Customer Reviews

Hard Feelings

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the kind of book that starts out good and keeps getting better. I started reading the book in a bookstore at my local mall and after the first few pages I was hooked. The writer, Jason Starr, has a clean, hard edged style, reminiscent of the old hardboiled crime writers, but the story line is very modern. You can't help root for Richie Segal, even as he does some of the most dispicable things imaginable, and the ending is truly Hitchcockesque. I wish I could write a novel like this. One word sums it up: wow!

HARD FEELINGS is the story of Richie Segal, a thirty-something man who, on the face of things seems to be living the American dream, but in reality is slowly disintegrating into the depths of hell. He is about to lose his job, his marriage is in trouble and he is trying to control his alcoholic tendencies. In the midst of this maelstrom, Richie accidentally bumps into Michael Rudnick, a childhood friend who sexually abused him. This sends Richie into a tailspin of dark and troubled memories, bouts of drinking, a loss objectivity, and an escalating desire for retribution. Richie has convinced himself that only this will set him free and enable him to salvage his marriage as well as his career.

Although the story unfolds at a slow pace, never does your attention wane because there is such a sense of doom behind every word. The suspense builds so subtly that when Richie acts out, you are more relieved than surprised. To say that what happens is predictable would not do justice to the writing or the story telling, both of which are gripping. That is probably because Richie, himself, is such a complicated and compelling character.

I would be remiss if I didnt mention that I was a bit disappointed with the last few chapters. In these last pages, events seem to happen at a breakneck speed in sharp contrast with the rest of the book. At this point in the book, I also would have much preferred a less than expected ending. Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to recommend HARD FEELINGS. Just be prepared for a dark ride.

The first original novel ever published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (probably best known for reprinting Jim Thompson's books ) is this crackling noir thriller about a computer salesman with an unhappy marriage whose life starts to go down the toilet. Richie Segal's wife threatens to leave him, he might lose his job; even worse, events from his past keep haunting him. He starts to lose his grip. Finally, he decides to take decisive action to put things right. Naturally, that is when his trouble really begins.

The first two-thirds of the book, in particular, are excellent; crisp prose, interesting characters (especially the protagonist), and an excellent set-up that had me thirsting to see what happened next. Starr has a keen eye for the vagaries, quirks, and tensions of ordinary, humdrum life. The tension is all the better because we don't know what this boring salesman might do. Unfortunately, though, the pay-off was something of a let-down. The story is really rolling when the author basically cuts things off and ends the book with a surprise, not-very-satisfying climax, with essentially no resolution. It seemed as if there must be fifty pages missing from this book which develop the ending into a more meaningful conclusion.

These problems do not spoil "Hard Feelings," but they do turn it from a potentially great book into only a very good one. Jim Thompson would have taken a story like this and really put the screws to Richie Segal and his tormentors, raising the tension and suspense closer to a hardboiled ideal. I still recommend "Hard Feelings" to you, but next time out I hope that Mr. Starr gives us more.

Reviewed by David Montgomery, Mystery Ink

The more I read of Jason Starr, the more convinced I am that he is one of the most exciting and provocative new writers to come along in a long while. This is my fourth Starr book and my favorite so far - even better than Twisted City, which I also loved.

The Thompson influences are easy to see but I think this book also has other sides to it. I saw nods to Brett Easton Ellis and classic noir writers like Cain, but all with a late 90s corporate twist that is very uniquely Starr's own. This author is great at updating true 50s noir to the current time period.

This novel is typical Starr/noir/Thompsonesque fare, in that the protagonist is someone you like, even though he has issues and may ultimately be a "bad guy." But that doesn't really sum up even the half of it. The execution of this idea, along with many others in this book, is outstanding. What I really like about this author in all his books - but especially in this one - is that he will visit issues that many other writers - even "hardboiled" ones - won't touch with a ten-foot-pole. He's unflinching and he talks about disturbing issues in a graphic, tough, but always morally truthful and provocative way. This, to me, is the difference between a book that is "noir" and one that is just violent and misses the point.

