The Getaway Car (Non-Fiction Collection) (2014) – University of Chicago Press

“‘This is a book for fans,’ Stahl insists in his introduction — the sole misstep of his whole enterprise, because in fact this is a book for everyone, anyone who likes mystery novels or good writing or wit and passion and intelligence, regardless of their source.” ~ Charles Finch, NY Times Book Review

“Westlake was not this kind of writer, or that kind, not a crime writer, or a satirist, or a comedian. He was just a writer, and as good as they come.” ~ Malcolm Jones, The Daily Beast

“Westlake was a hugely entertaining and witty writer. Whether he is writing a letter to his editor or about the history of his genre, he remains true to his definition of what makes a great writer: ‘passion, plus craft.’” ~ P.D. Smith, The Guardian

“He was a storyteller of amazing inventiveness and range, of comic capers and noir thrillers, of manic romps and melancholy tales, of wacky adventures and clever conceits. His novels are set in the America he lived in. If you were to read widely in the Westlake oeuvre, you’d get a better education in the many complexities of American life than you would if you were to spend years studying for a Ph.D. in sociology or American Studies.” ~ William Kristol, Wall Street Journal

Samples from the book:

• A Pseudonym Returns From an Alter-Ego Trip, With New Tales to Tell
• The Hardboiled Dicks
• Letter to Pam Vesey, copy editor at Marian Evans [The Daily Beast]

 

 

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