The Big Bounce (Mass Market Paperback)

by Elmore Leonard (Author) "THEY WERE WATCHING Ryan beat up the Mexican crew leader on 16mm Commercial Ektachrome..." (more)
Key Phrases: aqua bathing suit, beer case, migrant camp, Billy Ruiz, Leon Woody, Jack Ryan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Elmore Leonard is our greatest crime novelist...the best in the business."
--The Washington  Post

"Elmore Leonard is an awfully good writer of the sneaky sort; he is so good, you don't notice what he's up to."
--The Washington Post Book World

"Leonard does crime fiction better than anyone since Raymond Chandler."
--The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever!"
--The New York Times Book Review -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Elmore Leonard is our greatest crime novelist...the best in the business."
--The Washington  Post

"Elmore Leonard is an awfully good writer of the sneaky sort; he is so good, you don't notice what he's up to."
--The Washington Post Book World

"Leonard does crime fiction better than anyone since Raymond Chandler."
--The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever!"
--The New York Times Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060084022
• ISBN-13: 978-0060084028
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #708,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "New" Novel More for Leonard Completists Than Newcomers, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Big Bounce (Mass Market Paperback)

Leonard's "new" book was actually written in the mid-1960s, I suspect. Whether it's a novel long out of print or simply an unpublished work, "The Big Bounce" is more for Leonard completists than newcomers.

Hard-luck protagonist Jack Ryan loses his job at a migrant camp in Michigan after assaulting his crew leader. Resort owner Walter Majestyk hires Jack, despite the fact that his old boss, Bob Jr., told him to leave town. Bob Jr. and migrant camp owner Ray Ritchie are seeing Nancy on the side, unbeknownst to each other. Once Nancy learns that Jack's past consists of a life of crime, she seduces him into a plot to steal $50,000 from Ray.

Those who found Leonard's last few books to be a bit tepid might also be disappointed in "The Big Bounce." Aside from being a dated piece of work, the novel falls more comfortably into a romance fantasy than traditional Leonard crime. Still, the impeccable characterisation and the way the plot pits characters against each other is indicative of Leonard's earlier works. Those looking for another "Ryan's Rules" or "Get Shorty" won't find as much bite here. If anything, "The Big Bounce" serves best as a means to chronicle Leonard's progession than fulfilling the need for an all-new Leonard novel (no more sequels, please).

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why Elmore Leonard is more than a "mystery writer", April 16, 2000

By	Sarah G. Partridge (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Bounce (Mass Market Paperback)

This novel is not a mystery, rather an all-to-true to life expose of the kind of characters that we read about in newspapers (or know in real life) that live on the fringes. I couldn't help but see Hillary Swank as Nancy and George Clooney as Ryan (if I am not mistaken Jack Ryan reappears in Out Of Sight) the same role he did play in the movie.

I love Leonard and think he is a must for any serious lover of crime fiction (not just "mystery novels") read him all the way through and you will have fully explored unknown territory though the American psyche....

If Out Of Sight is a 5, then The Big Bounce is a 4. I'd give Swag 4.5, Be Cool a 4.5, Get Shorty a 5, and Cuba Libre only a 3.

If you like Leonard go to Jim Thompson next, or vice versa, or Andew Vacchs, but also I would say Cormac McCarthy (the writer that most resembles Leonard in my opinion)or even Russell Banks, Raymond Chandler or Richard Russo.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Noir and don't you forget it., March 18, 2004

By A Customer

The big bounce threw me until I realize it was in the tradition of the noir such as I married a Dead Man, The Postman always rings twice, The Killer inside of me and Pick-up.

It was't going to follow the more modern concrete line but a more abstract plot. If classic noir isn't your strong point you might be totally lost if you expect a version of Mr.Paradise, Rum Punch or others of his work. The characters are strong, the plot is noir which might seem pointless or weak to those expecting a 'traditional' mystery. [Agatha Christie is over to the left thank you.] The play between the thrill seeker in life and those who just coast a long is strong. It is suprising who wins in the end or do they?

If you are looking for a nice tight sewed up ending where the bad guys are carted off to jail and everything is sewn up neatly in a cute little package.. Aggie, the Cat who, and Sandford is off to the left thank you. If you want a bit of intellectual exercise or just plain miss the old noir of the 30s to the 50s come on down. It is a real rare bird these days.