# Donald E. Westlake dies. An appreciation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533 "2009-01-02T00:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/1 "2009-01-02T00:32:00Z")
One of my [favorite writers](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/books/02westlake.html?_r=1&hp) has passed away, at the age of 75. I loved his books, both the Dortmunder novels and the Parker series, written under his psuedonym Richard Stark. I didn’t realize that he had written under other aliases until reading his obituary. Nor did I know that he written over 100 books total. Happily, and selfishly, for me I have a lot more of his material left to read. Thank you Mr. Westlake. You gave this reader countless hours of enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/2 "2009-01-02T01:15:07Z")
This is a lousy way to start the new year. The Dortmunder books are among my favourites of any kind, and I just finished re-reading all of the Parker and Grofield novels about a month ago. I’m currently re-reading “The Axe” in preparation for my upcoming job hunt. He will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/3 "2009-01-02T01:40:00Z")
My favorite Donald Westlake novel is Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner!. It was one of the first times I’d met anti-heroes in fiction, and I loved it. I still have the tattered paperback of it on my bookshelf. I have enjopyed many of his other works, including many of his Dortmunder books, and some of his collections of short fiction. I agree - he will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/4 "2009-01-02T01:47:04Z")
Bad News. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/5 "2009-01-02T01:53:40Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > My favorite Donald Westlake novel is Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner!. It was one of the first times I’d met anti-heroes in fiction, and I loved it. It was the first I read, when I was still too young to get the stuff about Kunt’s name. I haven’t stopped reading Westlake (or Stark) since. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/6 "2009-01-02T02:12:19Z")
Wow. A sudden heart attack while on vacation. If it weren’t for the effect on his wife, that would be a perfect way to go. Westlake had perhaps the smoothest prose style of any writer I’ve ever read. You never stumbled for a second on any sentence. I’ve read books of his at three pages per minute, something that would be impossible for any other writer. He didn’t have fantastic range, his Parker books and his Westlake comic novels being inversions of one another, and he rarely had success outside that comfort zone. Inside, though, he was peerless. He was a master of plot as well, something increasingly rare these days. It’s hard to remember now how fresh he seemed coming into a very stale crime writing scene in the 1960s. So many others have used his territory and techniques that he sometimes seems a parody of himself. He was the original, though, and certainly the best. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/7 "2009-01-02T02:16:17Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > … his Parker books and his Westlake comic novels being inversions of one another,… My understanding is that the Dortmunder series began because a Parker novel he was trying to write kept turning into a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/8 "2009-01-02T02:41:05Z")
> [@Trion](#): > > Bad News. Ha, ha, [good one.](http://www.donaldwestlake.com/badnews.html) > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > He didn’t have fantastic range, his Parker books and his Westlake comic novels being inversions of one another, and he rarely had success outside that comfort zone. Inside, though, he was peerless. He was a master of plot as well, something increasingly rare these days. I agree about his range, yet I’ve read very few of his other novels. It’d be great if anyone reading this could recommend one or two non-dortmunder/parker books. I bet there are a few gems in there. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/9 "2009-01-02T03:06:51Z")
**Blank Slate** - the one I mentioned upthread, isn’t a Dortmunder/Parker book. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/10 "2009-01-02T03:10:35Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Ha, ha, [good one.](http://www.donaldwestlake.com/badnews.html) Well, it wasn’t really meant as a joke. I just thought that one title said it all. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/11 "2009-01-02T03:45:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Ha, ha, [good one.](http://www.donaldwestlake.com/badnews.html) > > I agree about his range, yet I’ve read very few of his other novels. It’d be great if anyone reading this could recommend one or two non-dortmunder/parker books. I bet there are a few gems in there. I very much enjoyed _Help! I am Being Held Prisoner!_, _God Save the Mark_, _Trust Me on This_, and _The Busy Body_. _Two Much!_ had an ending that left me feeling really down, so I don’t recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/12 "2009-01-02T03:51:51Z")
_Kahawa_ is Westlake’s big adventure novel. But it’s a caper about robbing Idi Amin of a trainload of coffee. So there’s a question about how far off it is. _The Ax_ is a recent darker novel, but also about crime and killing. He wrote several light books about the “joys” of writing, of which _Adios, Scheherezade_ is probably best known. And is the darkest, too, in many ways. [Here’s](http://home.earthlink.net/~dbratman/westlake.html) a pretty good page of capsule reviews of the Westlake novels. You won’t go too far wrong relying on his recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/13 "2009-01-02T03:53:08Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/14 "2009-01-02T08:06:52Z")
A thread about him [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=235839&highlight=daughter) mentions the one occasion on which I met him, and his kindness to me and mine. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/15 "2009-01-02T14:26:02Z")
We knew it was going to happen, someday. But man… it hurts when it does. One of the best writers I know. (For the uninitiated, think Terry Pratchett meets Ed Bain.) What always amazed me was how he managed to keep updating his characters for the era. Reading Dortmunder as the electronic age changes things… well, he changes too, and it’s always, always accurate. I think my favorite is Drowned Hopes, because I knew all the places Kelp hit up for gear. They were so like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/16 "2009-01-02T16:49:08Z")
Another Dortmunder fan here. I liked the part in the obit I read that said he began using pseudonyms because no one could believe he wrote as quickly as he did. 😛 What was the tally - 90 novels? Wow! ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/17 "2009-01-02T18:36:49Z")
My friends were passing around “The Hot Rock” back in the day. We thought it would make a great [movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068718/). I haven’t read many more of his books, but there’s some interesting looking ones in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/18 "2009-01-02T23:00:34Z")
Westlake was one of the few authors whose latest book always went to the top of my “must-read/can’t hardly wait” list. I am ashamed to say that when I read his obit in today’s paper, my first thought was selfish–no more new Dortmunder capers to enjoy. I hope he had a happy life and that his family is proud of his life’s work being so beloved by so many readers. I was unaware of the Stark and Parker pseudonyms, but will follow links upthread to expand my Westlake appreciation. Public library, here I come! And rest in peace, Mr. Westlake. Thanks for creating such rich characters and such engaging plots. I lift a glass of vodka and red wine (Tiny’s drink IIRC) to your memory. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/19 "2009-01-02T23:17:03Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > We knew it was going to happen, someday. But man… it hurts when it does. One of the best writers I know. > > (For the uninitiated, think Terry Pratchett meets Ed Bain.) > What always amazed me was how he managed to keep updating his characters for the era. Reading Dortmunder as the electronic age changes things… well, he changes too, and it’s always, always accurate. I think my favorite is Drowned Hopes, because I knew all the places Kelp hit up for gear. They were so like that. And John’s always, always, always, woefully mistrustful of each new change, just as Andy’s exhilarated by each new toy. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533/20 "2009-01-03T03:20:08Z")
> [@Proudest\_Monkey](#): > > I was unaware of the Stark and Parker pseudonyms, … Richard Stark is the pen name for the Parker character. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-e-westlake-dies-an-appreciation/479533.md?page=2)