A Likely Story [Hardcover]

Donald E. Westlake (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (1972)
• ASIN: B00296RXBW
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Technically a Comic Caper but a Pleasant Read None the Less!, September 14, 2008

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Likely Story (Hardcover)

There really isn't much information out there on some of Donald E Westlake's earlier novels (although this one isn't really that early, it was first published in 1984), so it is understandable that A Likely Story may have been bought by some with the misconception that it is another humorous comic caper. Westlake writes over a variety of genres (comedy crime, serious thriller crime, science fiction, he even wrote a Western). The disappointment factor will no doubt be magnified by the fact that along with his comic capers and his other earlier work tracking down and getting a copy of this novel is actually quite expensive. In fact the one I tracked down had long ago lost its dust jacket, therefore no picture on the cover. If you have managed to track down or come across a copy of a Likely story it is still worth grabbing it, as it is still a great entertaining read with a similar likeable type main character to that Westlake uses in the comic capers. It just lacks the amount of comedy (there are still some laughs) that a lot of readers will be looking for that comes with those comic capers.

A Likely Story revolves around six months or so of writer Tom Diskant who has left his wife and daughter to move in with his current girlfriend who has kids of her own. His wife however has not moved on and constantly calls upon him to come visit, using his daughter as an excuse where she tells him in graphic detail about all the men who are making advances towards her and that this wouldn't happen if he was back. Meanwhile Tom has a brilliant idea and has finally got a publishing company to give him a contract to compile and edit his new book called The Christmas Book. The Christmas Book is basically a coffee table book that will have Christmas themed artwork from leading artists, short stories from leading fiction authors, Christmas reflections by celebrities and other Christmas themed contributions. Of course celebrities are not the brightest or easiest bunch to deal with and there are some fun moments here. Westlake actually uses real celebrity names in here (complete with a notice to the reader and his attorney before the novel begins) which makes A Likely Story more fun.

Of course its not just the celebrities that cause problems for The Christmas Story. Time after time the book is made an orphan by the publishing company (you'll have to read this book to know what this means). Nothing seems to be running smoothly with the publishing company and throw in the fact that his girlfriends ex husband has moved back in to his girlfriend's house, his wife is demanding to come on vacation with himself and his girlfriend and we've got a pretty fun read.

If you haven't already done so check out Westlake's comic capers. I guess this technically could be a comic caper I just don't think it was intended to be one. The best four comic capers at an absolute masterpiece level are, Smoke, The Spy in the Ointment and a New York Dance (also published as Dancing Aztecs) and Cops and Robbers. Other great comic capers worth checking out are The Busy Body, God Save the Mark, Who Stole Sassi Manoon?, Help I am Being Held Prisoner, Castle in the Air, Enough and High Adventure.

Of course you also have to check out Westlake's greatest ever masterpiece The Ax along with his Parker series under his pen name Richard Stark as well!

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Westlake's funniest book?, January 21, 2004

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Likely Story (Paperback)

___________________________________________
This is Westlake's "how not to publish a bestseller" guide. It's *wonderful*,
Westlake at his comedic best. The writer-protag's um, unusual love-life
makes for wonderfully silly bedroom-farce, and his troubles in the book
biz sound like Westlake rounded up every bad thing that ever happened to
him, or that he'd ever heard of. All this plus an unexpectedly sweet
ending. If you like Westlake, books, or bedroom farce, this one's for
you. "A", maybe "A+".

Happy reading!
Pete Tillman