Neil wrote:
"As for the most recent, I don't know why, but it didn't
impress me as much as Comeback and Backflash (and those
impressed the living daylights out of me. Oh, man, talk about
inspiring). Just didn't feel as fresh. Still steps above
almost eveything else in the field, though."
I enjoyed Comeback, but it just felt like nostalgia to me.
Parker seemed to be a character from another era, dropped
into the '90s. In Backflash he seemed to actually exist in
this world. I felt the same about Flashfire. I was also
fascinated by the capers in the latter two.
Westlake has said the Parker books are about "work" and
Parker is nothing if not the consummate professional. I find
it interesting that these newer books make more
acknowledgement of Claire and his life outside of work.
Parker no longer seems quite so able to separate the two
worlds. The Parker in the earlier books would not have
hesitated to walk away from Claire. The new Parker has taken
risks the old one would not have, in order to protect or hold
onto her (some on this list have complained about just that).
Which, I guess, just means the character is alive, still
evolving, which is why I still like him so -- it's the only
series I buy in hardback instead of waiting for the paperback
edition.
Mark
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