The Prone Gunman, JeanPatrick Manchette
The Prone Gunman, JeanPatrick Manchette
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The Prone Gunman

Author: Jean-Patrick Manchette, James Brook

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Unabridged: 4 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/06/2014


Synopsis

Martin Terrier is a hired killer who wants out of the game so he can settle down and marry his childhood sweetheart, Anne. After all, that's why he took up this profession in the first place. But the organization won't let him go—they have other, more deadly plans for him. There's a visiting politician, an Arab oil magnate, whom they want assassinated, and Terrier is their man. Once again, the gunman must assume the prone shooting position—but not everything goes according to plan.A tour de force, this violent tale shatters as many illusions about life and politics as it does bodies. It is perhaps the finest work from the pen of Jean-Patrick Manchette.

About Jean-Patrick Manchette

Jean-Parick Manchette (1942–1995) rescued the French crime novel from the grip of stodgy police procedurals, restoring the noir edge by virtue of his post-1968 leftism. Today, Manchette is a totem to a generation of French mystery writers, and his stories have inspired several films, including Claude Chabrol’s The Nada Gang.

About James Brook

James Brook is a poet, translator, and editor. He is an editor for City Lights Books, where he concentrates on political nonfiction and world literature. He has translated works by Guy Debord, Henri Michaux, Gellu Naum, Benjamin Péret, Alberto Savinio, and Sebastian Reichmann. His poems and essays have appeared in numerous publications.

About Ralph Lister

Ralph Lister is an actor, voice actor, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. He spent fifteen years in London theater before moving to the United States to focus on film and television. He has held numerous roles in Shakespeare and modern dramas, as well as starring roles in independent films. His voice and character work can be heard in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearland 13 Going On 30. He lives in Los Angeles.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Glenn

"Dobofsky opened his mouth to shout. Terrier quickly shot him once in his open mouth and again at the base of his nose. At the discreet sound of these shots, the redhead turned. Terrier also turned, and they found themselves face to face just as Dubofsky's head, which was split open, full of holes,......more

Goodreads review by Jeffrey

”’Basically,’ said Maubert, ‘anyone could do your job. I bet they pay you well, but anyone could do it. You’re paid for running the risk. For the responsibility. I mean, if you’re nabbed one day, you’re nabbed as a killer--that’s what I mean when I say risk. They don’t pay you for your skills.’” Mart......more

Σε αυτό το υπερδραστήριο βιβλίο με μια ξεχωριστή νουάρ λογοπάθεια μη αναστρέψιμη, λείπει κάθε ίχνος, κάθε στοιχείο, κάθε σκιά συναισθηματισμού. Ο τρόπος του συγγραφέα στην προώθηση της γρήγορης εξέλιξης και την μετάβαση απο κάθε πιθανή άποψη σε αλματώδη συμπεράσματα, προκαλεί τον αναγνώστη να αποκρυπ......more

Ο Μαρτέν Τεριέ, γνωστός στους κύκλους της διεθνούς τρομοκρατίας και με το όνομα ‘κύριος Κριστιάν’, εκπαιδεύτηκε από την KGB στη σχολή της Οδησσού. Πέρασε από τα παλαιστινιακά στρατόπεδα και την κουβανέζικη DGI, έδρασε στην Αφρική, την Ιταλία και τη Νότια Αμερική, και πλέον κατηγορείται για ένα σωρό......more

Goodreads review by Carmen

This book is terrible. Terrible. It has a great premise, and a good plot - until the last 25 pages or so, where it completely falls apart and also has an ending which makes the book terrible. TERRIBLE. Martin Terrier left his house at age 18. He kissed his girlfriend Anne goodbye. She was 16. He made......more


Quotes

“There’s not a superfluous word or overdone effect in [The Gunman], one of the last cool, compact, and shockingly original crime novels Manchette left as his legacy to modern noir fiction.” New York Times Book Review

“[The Gunman] is an unrelentingly grim story that proves impossible to put down.” Washington Post Book World

“This is lean, mean noir fiction that cleverly sends up the tough guy genre while incarnating it perfectly.” Detroit Free Press

“For Manchette…the crime novel is no mere entertainment but a means to strip bare the failures of society.” Boston Globe

“For the first time readers can experience in English translation the masterful thriller considered Manchette’s finest…noir.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Manchette is a master of both economy and irony. Brutal and bracing: Terrier’s tale fascinates even as it chills.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This taut, fast-paced novel flexes with all the standard noir elements: mysterious motives, a gritty hero, detailed technical descriptions of firearms, and a high corpse-to-page ratio.” Booklist


Awards

  • New York Times Notable Book