Title: Crisp and Real
Product review: Author Jim Thompson (1906-77) catches the flavor of grifting with this crisp tale set in Los Angeles in the late 1950's. The main character is Roy Dillon, a young salesman and short-con operator a bit too soft for this line - he nearly dies from a beating when caught short-changing a cashier. Actually, Roy is merely a babe compared to his older-and-wiser girlfriend Moira Langtry and gun-toting mother Lilly. Moira emerges as a manipulative long-con artist seeking a new partner, while Lilly is a still-attractive toughie who places large bets for the mob at racetracks. Each character works their angles, seeks to manipulate, and conceals a few things too. The story has compelling friction between the characters including some sexual tension between Roy and his mother. This is be pulp fiction, but a gripping read.This book is worth a look, as is the nicely-cast 1990 movie starring John Cusack (Roy), Annette Benning (Moira) and Angelica Huston (Lilly).
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
