So to start off this blog discussion of "Rum Punch" I would like to first give a quick summary of the plot. "Rum Punch" is a story about gun smuggling taking place in Elmore Leonard's very own Florida. This book is said by the critics to contain much double crossing leading to a fast pace, thrill ride of a book. And obviously I could not just take the critics word for it, so I chose to bury my head in its pages instead.
The first thing I noticed when reading this book was Leonard's choice of language or lingo. He is writing a story about smugglers and gangsters so it is ideal that almost all of his quotes are written in a slang sort of dialect, but the most surprising part to me was that not only were the dialogue and thoughts of Leonard's characters written in slang, but so was everything else. Even when describing the setting Leonard seems to use slang terms and not create completely fluent or proper sentences. Although my writing may appear to be criticizing Leonard I actually think quite the opposite. Way to go Elmore Leonard, for stepping out of the confines of usual writing, and changing your style to enhance your book! I think that all this slang does is take the reader to that same place in Florida that Leonard is writing about, and make the reader become part of the story. It establishes a setting explaining that many of these characters may not have received very much education, placing them in the gangster lifestyle that they now live in, and this is how they talk.
The other thing I enjoy about this book is the fast pace exciting events. SPOILER ALERT! Although this is a spoiler feel free to read on because what I am about to tell you will not at all ruin the story. One of the most exciting things to happen so far was in the first 30 pages of this novel, one of the main characters already has double crossed another character, and lets just say that character #2 isn't feeling to good right now, as he lays in the trunk of a car with a some bullet holes strewn across his body. I wouldn't say that character #2 got the largest role in this story. Some of you might now be thinking that this is a horrible book, and it is horrible of me to promote gory killings. This, (the killing) however, is not what I am applauding Leonard for. I am thanking him for starting off his book with a "BANG" (both metaphorically and literally). I am one of those readers who enjoy exciting, page-turning books. In my opinion a book that is a fast read and provides suspense and excitement from page one, is a far better read than some "Classical" (to which I blow my nose at) book that leaves me with a poignant (and commonly melancholy) message at the end.
But what do you think? Do you enjoy classical reads that teach you something, or are you like me and enjoy fast-paced books and really do not honestly care about the soppy message at the end? Feel Free to let your voices be heard.... Or in other words COMMENT!!!
P.S. (Obviously that was a very biased question at the end and for that I apologize)
P.P.S. (Actually, do I apologize? Probably not, because everyone is entitled for his or her own opinion)
Anyways, thanks for reading. And come back next time to read my second impression on Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch"
See You Soon!
Gary Gates
So far: page 50 or something
ReplyDelete“1-2 Punch”
A rap about the book I am reading, “Rum Punch”:
Oh yeah, wassup, “Rum Punch” that’s right,
This book is what I’m reading, day and night.
Well, I guess, not really, but when I do
I know the book packs a punch…like 1 – 2.
How can I describe Rum Punch? Hip, risqué, wild, action-packed. It’s pretty much all of these. To be frank, I would not give this book to a 10-year-old – maybe even a 14-year-old, but for now, I’ll keep reading it.
So far, Elmore Leonard seems to be most focused on keeping the book realistic. But this isn’t a nice, suburban realistic. Rum Punch is about the poor, corrupt, and dangerous neighborhoods of Florida. Thus, Leonard has exposed the reader to a countless number of crimes committed by many criminals.
While this realist nature may make Rum Punch sound like a dark or scary book, it is closer to the opposite. If anyone can find humor in the KKK, Skinheads, or any other racist/fascist group you can think of, it is Elmore Leonard. No, he is not racist or fascist himself; he simply enjoys making fun of these groups through his characters.
As for his technique, Leonard is striving to create strong backgrounds for many characters. Although it is clear who the main characters are, he is giving almost equal attention to many supporting characters. Using the 3rd person perspective, Leonard jumps quickly from character to character, indirectly explaining the ideas and personality of that person. While I think this technique is helpful for character development, I do hope he transitions to focusing on mainly one character as he nears the climax. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – I think focusing on one character makes the book more engaging and entertaining.
But for now, good job Elmore Leonard. I like where you are going with this.
So far: page 185
ReplyDeleteAt this point, Rum Punch is still hip, risqué, wild, and action-packed. In fact, it has become more of all these. Because of this, I do like the book. Leonard’s sense of humor, realistic ideas, and creative characters all combine for an interesting read to say the least. But there are some things I have noticed, some good and some bad, that I would like to point out.
