothing else, the author's first published story is included as well.)

"Enough Rope" is a hefty book, containing eighty-three stories that run almost 900 pages. That represents virtually every published story by this prolific writer. It is a testimony to the popularity of Block and the quality of his writing that his publisher would take such a gamble and produce such a large, handsome volume. "Enough Rope" is a real treat.

Reviewed by David Montgomery, MysteryInkOnline.com

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bargain price, bundle of brilliant stories..., October 5, 2002

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enough Rope (Hardcover)

I discovered Lawrence Block when he was writing a monthly column for "Writer's Digest" magazine back in the late 70's. His contribution was always the highlight of each issue, so I began reading his novels and short stories. Now almost all of his shorter pieces, over a 40-year career, are in this volume...885 pages worth. For the price, you can't get another book that will give you as much enjoyment as this one, and teach you about well-crafted writing to boot. All his tales have a twist, and he wastes no words. Block is as good in his own way as Dick Francis and Robert B. Parker are in theirs. I had read many of these older stories in the 80's, but forgot the details until encountering them again in this volume. He'll occasionally make you laugh, more often give you a shiver, but always, his people resonate, even the darkest characters. If you know Block's work from his mystery/detective/humor series, you already know that you want to own this. If you haven't started the LB habit yet, this is "Enough Rope" to tie you up in him for years.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Block Fans Rejoice! How Can You Go Wrong for $10?, March 14, 2006

By 

John H. Macdonald - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Enough Rope (Paperback)

Those of us who have followed the redemption of Matt Scudder, the moral musings of post modern hit man Keller, and the hapless Bernie Rodenbhar series, know the letdown you feel when you have read them all, and must wait till the next new release!
Well, here is a great sampler of many new, and many classic short stories about the quirky continuing characters of Lawrence Block that you probably haven't read yet. . Just the right length for a quick fix of Block irony, and arranged by character, this is a great beach book or airport companion. You may have read a few of these, but I found some new stuff well worth the price...I consider it the canon of an earlier Block and a whale of a paperback!