Customer Reviews

Pain Management: A Burke Novel

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I think that _Blue Belle_ was the first Vachss novel that I tried, and after reading that I ripped through his subsequent novels with a sense of discovery and pleasure. To be honest, I lost that interest and amazement a number of books ago. While the first book set in Oregon gave me a glimmer of new hope, this book really isn't there either.

A lot of the problem is that what made Burke so interesting in the first few books was the very real tension between light and dark in the character. He was constantly in balance, and the nastiness made for a really refreshing read after all the weaker characters that you find in detective novels today. Unfortunately, Burke has been around too long, and he's just too much a defender to really believe in the Dark Knight anymore. He's taken on too many good causes and acted too much as protector of the helpless. Good thing in a person, less good if you want to keep the tension of someone strung between good and evil. I'm sure that the continuing novels serve Vachss' not-so-hidden agenda of educating his audience, but they just aren't as interesting to read at this point.

I'm a little troubled with myself for writing this kind of review, as I recognize that there are larger issues with these books than a good escapist read. I applaud Vacchs' determination in the work he does for children and I think he's chosen a nearly ideal vehicle for getting his messages out.

I just wish that I had the same compulsion to read Burke novels as I did with the first.

Anyways, this book (Burke tries to ignore his problematic relationship with Gem, while taking on the case of a 16-year old runaway) is well-written and will probably appeal. Still worth a read, in any case.

Burke is back on the job, scamming, stealing and doing what he does best: tracking a missing girl who may be running from a pain no one can imagine--except Burke. All while out of his native New York and without the protection of his family of choice. New friends and enemies abound in this "not always what it seems" story of betrayal and risk taking, that finds Burke trying to operate in a very different Portland than the tour guides depict.

The search for the missing girl, Rosebud, is the obvious, but along the way are twists and turns that could cost Burke his freedom, and maybe even his life. Great characters, both new and old, bring a seemingly straight-forward story to life. But Vachss never fails to add an unexpected element to their motivations or their personal pain. Are the girl's parents being honest for why they want Rosebud back so badly? Who is the chameleon-like Ann O. Dyne ... friend or foe? And what of Gem, the woman who calls herself Burke's wife, is her past going to destroy Burke's future?

More mystery than some of his previous outings, Vachss has done a fantastic job of weaving a story that you won't be able to put down. Definitely a must for Burke and Vachss fans and anyone else who wants a sharp, well-written and stunning in its conclusion story by one of the masters of the crime-fiction genre.

Long-time readers of Andrew Vachss's "Burke" series have come to expect certain things from the series, and "Pain Management" certainly delivers. As always, there's intriguing storyline, with Burke's search for a runaway teen bringing him into contact with vividly-depicted "minor" characters so true to life you might swear you'd met some of them, helping or hindering his tracking efforts for reasons of their own. Vachss fans have also come to expect unflinching social commentary delivered deadpan - and dead-on - by Burke, and they'll not be disappointed.

As the threads of the story converge, Burke and the reader are drawn into the world of "pain management," in the form of a group of citizen-outlaws made fanatical through personal experience with suffering, and with being powerless to stop it...and in the form of runaway/throwaway street kids and the hangarounds seeking to help them or use them.

A unifying subtext throughout is family, with the interactions of individual groups, traditional "nuclear" families as well as fiercely-bonded packs of strays making statements about loyalty and and trust, and security on many levels.

It's an amazing book, and long-time readers who feel they've come to know Burke over the course of 13 books may be in for some surprises. New readers are in for a treat, and will be able to dive right in - the "backstory" is a coast away, haunting and shaping Burke in ways readily understandable to any reader who has ever loved loved someone, and missed them.

Prepare to be blown away.

Here comes Burke again, as resourceful, violent, tough, single-minded, stubborn and vengeful as ever, and always on the side of the angels (although it's not always easy to tell!). There has never been a more readable crime series or a more compelling protagonist. Don't look for the cliches of crime writing -- bam! wham! bang! bop! Subtlety and nuance abound in the work of Andrew Vachss, and there is always meaning behind his meaning. Every time I think Vachss and his work have topped out, he exceeds himself again.

