Customer Reviews

Touch (Elmore Leonard Library)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The only problem I have with this book is that it's too short. Perhaps where it ends is the right point, because it makes you think for yourself what actually happened, and what whould happen to the main characters after the incident. But take it as a compliment that I wanted to read more about these characters.

The story is about a stigmatic who may also have healing powers. One of the good points of the book is that they explain the phenomenon of those who have stigmata. For those uninitiated, this is the condition where humans periodically experience the wounds suffered by Christ at his crucifixtion. They actually get holes in their hands and bleed. This has been documented enough to prove it does indeed exist. Whether it is due to an extreme power of self-suggestion or an actual miracle I will leave to the reader.

Ditto with the healing power. The main character seemingly has this, and Leonard teases us by not showing any healing until the end, and that is even written to make us wonder. It does, however, have the actual stigmata occur, and when it does, it is powerful writing by the author.

Of course, being a Leonard novel, you have to surround him with a cast of con men and hucksters that see how they can benefit from this. What is tantalizing is that we never really know if the central character is good or just another con man. We think he's good, and we want to believe he's good, but Leonard just leaves little hints to make us wonder ourselves.

I'll also not reveal if he's a good man or not, and for that matter, I might be wrong myself. I highly recommend you read it and make your own decision.

The book was actually written in the 1977 but took 10 years to get published because of the religious undertones. I honestly don't understand what the fuss was about but then again that was over 20 years ago. It's a story about a man, Juvenal, who has the ability to heal the sick and when he does heal them he gets the wounds of Jesus, stigmata. Juvenal does not claim to be a saint however the rest of the world disagrees. All Juvenal wants to help those in need and to be left alone. However, there are too many people who want a piece of him. They want to exploit this miracle for a profit. And then there's Lynne... with Lynne Juvenal has found a soulmate, someone who he can talk to and who understand him. Now this 'saint' has a girlfriend and people are up in arms. Should Juvenal live his life for the Church or for himself?

I highly recommend this book; it's a fairly quick read and very unique story.

After reading this book you have to suspect that Elomore Leonard not only has a superb ear for dialogue but also a feel for the supernatural. In "Maximum Bob" the heroine could see "auras". In "Killshot" there was character assessment by graphology. In "Touch" I learned all about stigmatas through the ages. Now when you've got used to Leonard's character's having itchy trigger-fingers it's a sudden change to find one (Juvenal) who heals by laying on of hands. And he does it without claiming anything, expecting anything or extorting anyone. There are plenty of other characters in the book to do that. Leonard's "tour de force" comes late in the book in the confrontation between good and evil (the latter represented by a talk show host). My blood boiled as I read how a saint could be given a satanic spin by someone who is intent on boosting their viewing figures (more seating room in the Colosseum, please!)

If only I had read this book back in the 70's, then it may have had an impact on me, somehow. But seeing as to the fact that I'm approaching 80, and will soon be too old to actually appreciate the sub-text of this wonderful novel - I'd have to say that tho' it is one of EL's best books he'd ever written, I would have to agree with my wife who keeps telling me to put the book down and connect myself back to reality.

So-called genre writers are typically treated like second-class citizens in the literary world. ("Oh, he/she's just a mystery/romance/sci fi/ whatever writer.") To many readers, unless a book is long and a chore to read, it isn't a serious work. Well, I think Elmore Leonard disproves that pile of poop with TOUCH. This is a departure from his usual good guy/bad guys set-up, but his wry, economical style works like a charm. Sure, the charlatans in this book could have shown up in any of his crime novels, but the stakes are higher here. If you start reading with no preconceived expectations and just go with it, you will not be disappointed.

This is a damn good book. It gets off to a slow start start, but even then, it is still a really good book, and i would recommend that anybody read it. He author seems to spend about the first half warming the charecters up, but then in the second half, it goes weird, every page theres something to laugh at.

Go read it.

Elmore Leonard takes time off his normal writing about small-time crooks with eccentricities to fashion a clever, funny and altogether brilliant book. Few books are so good that I can't stop reading...this was one of them. I finished it in two days, and I'm not a devoted reader. Sharp as a razor, Touch will really keep you entertained, and it has some insightful things to say about religion in there too. This just shows why Leonard is so highly regarded. Brilliant.

This is not the book to start out on if interested in Elmore Leonard's work. I haven't read anything else by said author, but Touch was a real turn-off. The characters were unoriginal and the dialogue contrived and unrealistic. The plot didn't draw me in either, so I stopped wasting my time after 3/4 or so. The only thing I got out of this book was a good laugh - AT it.

E. Leonard is my favorite author, but this book failed to meet my expectations. It just was not up to his standards in my book, but he is getting up there in years. He has been writing for decades and who can complain about a story not being quite as captivating as others when they have been on the scale as Leonard's have. Still, a good read.

This marvelous novel, with its tone-perfect prose, spot-on dialogue, unpredictable twists and engaging characters caught me by surprise, but it is quintessential Elmore Leonard, varying only from the author's better known works by an unexpected sunniness and sweetness of tone.

How the Coen Brothers have failed to film this, I don't know, but order a copy. You will create your own mind-movie.