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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A change of pace for a great crime writer, February 13, 2003
Readers used to novels featuring Vachss's continuing character Burke will find this book a true change of pace. Vachss alters his literary voice completely in his creation of Eddie, a professional getaway driver. Eddie is as far from Burke as can be imagined, an innocent in a world of corruption, a man who is a criminal mainly because his talents are best suited for that particular job. He is a driver who lives to drive, and spends his evenings watching old movies that he likes to think parallel his own life (like Thunder Road and Moonshine Highway). Loyal and honorable, realistic but trusting, Eddie seems a sweet child in an evil man's world until, as in the classic plots of James M. Cain, a woman makes him reexamine his priorities and loyalties. To say more would give away too much of the plot, but Vachss never takes a wrong turn on Eddie's drive away from innocence. The tight prose and simple style suit the subject perfectly. Eddie isn't nearly as eloquent with language as Burke, and there are frequent grammatical errors in this first-person narrative which only add to the richly drawn portrait. Nor is Eddie as outwardly intense as Burke. There's no crusader in these pages, only a guy trying to make a living doing what he loves to do, and trying to deal with the temptations and moral dilemmas that go with the job. The sense of the 1950s predominates, although there are frequent references to contemporary technology. The book is short, less than 200 pages, and they fly effortlessly by, with Vachss's trademark style of using simple breaks rather than the artificiality of chapter heads. The trade paperback package is totally simpatico with the novel's spirit, displaying stylish 50's cover artwork and logo, and even creases printed on the covers, to give that stuck-in-the-back-pocket paperback feel (you'll have to break the spine yourself). It's a terrific book that ends with a perfectly measured body blow to the gut, and those who appreciate crime fiction at its best would be fools to miss it.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A getaway from the norm, but a great read none the less, April 10, 2003
Andrew Vachss has a long series of hits with the Burke books. (Also recommend each of them). The Getaway Man is something different and new for Mr. Vachss. The characters come to life and emotional attachment occurs. The main character is a criminal but you care for him none the less. This book is a quick read that leads you through the life of Eddie who's only goal is driving. Through a series of stays in prison, comes out and begins driving for a series of criminals, each case seemingly to get more complex. Eddie gets through the story with his simple views on life and fierce loyalty to the people he drives for. After all, he's a professional. The last page makes the whole trip worth the time to read this book.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Andrew Vachss Has Crafted Yet Another Impressive Story, March 22, 2003
The latest effort in the impressive body of work from Andrew Vachss, THE GETAWAY MAN, tells the story of Eddie, a character whose outwardly simple nature masks a complex psychology that reveals itself in the subtext of this carefully crafted story. Eddie is determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a getaway driver. That is the extent of his ambition. Eddie is not in the game for easy money or for the thrills --- he just wants to drive. He is a simple and likeable character, whose dedication to his craft and loyalty to those who hire him for his abilities is admirable, if misguided. But that's a good deal of what makes Eddie so fascinating. He takes to the outlaw's life in a manner so unassuming and natural that it's as if "Life of Crime" was a booth he visited on Career Day in high school. For Eddie, a straight life was never a consideration --- it wasn't even on the radar. Despite his chosen profession, there isn't the slightest hint of menace in Eddie. This sets him apart from Burke, the main character in several of Vachss's previous books. Burke is a bad guy, an anti-hero whose moral matrix occasionally syncs-up with the law. Burke oozes a streetwise menace that is as impressive as it is frightening. Eddie, on the other hand, is as threatening as a cocker spaniel, yet he and Burke follow a similar moral code. But where Burke survives on projecting this menace and on the judicious delivery of the violence it presages, Eddie gets by on a keen ability to read people and tell them what they want to hear. Yet, there's nothing insincere about Eddie. He's not manipulative; he's desperate for approval. There's a childlike quality about this need that hints at some hidden tragedy. This is something that Eddie and Burke share: a dark and troubled psyche that is implied rather than revealed. Vachss trusts his readers to look not just at the characters in the spotlight, but also at the shadows they cast. It's there where Eddie takes shape, where his form is filled in and it's there that Eddie gets into your head. Eddie's story is told in first person, in a narrative that describes his evolution from misguided teen to career criminal. The story is a remarkable distillation of detail and action into a form so crisp and concise that reading it is a bit like pouring water onto a dried sponge --- it expands before your eyes. In the end, you're astonished that a story so rich was contained in so small a package. --- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart
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