# I need help from Elmore Leonard fans! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002 "2003-11-08T00:50:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blibbleblabble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Blibbleblabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blibbleblabble)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/1 "2003-11-08T00:50:59Z")
Okay, so I want to get into Elmore Leonard, but don’t know where to start. I’ve read Get Shorty and Out of Sight just because I saw the movies. So now there are so many more to choose from I don’t know where to begin! Could you please recommend your favorite book by Elmore Leonard? Or better yet, your top three! I absolutely love his style of writing and am anxious to hear from you all, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![1000monkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/7cd45c/32.png) [@1000monkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1000monkeys)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/2 "2003-11-08T01:01:24Z")
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan, but I do like him. I actually didn’t much like the one’s that were turned into films. I do however like his more western themed books. _Elmore Leonard’s Western Roundup_ , Voulmes 1, 2, & 3 are good. particularly Volume 3 which includes the two novellas _Valdez is Comming_ and _Hombre_ which are my two favorite works by Leonard. Both feature atypical western heros (one a Latino the other an American Indian). On this note another genre-busting work by Leonard which is up there (though definately inferior) is _Cuba Libre_ , which is by best aproximation a western that takes place in Cuba. Or at least a story of the Cuban revolution/Spanish-American War in which an American cowboy features. I imagine many Leonard fans will disagree because I dont think these are amongst his most popular, but as I said I’m not really a fanm in spite of the fact that I do live these. I would suggest though, that he is extraordinarily prolific and part of the fun for his founds is pouring through all if his stuff. ---
**Author:** ![MrSarcasticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrSarcasticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSarcasticus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/3 "2003-11-08T01:34:14Z")
_Riding the Rap_ was fun, if slight. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/4 "2003-11-08T02:10:38Z")
Just go to a second hand bookstore and grab three or four. The man has only written one bad book. Whistlepig ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/5 "2003-11-08T02:20:40Z")
I’ve never read any of the Westerns, but I have yet to read a **bad** crime-type novel of his, although some are better than others. I actually can’t think of any titles, but, like **whistlepig** says, go grab a handful or go to the library. OK, **whistlepig** , I’ll bite. What’s the bad one? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/6 "2003-11-08T05:34:36Z")
I have read ALL of his stuff, most of it twice, some of it multiple times. You can’t go wrong. Just start reading titles you don’t recognize, and by the time you’ve worked your way through them, you’ll have forgotten the titles you read first, and you can start on your second round. I really envy you: I wish I could discover him anew again. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/7 "2003-11-08T06:02:26Z")
If you liked _Get Shorty_ and _Out of Sight_, try reading _Rum Punch_ and then see the movie version, Quentin Tarantino’s _Jackie Brown_. Michael Keaton even plays the same character he was in _Out of Sight_, if I remember correctly. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/8 "2003-11-10T13:30:20Z")
He’s one of my favorites. The characters are always just this side of sleezy - certainly not glamourous and always a little down on their luck. Tishomingo Blues was the last one I read. As has been pointed out, just pick one up and read it. If he grabs you, just keep on going. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/9 "2003-11-10T15:05:45Z")
Fer the luvah Pete, nobody’s mentioned STICK?! Getit. Readit. Luvit. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/10 "2003-11-10T15:22:38Z")
Elmore Leonard is The Man. The Dean of American Crime fiction. “Dutch” to his friends. I am fortunate to have a bunch of signed first editions of his. I would strongly recommend starting with his early crime fiction from the mid 70’s: - Fifty-two Pickup - Unknown Man No. 89 - Swag - City Primevil (High Noon in Detroit) - Stick - LaBrava All incredibly satisfying with the best dialogue ever. Beyond that, he does go through a bit of a fallow period, where his books are only amazing. Rum Punch, Maximum Bob and Freaky Deaky are a bit too “hey, aren’t I a funny writer?” for me. He is much better (and funnier) when he seems to be targeting a straighter delivery of the narrative…but Get Shorty really works, and he has had a great return to form with Out of Sight and Tishimingo Blues… ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/11 "2003-11-10T22:10:59Z")
I haven’t read anything by him I didn’t like. I’d recommend reading _The Switch_ before _Rum Punch_, since several of the characters were introduced in the former. Both books are really entertaining. I also second reading the westerns. ---
**Author:** ![Ronnie\_Woo\_Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Ronnie\_Woo\_Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronnie_Woo_Woo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-from-elmore-leonard-fans/212002/12 "2003-11-10T22:39:47Z")
I’ve probably read about 10 of Leonard’s books and have enjoyed them all, though I thought Tishomingo Blues was somewhat mediocre. I started with Maximum Bob. Loved it and highly recommend it. After that I did what others in this thread have advised: gone to 2nd hand book stores and just started picking up whatever they had.