As for Leonard’s characters, he still jumps from perspective to perspective every few pages or so. Of course, it is still fairly early in the book so I’m not too bothered by that, but what’s interesting is the use of protagonists/antagonists. Since all the characters are quite complex, I find it tough to tell who is a protagonist and who is an antagonist. It seems that all the characters are part of someone else’s business, as if it were some 007 spy movie. Then again, maybe this is exactly what Leonard is striving for, as this technique could potentially add excitement and suspense come the climax of the novel.
With much of the book focused around gun and drug dealing, it is clear that there is also a focus on money in this novel. Each character, whether they appear to be good or bad, is money-hungry. Although Rum Punch does not seem to be a ‘life-lesson’ book with a ‘moral of the story’ type thing at the end, I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was some lesson about money in the end. For example, maybe all the money would be lost in the ocean and all the characters would have a truce – okay not really, but hopefully you get what I mean.
Overall, Rum Punch does not cease to be entertaining. So far, there have been no clear indications as to what will happen in the end, so I imagine the book will be very exciting as things continue to unfold.
I'm going to agree with Chris that Rum Punch is risqué and maybe even overly so in some areas as it is not your normal classic read and may contain some inappropriate writing, but the one thing I disagree with is that Rum Punch is just as action packed and wild as it previously was in the first third of the book. Of course Elmore Leonard seems to be a mastermind at creating suspense and tension in a story (which i shall get to later) but nobodies getting popped (excuse my slang) anymore. The book definitely has its twists and turns, but a little of the action has died down as Leonard is focusing more on plot and the main characters talking about the plans for "Rum Punch" or their free for all sting as they plan out the actions each one shall take in the deliverance of some illegally obtained money. This may seem very confusing to my readers right now, but please read the book cause it will better help you understand and I think that you will like it. I am not trying to say how Elmore Leonard is writing is disappointing me. I am still enjoying this book as it is so mysterious and keeps me flipping pages. And with his witty and humorous writing infused into every page of this book, what could be more entertaining? (This is a rhetorical question, please do not attempt to answer)
ReplyDeleteThroughout this book Leonard has kept the reader wondering what is going to happen. To give you a little more background information, this book is primarily about a woman by the name of Jackie Burke, who is illegally flying in money to a con man and gun smuggler in Florida. She was caught by police and has recently met many characters that all want her to help her. Now, she seems to be trying double cross every single one of these people, but Leonard will not give away who she will end up siding with and helping in the end, and does not go into detail when discussing plans for "Rum Punch". Now, Leonard has forced the reader to constantly think up scenarios for how Jackie is going to deal with this problem, which has kept me quite entertained.
I have greatly enjoyed reading this book so far and am looking forward to finishing it. If this book sounds at all interesting to you please read it or watch the movie about it, directed by Quentin Tarantino called Jackie Brown. I would recommend reading the book first though, as I am doing, because the books are always more entertaining (even though I probably don't need to be reminding this class to read books) than the movie.
See you next time,
Gary
My current progress in Rum Punch: Done!
ReplyDeleteI have finally finished reading Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch", and all that I have to say is: "Wow." This book kept me quite entertained and on the edge of my seat whenever I was reading it, and for this, I would like to deeply thank Elmore Leonard. In my last post I talked a lot about the action and wildness of Elmore Leonard's book, and how I thought it would be quite helpful to me as a reader, if he could add some more action. Leonard must have read my blog post, because sure enough, he fulfilled my inquires! Just as I had thought, the middle section of this book more laid out, and established the plan and plot of the novel, adding necessary and sometimes entertaining information, but mostly staying away from the wildness of the first thirty pages. I, myself, read novels for the pure purpose of entertainment. I do not feel the necessity of having learned a whole lot from a book, because I enjoy books for the leisure of reading and being entertained, rather than reading to achieve a poignant (and commonly displeasing) theme to live my life by. Elmore Leonard had almost no theme what-so-ever in this book, but reading it still satisfied me. I guess someone could over-think and over-analyze this novel, telling me: "Here, Leonard addresses the themes of independence, as he displays Jackie's cunningness while she double-crosses every character in the book" (this quote was meant to be read in an annoying nerdy/nasally voice, so if you did not read it that way (almost like this person is giving you a lecture) please reread it to allow me to further emphasize my opinion on the utter stupidity of an over-analysis). I just do not feel that it is important to me (or really anyone unless they truly desire) to over-think their reading, as reading should be solely for entertainment and leisure purposes. I think Leonard feels the same way as I do, as I do not think I gained anything from this book except a tattooed large grin on the front of my face. But in most cases, I think a grin is much more important than a message.
