This spirited, original black comedy stars Ump, a legend among Mafia hitmen who is known for his personal code of ethics. In trouble with the law, Ump takes refuge in a small midwestern town until the heat is off. But when the townspeople learn of his profession, everyone wants to make use of his "talents." Cohen's comic hero soon finds his personal code put to the test.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
The central figure of Cohen's darkly comic novel is a Mafia hitman named Frank Brady. Nicknamed "Ump" because of his adherence to his own quirky set of rules, Brady is a devoted family man who has a reputation for never failing to complete the job. When Ump fails, however, to get his mark on the first try--instead he nails the wrong two in a set of identical triplets--he goes into hiding in a small town. Ump's hideout turns out to be as ripe for hired murder as the big city, and Ump soon finds his special talents in demand. Cohen may be aiming for mordant black humor here, but there are few teeth marks. There are some amusing scenes, but the author never really pulls the whole thing off. Ump hinges on the personality of Frank Brady, but Cohen fails to make him lovable enough to get the outrageous plot to work. Movie rights have been sold to Touchstone Pictures; perhaps the right casting ( GoodFellas meets Married to the Mob maybe?) will have the necessary chemistry. Not an essential purchase.
- Dean James, Houston Acad. of Medicine/Texas Medical Ctr. Lib.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Dean James, Houston Acad. of Medicine/Texas Medical Ctr. Lib.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Cohen takes a sabbatical from the nightmare landscapes of Disappearance (1989) and Through a Lens Darkly (1991) for this cartoon comedy of a simple-minded, indestructible hit man who just wants to be left alone. Following his unsuccessful assault on mobster Sal Golla--he lets Sal get away, though he kills both of his triplet brothers--big, dim- witted Frank Brady, who prefers to be called Ump, gets relocated (courtesy of his own capo's gunman protection plan) to the midwestern Arcadia of Waylin--where, it turns out, just about everybody wants to hire him. Everybody? Well, the list of potential clients includes his loutish and unwilling host, Waylin's mayor, the city treasurer, the bank president, a lovelorn wife, and a priest whose cemetery is about to be dug up to make room for a burger chain. While Ump is getting trapped into foiling a holdup and umping the local minor-league ball club--enforcing his calls by smashing windshields--and constantly explaining that he's just trying to follow his personal rules (``4. Always stop at a red light. 5. Never extinct anything''), the scheming townsfolk are putting so much pressure on him that he's glad to be called away to finish off Sal Golla (not so many laughs here, though lotsa guys get whacked) before finally returning to Waylin for a predictable showdown with his homicidal hosts. The publisher compares this to Prizzi's Honor; actually, it's more like Edward Killerhands. Don't look for anything like Condon's subtlety in the forthcoming movie. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Predictable, maybe. Entertaining, definitely!,
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This review is from: Ump: A Dark Comedy (Hardcover)
I can see how some people would almost place this book in the "Young Adult" section of the bookstore. It's light and playful but well-written. It's been one of three fiction books I own and the only one I've read more than once in the past six(?) years. Can't wait for Arnold Schwarzenegger to play this role sometime in 2002-3, although when reading it I pictured Mike Starr (Frenchy from Goodfellas) as the lovable hitman.
4.0 out of 5 stars
This IS good,
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This review is from: Ump: A Dark Comedy (Hardcover)
I agree with the above review. A light comedy, worth reading over again. A keeper on these bookshelves. Frank Brady is a wonderful character,afraid of nothing but his wife Nan and being hit in the "vitals" (anywhere else is okay). The ultimate showdown, Frank vs. the cabdriver in a junk filled alleyway, is worth the price of admission.
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