Paradise Man [Hardcover]

Jerome Charyn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Charyn's 20th book ( War Cries over Avenue C, etc.) is sparer and easier to read than some of his works, but has all of their best elements: offbeat, interesting characters, seedy urban settings and distinctive prose. It is a crime story whose protagonist and romantic hero is a hitman or "bumper"he is called "Paradise Man" because he sends people into the next worldwho dresses like a dandy and yearns for his lost love. Paradise Man, aka The Frog, aka Holden, works for the Aladdin Fur Company in Manhattan, making sure bills are paid and guarding the company's patterns. Holden gets into trouble when he does a freelance job for La Familia, a group of powerful Cuban criminals at war with the Bandidosstet, more recent emigres from Castro's jails. He kills two con artists ripping off La Familia but, disobeying orders to leave no witnesses, does not harm the little girl he finds with them, taking her instead to be cared for by a friend. He then becomes the object of a series of murder attempts throughout New York City. Furriers, restaurateurs, lawyers and the Queens D.A. are, here, no better than Holden, who at least has a code of honor and a gentle nature. This is a convoluted tale in both narrative and moral terms, and a fascinating one.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Sidney Holden is not the usual fictional enforcer/killer. Based in New York, this French-born orphan who wears only bespoke tailoring is well paid to protect the interests of a Paris-based crime czar. During an assignment he encounters a small girl he believes is a god to a Cuban emigre criminal/religious group called the Banditos. When he is loaned out as a political favor to recover the kidnapped daughter of the district attorney he falls in love with the woman and afoul of almost everyone else in the criminal and judicial systems. His attempts to stay alive, restore the child-god to her believers, and discover something about his parents take him through the fur trade, ghettos, hideouts, and highlife of greater New York. This strange blend of fantasy and thriller will certainly not be to everyone's taste. Charyn's previous novels include War Cries Over Avenue C . John North, LRC, Ryerson Polytechnical Inst., Toronto
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (March 30, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0917657934
• ISBN-13: 978-0917657931
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,502,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in the mean streets of the Bronx and have remained a city wolf, dividing my time between New York City and Paris.

I grew up reading comic books and watching movies; you can see their influences in my books. I started writing novels at the age of eleven; Amazon carries 40+ titles, fiction and non-fiction.

For the past fourteen years I taught film at the American University of Paris.

I love Emily Dickinson's poems and William Faulkner's novels. I also love Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," which has the feel of a novel. (I wrote a book about Tarantino, "Raised by Wolves," after the film's release.)

My novel "The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson," published in 2010, inspired a community of more than 3500 Emily Dickinson Facebook fans dedicated to the poet's place in the 21st century.

"The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson" is now available in paperback in a reading group edition with online reading guide.

My most recent book, "Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil," was released on March 8, 2011, part of the Yale University Press series on American Icons. More than 1000 fans are already registered on its Facebook page.

I invite you to join me on Facebook for "The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson" or "Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil." Or visit my website: www.jeromecharyn.com