The last point I would like to touch on is the style of this novel. Elmore Leonard had no intention of sugar-coating every word in this book. In fact he wrote it similar to how a man from the slums would. There were no grand and impressive words found in this novel, but there was straightly put, easy-to-read language, that let me enjoy this book. My final point about the style of this writing has a lot to do with the plot. Although this sounds inhuman of me to say, I think that the fatalities of several characters in this novel lead to a very entertaining plot. If you are disgusted by this comment, you will most likely not like the book, so I will not attempt to persuade you to read it. But for all of you readers that understand my comment, please, read this book. It is very entertaining and I know you will enjoy it.
Thanks,
Gary Gates
So far: done with the book (this is my reflection, not the evaluation)
ReplyDeleteWell, to be honest, I enjoyed Rum Punch, but I wasn’t completely impressed. I even wrote a rap in order to convey my feelings regarding the book:
So I’m done with Rum Punch
Yeah my reading is over
And in order to rhyme
The capital of Delaware is Dover
So as I was saying
This is how I’m feeling
The book was alright
And it was pretty appealing
But it sure wasn’t the best
Yeah you gotta see,
That the content of the ending
Didn’t satisfy me.
This use of musical styling conveys that I did not like the ending and resolution of the book. As I worked my way through all the character development and rising action, I was certainly getting the feeling that the climax of the book would make Rum Punch an ‘on the edge of my seat’ thriller. I was very excited for this, because, as Gary also says, I typically read books for entertainment. About half way through the book, I began to analyze and make predictions using my highly intellectual analysis methods. From this, I determined that Rum Punch was showing some definite preconditions of a thrilling climax. I noticed the double-crossing characters, the conflict of interest, and the high stakes. However, I soon was reading through the climax, somewhat unsatisfied and unfortunately bored.
I felt like Leonard’s issue was that he lost his creative touch going into the climax. Especially after seeing his unique ideas and zesty (that’s not the right word) characters, I was expecting for Leonard to throw in wild twists that would blow my mind. Oppositely, I felt like I was skimming over words, not at all surprised by the events of the climax. In the end, the bad guy gets killed, some other people get the money, blah blah blah. This was what the climax and resolution were in my language.
Overall, this is my opinion. Gary, don’t get mad at me because I dissed the ending of a book you liked. Rum Punch was still a fun read, and I look forward to watching the movie.
Coming Soon: Evaluation of Rum Punch
Book Review of Rum Punch:
ReplyDeleteI know you have all been waiting for it. And now, it is time…Here is Chris’s review/evaluation of Rum Punch.
All in all, the book receives…84 out of 100 stars! (Feel free to simplify and/or round).
Rum Punch is a very good book. With his unique ideas and creative ability, author Elmore Leonard can keep any reader interested. The book is immediately a fun read through its realistic setting and complex characters. Although the book is not exactly a ‘page-turner,’ its engaging plot is more than enough to encourage the reader to make active predictions.
Rum Punch does lose some points due to the climax and resolution. As I have explained in previous posts, the end of the book seems monotonous and uncreative, especially compared to the rest of Leonard’s creative ideas. However, this is only my opinion, and I fully encourage you to read Rum Punch regardless of my gibberish.
As for who I suggest should read this book, anyone who likes a little action and a lot of double-crossing would love Rum Punch. Elmore Leonard also does a fantastic job of adding some sarcasm and wit throughout, making the book an exciting and enjoyable read. So pick it up and read it – it’s worth it.
Book Review of "Rum Punch":
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really enjoyed reading Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch." I have had great experience with Dave Barry's humorous novels and this was said to be similar to those. I also have watched several movies based on Elmore Leonard's novels, such as "Get Shorty" and "Be Cool" and I knew that this book had to be good, if it was written by the witty author who developed the plots of these humorous movies.
My expectations of this novel were fairly high. I was expecting a very fast paced book, with a lot of humor and suspenseful events. In my first 100 pages Leonard delivered, with a quick-to-the point plot, in which Leonard did not attempt to present the reader extravagant words and writing, but instead focused on bettering his plot for further entertainment. Although Leonard and I had our bad moments, especially in the middle session of the book, the exciting end of this book made up for all of Leonard's mistakes, as it ended with a supernova-like bang!
Overall, I would give this book an 8 out of 10. Although this may not seem like a great grade, I cannot bring myself to give a book a perfect score, and an 8 our of 10 from me, means that this book was very good in my opinion. I would recommend this book to all high schoolers, and maybe developed junior high schoolers. The book is definitely not hard to read, and I probably could have read it and understood it as a third grader, but some of the events are rather risqué and too inappropriate for that age group. I would recommend this book to all my friends, especially those in search for a great and entertaining novel.
Thanks for Reading,
Gates out-