The Friends of Eddie Coyle: A Novel (John MacRae Books) [Paperback]

George V. Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000 | Series: John MacRae Books

The classic novel from "America's best crime novelist" (Time), with a new
introduction by Elmore Leonard

Eddie Coyle works for Jimmy Scalisi, supplying him with guns for a couple of bank jobs. But a cop named Foley is on to Eddie and he's leaning on him to finger Scalisi, a gang leader with a lot to hide. And then there's Dillon-a full-time bartender and part-time contract killer--pretending to be Eddie's friend. Wheeling, dealing, chasing, and stealing--that's Eddie, and he's got lots of friends.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

George V. Higgins's first novel is like a blast of Atlantic air; the Boston prosecutor virtually reinvents the language of the crime novel with his unique ability to breathe life into the dialogue of the smalltime hoodlum and hustler. Trying to pull off one final score, career crook Eddie Coyle finds himself squeezed out of shape by the people above and below him. The explosive conclusion is inevitable yet fascinating. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Chilling...the most penetrating glimpse yet into what seems the real world of crime...positively reeking with authenticity!"--The New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 2nd edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805065989
• ISBN-13: 978-0805065985
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, great dialog... January 8, 2001

By Erik J. Larsen

Format:Paperback

I read a list by James Ellroy where he listed Higgins as one of his major influences, so I bought this one. I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is very simple, the dialog is incredibly lifelike and readable. The characters are very real and the story is believable. Its not really a mystery as much as it is a story about some criminals and what they think and feel.

Warning, though. Don't buy this if you like the 'high concept' plots of Grisham and Patterson. This is a very simple story about real people and real criminals. If you're an aspiring writer of crime fiction, definitely check it out especially the dialog.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars streetwise dialogue October 13, 2000

By Orrin C. Judd VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Eddie Coyle is a low-level Boston hood, supplying mobsters with handguns. He earned his nickname, "Fingers", after one gun deal went poorly & he had his hand slammed in a drawer, giving him an extra set of knuckles on his left hand. Once in a while the mob throws him some more lucrative work, but on the last such opportunity he was arrested in New Hampshire illegally trucking liquor. Now he faces three to five years in prison and as he says: "Well, ...I got three kids and a wife at home, and I can't afford to do no more time, you know? The kids're growing up and they go to school, and the other kids make fun of them and all. Hell, I'm almost forty-five years old."

The only way Eddie can avoid prison is to trade information & he's soon caught in between the Feds, his gun dealer & the Mob. George V. Higgin's debut novel (now almost thirty years old) is notable for it's streetwise dialogue and the nearly Shakespearean sense of tragedy (well, at least, Billy "Sonnets" Shakespeare) that surrounds Eddie.

GRADE: A

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars the friends of eddie coyle December 28, 1999

By anonymous

Format:Paperback

Possibly the best account of real life crime, gangsters, and cut throats ever written...a rare insight into the real world of low level criminals, proving "There is no honor amongst thieves"...having been born, raised, and lived in the neighborhoods depicted in this novel, I can honestly say..."This story is all too real relative to Boston area criminals and their alleged loyaties...this book is a masterpiece...

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dialogue that spits June 24, 2000

By Charles Stella

Format:Paperback

I first read The Friends of Eddie Coyle 25 years ago and I can still remember the opening lines (Jackie Brown, at twenty-six, with no expression on his face, said that he could get some guns.) It is a shame Higgins is gone. He was the true master of dialogue. This was the book that drove my desire to write crime fiction myself. It is the story of the real-life poor SOBs who are just trying to make it day to day in a world moving way too fast for them. It is real, which is why I believe I enjoyed it so much ... and can still remember the characters so well (not to mention the dialogue). This is a story of how it really goes in the underworld. The Godfather is for the simple minded fantasy seekers; George V. Higgins was the real deal.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars EDDIE COYLE STILL HAS FRIENDS AFTER 36 YEARS April 21, 2008

By Michael P. Naughton

Format:Paperback

The Friends of Eddie Coyle still remains a classic because George V. Higgins knew how to write dialogue. His voice is as fresh today as when this crime novel first hit the shelf back in 1972. It must've been a screenwriter's dream when Paul Monash was asked to adapt this novel for the film which Peter Yates directed. This Henry Holt edition also includes an introduction from Elmore Leonard. Leonard explains how George V. Higgins taught him, as a writer, how to get into scenes without wasting time and how he realized criminals could appear to be ordinary people and have the same concerns as the rest of us.

This book is still a bleak, fascinating read.

I had also been searching for the film for years (it was not available on VHS or DVD) but thanks to Amazon Unbox, I finally got a chance to see this classic with Robert Mitchum. Highly recommend!!!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blam! December 17, 1998

By D. C. Carrad

Format:Paperback

I have just finished re-reading this book for probably the sixth or seventh time since it was published 25 years ago. It was written with a baseball bat and is one of Higgins' best. Best investment you can make if you don't know his work -- a terrific book in every way. Broke new ground when it was published.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great crime writing March 20, 2011

By Matthew Wilding

Format:Paperback

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle" is often called the greatest crime novel of all time. It lives up to the hype.

Higgins paints a picture of the Boston crime world in the 1970s where there are no good guys or bad guys - where cops and crooks are all on equal ground, just playing their roles like they're all clocking into a factory job. In the world of Eddie Coyle, nobody really has any friends, and nobody ever really wins.

The writing is pretty unique. Almost all dialogue, it reads almost like a script. The characters often go formally unnamed (example: Coyle, through much of the book, is referred to as "the stocky man"), while places are named specifically, but with little detail (the corner of Boylston and Charles).

If you like crime writing, books about Boston, or reading in general, you'd do well to give this book a shot.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This life's hard, man. But it's harder if you're stupid. January 14, 2011

By MT_Soul

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this after seeing the generally unknown but highly-praised-by-film-nerds movie with Robert Mitchum. I did not love the movie, it was fragmented and a little boring. After reading the book, now I know why. They (Hollywood) just stole random pages from this excellent book and slapped them together into a script. All the things that really make no sense and have little impact in the film, hit hard in the book. Great characters, especially Jackie Brown. Five stars!