Starr really gets these themes and he knows how to execute them so that the end result is mindblowing. Without getting into spoilers, I will just say that I am especially impressed with the way this book incorporates one (surprising, difficult) issue in particular. The revelation and incorporation of this issue and the way it lends to certain motivations, and the overall psychological depth of how this issue affects the book's protagonist and several other characters, is superb. I also found this novel - while still "hardboiled" and violent - to have the strongest and most profoundly affecting sort of sad moral center to it of any of Starr's books I've read so far. Starr takes a lot of criticism for being sexist and/or insensitive, but I think it's pretty hard to read this book and come away with that impression. (Sorry to be so vague, but I hate when these Amazon reviews give away big plot twists and shockers so suffice it to say that when you get a little ways through the book you'll know what I'm talking about.)

This book is fantastic. The plot is seamless, the writing is amazing, the pages fly by and the ending to me was perfect. And as always with this author, the characterization and the psychology and inner monologues of the characters, especially the narrator, are mesmerizing. The book has the plot, pacing, characterizaton and moral center of the old masters but is never derivative and adds a lot of brilliant twists and updates to the old formulas. Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to read it again.

Richard Segal has seen better days. In his job as an IT vendor he has made no more statements for months and he is demoted by his boss. Richard meets a man on the street whom he never really wanted to meet more, because he has raped Richard as a boy. In Richard's marriage, it goes up and down. Richard reacts with jealousy to a new acquaintance, who apparently seeks contact with his wife Paula. In addition, alcohol also plays a role in Richard's life. The event comes to a head. A murder occurs. Richard gets in the crosshairs of police investigations.

With his fourth novel, the New York author Jason Starr publishes another version of his literary theme of "man on slide". The reader expects a fast ride toward the abyss, in which a premature exit is not possible - very captivating by the ever more escalating plot up to the really very last page. "Hard Feelings" is a noir novel of the finest and the strongest work by Jason Starr to date.

And the end of the book, dear reader, is so eerily perfect in form, that you will never forget him more!

Man, Jason Starr loves to absolutely ruin people's lives. Luckily he's only doing on the page. This was the fifth Starr book I've read and, true to form, he follows the descent of a relatively normal guy down a death spiral of his own making. Believe all the other people talking about the unrelenting tension. It is Starr's matter-of-fact style that does it for me. his books tend to roll out in almost real time where every day tasks (walking the dog, ordering take out) are infused with a ticking time bomb effect because of the character's situation.
Another winner from Starr.

At least it's over fast! This is one of those type stories you come across once in a while where you keep reading because the main character is so dumb, you wonder what he's going to do next. This one doesn't fail in that respect- he does increasingly stupid things far more often as the book progresses. I guess that chronicles his decent into insanity.

But the story rings false in a few places. For instance at one point, despite being married for some years, he and his wife settle in to chat about some of their most basic childhood memories. Now, I'm going to guess that most married couples have already shared those memories at some point. Anyhow, there are a few "Yeah, Right!" moments in the book, that really detracted from the story.

This is a one-sitting page-turner in the tradition of Jim Thompson, though not quite to his standard. Nevertheless, I'll read more of Jason Starr, who thoroughly entertained me with this book ... which readers who lack interest in the dark side of life or find it offensive will NOT enjoy. Very workmanlike. It seems that Starr might be capable of a classic, & he's certainly worth reading for noir fans.

There's nothing terrifically ground-breaking about this novel, but at the same time there's a genuine integrity to the writing, as well as a firm grasp of character. The story doesn't so much falter at the end but tip its hand (you'd have to be completely out of it not to see what's coming), and this is forgiveable, if a bit annoying. It's nice to read a book that stays on the tracks as firmly as Starr's does. Check it out.

This book reminded me of watching one of those great old crime movies from the 40's and 50's. Starr sucks you into the life Richie Segal, a regular guy with some big-time problems, and he doesn't let you go until it's too late. The book has a lot of detail about New York City life (which is all dead on, by the way, because I used to live in the city) and the scenes with Richie, his wife, and the friends they meet in the berkshires are hysterical. Loved the deadpan humor and scenes with Richie and his salesmen colleagues too. The end actually gave me chills. One of the best crime novels I've read in a long time. Highly recommended.