Vachss has produced yet another insightful, enlightening work with his new Burke-series novel, Pain Management. The by-now infamous anti-hero/protagonist, Burke, greets this new book with yet another issue that will resonate with many readers on multiple levels--the concept that the war on drugs so beloved and embraced by the medical establishment and government alike, in actuality denies those suffering at the hands of interminably painful *terminal* illness without benefit of copious and much-needed old and newly experimental drugs due to the nonsensical idea that taking these drugs with abandon will only result in drug addiction. . . a strange proposition considering that individuals in this situation are more than likely going to face their makers any day now in any case. . .Vachss is known for writing with not only amazing knowledge and breadth of information, but entertaining while doing so, with dark humor, minimalist-style clipped sentences, that leave the reader alive with the prospect of what will come down the pike at the turn of the next page. . . although his subject matter is all inclusive of issues that are perhaps too directly hard-hitting for those not wanting to venture into the mean world of child sexual abuse, domestic violence, . . well, abuse of *any* kind, and would rather limit their diets to evening news snippets and mild conversations and move on to the rest of their lives, most readers and fans of Vachss' prose realize the import of these books. . .not only as a source of reading pleasure but, more importantly, an invaluable resource for enlisting those in the world population against the war on abuse, for children in particular, and anyone who is deemed defenseless. . . in this case, Pain Management scores highly, as do all of Vachss' preceding works of fiction. For the novice to Vachss' books, both his urban style and sophisticated level of humor might intimidate, but will surely bring the reader back for more. . And, for those inveterate Vachss' fans who await Burke's return to NYC, there is more than an intimation in Pain Management that that is precisely where his next book will take place, hopefully with his usual familial cohorts, and the always hard-edged streets of New York to keep the reader off-balance and panting in the race against whatever new villain(s) Vachss' conjures. The mere fact that the Burke series has endured for such lengthy period is nothing less than grand testament to its ineradicable nature to impart readers with more than just another book of crime fiction--it can anger, all the while displaying astonishing poignancy. . This book is yet another example of Vachss' uncanny ability to rope the reader in with headline-glowing issues, while maintaining unique intrigue and interest in characters and story alike.

Andrew Vachss has to be an interesting individual. You get the idea that Burke, the main character in his novels, is a somewhat nastier version of himself. Burke is a shadowy figure, with only one name (only one was given when he was an orphan) and a mysterious, cloudy, bitter view of the world. He works around the edges of things, making money on the black market, specializing in being untraceable and invisible, or almost. He is almost completely uninterested in the fate of people he doesn't know, and for the most part he's pretty cold. He has a real hatred for criminals who exploit children.

In this outing, he's gone to ground in Portland Oregon. This is a departure for Vachss, who's set almost all of his books in New York City. He bounces around town, establishing a "rep" so that someone can hire him to do something. Eventually a troubled father contacts him, looking for his daughter. Burke agrees to look, and does so with his usual disregard for rules, animosity towards authority figures, and dark, mysterious methods. When he finds the girl, the answers are not at all what you were expecting, satisfying though they are. There's a whole interlude where Burke helps a woman who steals drugs for the chronically ill, and it's from this side-plot that the book gets its title.

I liked the story, about as much as I usually do with Vachss. Everything's very dark (I don't think I could read two of these in a row without contemplating suicide) and murky, and the structure of the book is strange, too. For those who aren't familiar, Vachss has veered between numbering his chapters and not bothering. They're anywhere between a couple of lines and a page or two of text, very short, very choppy. The author seems to just only write part of the story, several lines of dialog, and expect the reader to fill in the rest.

Given that, this is a good book.

You've read all the stuff about what actually happens in Pain Management already, so let's not rehash any of that.

Vachss' novels appeal to a couple different types of readers: the surface dwellers, and the mission soldiers. No judgments intended or implied. For the surface dwellers, there is plenty of quality character development, noir action and twisty plot. Vachss ranks with the best in this area (Connelly, Lehane,Crais, Block, etc.). Some great new characters (let's all praise ANN O. DYNE!!! Hubba Hubba!!), and development of recent ones; we learn a lot more about Gem, and those around her, making her a worthy addition to the "family." When Burke goes into action, doing his thing, it reads cinematically. Personally, I love those aspects of Vachss' work, and Pain Management features lots of it.

For the mission soldiers, those that have been on board his bus for lo these many years, Vachss hopes that we think about how we take care of the terminally ill. Exposing the Nancy Reagan legacy, which rejects making addicts out of the dying at all costs, particularly the patient's comfort,Vachss refuses to accept dogmatism, particularly when the peace of mind of the individual suffers. Burke is the ultimate pragmatist, and God bless him for it.

The beauty of Vachss' writing is that as the novel rolls along, the reader gets sucked into the action, characters and dialogue. Then, after it's over, the light goes on, and it's like, "Oh wow!! I get it now!!" That's the joy of quality fiction. And make no mistake, Pain Management is Crime Fiction of the highest quality.

Burke is laying low in Oregon. He's not in his element (New York), and this affects "Pain Management" as it affected "Down in The Zero." For me, a Burke story works best when the villain inspires a gut-deep flash of pure HATRED. I didn't get that fix this time. Also, just the words "New York" carry a seediness integral to the mood of Vachss' work.

