Slam the Big Door [Hardcover]

John D. MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1987

Published as a paperback original in 1960, this is MacDonald's favorite among his own novels, available for the first time in a quality hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

When Mike Rodenska, a former journalist and recent widower, visits his old friend Troy Jamison in Florida, he's shocked at what he finds. For despite the parties, the shapely women, the devil-may-care air that surrounds Troy and his friends, Mike can see a life slowly coming apart. The only question is: why?
Putting together the pieces of his friend's life -- and downfall -- turns an ordinary visit into a mystery that Mike Rodenska is compelled to solve . . . . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (June 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892961902
• ISBN-13: 978-0892961900
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #834,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound, moving, timelessalso full of suspense. Classic!, October 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Slam the Big Door (Mass Market Paperback)

John D. MacDonald scored again with this atmospheric, deeply moving novel about a man both coming to terms with the death of his wife and the wilful self-destruction of his best friend. As usual with John D., the sentiments expressed about life, people and the state of the world in the last half of the millenium are timeless. Why aren't these books more readily available? We are in desperate need of classics like this.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great jd, but there's better, March 24, 2005

By 

SML "reader in Northridge" (Northridge, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slam the Big Door (Hardcover)

I have read or own every jd macdonald novel and short story collection.
As with any author, some of his books are great, some merely good, and some are even not so good. "Slam the Big Door" is a fairly good one. But don't miss the greats: "The Empty Trap," "The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything," every Travis McGee (possible exception of "Freefall in Crimson"), "April Evil," "The Good Old Stuff," "More Good Old Stuff," "Linda"-- found in a two-novella collection called "Border Town Girl." So many more very good ones, but might want to avoid "The Last One Left," and "Barrier Island." More personal favorites: "On the Run," "A Bullet for Cinderella," "Clemmie," "The Only Girl in the Game."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A novel of morals and manners., September 29, 2007

By 

Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Slam the Big Door (Hardcover)

That aptly descriptive phrase is taken from the introduction to the hardcover edition of Slam the Big Door. An introduction written by none other than the book's author, John D. MacDonald himself.

This well crafted novel contains a number of fully fleshed out characters, all of whom are quite believable. It would be wrong to classify Slam the Big Door as a mystery; all the important events that go to make up the plot take place right out in the open, in full view of the reader. Nor is it a crime story; DUI is just about the most serious violation of the legal system described in its pages. This is a book about relationships, complex human relationships that bind the characters together and, at times, wrench them apart.

Mike Rodenska having recently lost his beloved wife, travels to Florida's gulfcoast ostensibly for a relaxing visit with his friend Troy Jamison and Troy's wife Mary. Once there, it becomes abundantly apparent that Troy needs Mike's help a lot more than Mike needs Troy's hospitality. The Jamisons' marriage is very much on the rocks and Troy's latest business venture is about to go belly up.

With the use of very detailed and evocative descriptions, MacDonald succeeds in bringing to life the characters who together compose the circle of family, friends and acquaintances inhabiting the Jamisons' not so idyllic world. This is a thoughtfully written novel about friendship, love, self loathing, human fraility and the emptiness of affluence too easily obtained. Recommended to readers interested in exploring the psychological underpinnings of human behavior.