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Get Shorty

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Get Shorty

By: Elmore Leonard
Narrated by: Nick Landrum
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About this listen

The book that Get Shorty, the film starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito, was based on.

Collecting money for the Mob isn't too different from any other job, reckons Miami loan shark Chili Palmer. He soon finds himself ordered to collect on a bad debt from Leo Devoe, a guy who died in a plane crash. But it turns out Leo isn't dead - he's living it up in Las Vegas on the compensation money. So Chili follows him to Vegas and then on to Hollywood, where he gets drawn into the world of movies....

Elmore Leonard was born in New Orleans on 11 October, 1925. He wrote 45 books during his phenomenal career, including the best sellers Mr Paradise, Tishomingo Blues, Be Cool and The Hot Kid. Many have been made into successful movies, including Get Shorty with John Travolta, Out of Sight with George Clooney, and Rum Punch, which became Tarantino's Jackie Brown. He is the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award. He died on 20 August, 2013, in Detroit.

©1990 Emore Leonard (P)2014 Audible Studios Crime Fiction Mystery Fiction Crime Las Vegas Suspense

Critic reviews

"In Hollywood, home of movies, gorgeous women, players and fast operators - every move you make is a potential scene.... Nerve-shattering suspense, crackling dialogue and scathing wit from 'the hottest thriller writer in the US'." ( Time)
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This book really sums up what Hollywood is all about, while adding in some perfect situations and the expected Leonard dialogue.

Great take on Hollywood

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Great book, excellently read. Gripping and very entertaining. Might watch the film to see the comparison.

Really good

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Engaging and funny, Get Shorty is a classic character piece about a low-level mobster breaking into Hollywood. Nick Landrum conjures the characters up very well, but has a hugely irritating habit of trailing off dreamily at the end of sentences.

Character-driven romp

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Great performance. Well paced with decent characterisation. If you’ve read any of Elmore Leonard’s books you’ll know they’re heavy on dialogue. Narrator gets around this by inserting name of character speaking which slows the flow a little bit but at least keeps it “legible “.

Highly recommended

Great reading of a good book

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Pitch perfect piece of modern day noir from the man with a phenomenal canon of work.

Exquisitely well written and narrated

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