Under an alias, Burke agrees to locate a well-heeled hippie's daughter. Things about her disappearance don't add up, and Burke encounters some locals who may or may not help him. They also may or may not be milking him for their own cause - getting pain meds to those in greatest need despite America's short-sighted treatment policies. These two plotlines never really merge. The daughter's family bears a secret that caused her to take off, but it's...well, a more "esoteric" reason than molestation. On the plus side, Vachss offers some intelligent, sympathetic young characters. He reminds us that everyone has the potential to be both Cain AND Abel.

Burke's usual anger and vigilance fall short of his melancholy. Things with Gem are decaying, and this almost becomes a distraction from the plot. His woman troubles don't end there; Ann O. Dyne is the most annoying girl Burke has dealt with since Fancy ("Down in The Zero") or Nadine ("Choice of Evil"). She's not stupid, just annoying. Flood, Blossom and Belle are still the top-tier Burkettes.

Vachss' effort to broaden the scope of issues in Burke novels is commendable. However, it doesn't play to Burke's strengths. Baby Boy Burke is a conman first and a killer first-and-a-half. "Pain Management," while thought-provoking, didn't hit me as hard as earlier works. Burke has the blues six feet deep, and the only effective remedy is to get back to New York and take it out on the lowest of the low. With "Only Child," I hope to see How Burke Got His Groove Back.

Say the name "Vachss" and one immediately thinks of a champion of the weak, poor and down trodden. His fictional vigilante/super-hero named Burke goes the distance in trying to right the wrongs of our society in general and the ills of certain individuals specifically.

PAIN MANAGEMENT is another no-holds barred crusade to help a young girl find her way around the pathological control of her father. It also is a vehicle for another woman operating in the gray zones to bring relief to those suffering from ailments that hospital administrators and accountants callously neglect in the quest to protect the bottom line. Burke is the catalyst helping to correct the wrongs of a father and bring relief to those suffering. His techniques may be unorthodox and questionable,but he always seems to prove that the ends justify the means.

In these troubling and uncertain times we find ourselves in, Vachss vis a vie Burke gives us a sobering analysis of what is important in life and how to defend it. Put simply, Do the right thing. Help those in need. Respect your family and friends for they are all you have.

PAIN MANAGEMENT is another quxotic adventure for Burke, but he is alawys prepared with the best hardware and stone cold conviction to combat the dark forces of our world.

Students of Vachss will not be disappointed. Newcomers will want to study the evolution of Burke. And all will gain some degree of empathy and strength for the weak and exploited.

Like a harsh, lonely blues song, this latest chapter in the dark tale of Burke leaps up and spreads itself across the background of Portland, Oregon. This is the city Burke has adopted since his apparent death, when his desire for revenge drove him from New York City to the Pacific Northwest. I've been to Portland. It is a beautiful city, with rivers in its heart and Mount Hood in its sky. But Burke's Portland is another place entirely, one where loss and betrayal send it's less fortunate denizens on a never-ending quest for pain management.

Unlike his life in New York, Burke is nearly alone in Portland, and lacks the support system that made his ghostly lifestyle possible. His primary company is now Gem, a professional smuggler who acts as his 'wife.' Burke has few friends. He is uncomfortable with this dependent state, and is trying to develop a local reputation, but it is slow going. When Gem finds him an assignment looking for Rosebud, a young girl who has disappeared, Burke throws himself into the chase.

On the surface it appears that Rosebud is a simple runaway, but Burke's persistent investigation uncovers contradictions and mysteries. And the more he tries to unravel the puzzle the deeper he is drawn in. Soon he finds that the search for Rosebud has put him on a collateral quest to aid a group of people dedicated to helping others escape intolerable pain. The plots intertwine and enmesh and in the background Burke's increasing difficulties with Gem play in counterpoint. It is as if, when Burke tries to put down roots in Portland, he finds the ground salted and dry.

This is a noir story in the best sense. Underneath appearances there are layers and layers of further deception. Until finally we discover that the truth was never out there, but inside instead. Vachss sends Burke on a quest that will determine his future, and places a spotlight on the inner nature of a man who is part hero and part demon. The prose work in "Pain Management" is some of Vachss finest. He paints scenes and characters with the brushwork style of Japanese master painters. In many authors this would be considered sketchiness, but somehow Vachss manages to draw the reader in, so that the book unfolds in one's mind rather than on the page.

The reader may find this book too sudden an introduction to the Burke series. It is not entirely dependent on the need to know more of Burke's history but the knowledge gained from reading work earlier in the series will increase the readers ability to participate. At the least, one should be familiar with "Dead and Gone," which explains how Burke has come to Portland.