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DETOUR (Foreword by Lawrence Block) Kindle Edition

4.0 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED …



1938. Alexander Roth is hitchhiking from New York to Los Angeles, hoping to reconnect with his self-absorbed, cutesy-poo girlfriend. A car stops to pick him up and he is soon plunged into a nightmare from which there may be no escape.

This fatalistic novel is a forgotten noir masterpiece that has languished for decades in the swamps of neglected crime fiction. In 1945, film director Edgar G Ulmer cranked out the movie version in a couple of weeks on a microscopic budget, and it is now widely recognized as one of the greatest gems in film noir history. The novel is its equal in every way, exploring the very darkest corners of the human condition.

Legendary crime fiction author Lawrence Block provides a foreword unique to this edition.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Original 1939 reviews: "A fast moving story..." --The London Sunday Times

A red-hot fast stepping little number ... recommended for collectors of James M. Cain" --New York Times

"After reading Detour, this writer firmly believes Martin M.Goldsmith is well on the road to success..." --Houston (Tex.) Press

From the Back Cover

Paru aux États-Unis en 1939, ce roman a donné lieu à une adaptation mythique par G. Edgar Ulmer. Ce classique du roman noir, inédit à ce jour en France, raconte l'histoire d'un violoniste sans le sou, Alexander Roth, qui cherche à gagner Los Angeles en stop pour rejoindre Sue, la femme qu'il aime, partie tenter sa chance à Hollywood. Alors qu'il désespère de rencontrer un automobiliste complaisant, une luxueuse voiture s'arrête. Alexander monte à bord ; il vient de sceller son destin tragique. Dans la tradition d'«Assurance sur la mort» et du «Facteur sonne toujours deux fois» sur fond de désenchantement hollywoodien.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00O07SCX6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Water Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 864 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

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Martin M. Goldsmith
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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
74 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good read. The plot length receives mixed reactions from customers.

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3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read.

"I purchased the book for a Crime Fiction class I took. Very enjoyable book. Hard to put down. I read it in a matter of days!" Read more

"Good read but the ending was somewhat abrupt. I feel the story could have gone on longer which would have made this book feel more complete...." Read more

"like the other poster said, very much like the book except that girlfriend's side of the story is told as well..." Read more

5 customers mention "Plot length"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot length of the book, with one customer appreciating the good build-up and nice twists, while another finds the ending somewhat abrupt.

"...That being said, there are some nice twists that really can throw you off and keep you on the edge...." Read more

"...In any event, I like the basic premise and would recommend this to those who enjoy pulp fiction." Read more

"Plot build up was good but started to slow until about 60% into the book when wham, you got slapped in the face...." Read more

"Good read but the ending was somewhat abrupt. I feel the story could have gone on longer which would have made this book feel more complete...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2013
    I purchased the book for a Crime Fiction class I took. Very enjoyable book. Hard to put down. I read it in a matter of days!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2017
    Good read but the ending was somewhat abrupt.
    I feel the story could have gone on longer which would have made this book feel more complete. In any event, I like the basic premise and would recommend this to those who enjoy pulp fiction.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2016
    Sometimes life takes a detour.

    Alex Roth, a disillusioned fiddle player, hitches a ride from the East to sunny Los Angeles with the hopes of seeing his girl, Sue, and maybe even getting a gig as a player in a band. However, things don’t always pan out how you expect, and things go really awry very quickly when Haskell, the man who offered him the ride, suddenly dies on route to Hollywood. In a panic with evidence pointing to him, Alex is in quite a pickle. Panic stricken, confused, Roth’s journey to Hollywood might be a little more suspenseful than he had hoped or expected….

    In Detour, the narrative shifts back and forth from Alex’ and Sue’s vantage point, so we see the action from here and can get inside their heads and their thoughts as the plot unfolds. As Alex is up to his head in troubles of various types, he questions the laws of Fate quite often; we shift to Sue, who has her own disillusionment to work out, hers being in the Hollywood form. There is a well-done critique and criticism of the “Hollywood scene”—the games, the shams, the ultimate phoniness. Oftentimes Alex and Sue take a break in their narration to give us their own take and philosophy on life and its hopes and disappointments, and this helps us understand their character a little more. Still, I found some of their “inner musings” to be a little naïve and silly, especially from Sue when she trying to work out her feelings about love.

    There were some aspects of Detour that didn’t quite add up. For starters, there were some pretty wild coincidences thrown in the plot that were a little hard to swallow. These moments propelled the plot forward, yes, but also were a tad unbelievable. Secondly, there were some points at which high tension was lessened because the action in a scene happened too suddenly or just “out of the blue” with zero build up.

    That being said, there are some nice twists that really can throw you off and keep you on the edge. When Alex picks up a young woman hitching, Vera , things take off at rapid pace….

    There are some classic jabs that Alex and Vera throw at each other:
    Vera: “I know. But life is a ball game. You have to take a swing at whatever comes along before you wake up and find you’re struck out.”
    Alex: “I bet you read that somewhere.”
    Or…
    “She didn’t appear to be bluffing and I was frightened. Those eyes of hers were cold. She wasn’t playing poker.”

    The action moves fast and overall, despite some bumps in the road, Detour builds to an unpredictable conclusion.

    There is also a film that became a noir classic from 1945, a nice companion piece to Goldsmith's book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2014
    It's been called one of the most audacious movies ever made in Hollywood, and despite (or maybe because of) its low-budget qualities, it is.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2014
    Plot build up was good but started to slow until about 60% into the book when wham, you got slapped in the face. From there the story picked up, but the conclusion was not enough and left you feeling as though you miss something.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017
    A real gem.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016
    Classic.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2014
    like the other poster said, very much like the book
    except that girlfriend's side of the story is told as well
    interesting addition / solid read, especially if you dug the movie
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • HiRUDA
    2.0 out of 5 stars the print is too large to comfortably read. This is not mentioned in the listing
    Reviewed in Canada on June 21, 2016
    This rating is about the quality of this edition: the print is too large to comfortably read. This is not mentioned in the listing.
  • biachette03
    5.0 out of 5 stars Le mythe hollywoodien
    Reviewed in France on April 4, 2018
    Histoire écrite en 1939 par l'auteur américain Martin Goldsmith, portée au cinéma en 1945 par le cinéaste Edgar G.Ulmer, film qui occulte malheureusement beaucoup de choses contenues dans le livre. Voir le film n'empêche donc pas de lire le roman.

    Ce roman nous conte l'histoire d'Alex, un musicien new-yorkais qui projette de se rendre à Los Angeles pour y rejoindre sa petite amie Sue, partie tenter sa chance à Hollywood, l'endroit de tous les espoirs et de toutes les déceptions.

    En faisant du stop, Alex rencontre un nommé Haskell, qui semble avoir bien réussi sa vie et qui se rend aussi à L.A. dans sa décapotable de luxe. Mais les évènements ne vont pas se passer tout à fait comme prévu et la donne va être quelque peu bouleversée. Alex rejoindra-t-il Sue ? Sue aime-t-elle toujours Alex ?

    Lisez ce petit livre à la fois noir et brillant, délicieusement vintage et toujours d'actualité, le chant des sirènes d'Hollywood continuant à charmer les espoirs.
    Report

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