Pelikan

by David Lozell Martin

Book Overview

James Joseph Pelikan, a scam artist whose turf is the French Quarter of New Orleans, teams up with his nephew Charlie, a group of French nuns, and other colorful characters to recover a stolen religious icon.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684853485
• ISBN13: 9780684853482
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A wild and crazy ride!

This guy David Martin has long been one of my favorite writers. The only problem is, his books are few and far between. But, I can always count on him for one hell of a wild ride (...)Then along came this even wildier ride! Pelikan may not be as brutal as the previously mentioned novels, but what it lacks in violence, it makes up for with sheer unrestrained bravado. This baby is David Martin writing on all cylinders. It assembles some of the wackiest characters and puts them in a New Orleans that Fellini would have been proud of. How can I describe this novel? Um, the title of chapter 32 is: A Pelikan, A Clown, A Hooker, And Five Nuns. There is a feminist lesbian who believes oral sex is the ultimate form of male opression, while there is hooker who lectures on it's finer points to a group of nuns ( she even teaches a class on it to married women because it will keep there husbands from wandering). It taught me about hatred towards clowns, and showed me that I hate them too....The truth is, I can't explain this book. Just read it!... Oh, and the title character's metaphorical description of New Orleans is precious.

the best book i have ever read

David L. Martin is the best!After reading 7 out of 9 of his novels, Pelikan turns out to be my fav. Not only my fav, but probably the best book I've ever read. Don't read this if you are offended by clowns, hookers, fish hooks, and hair. HA The book should be made into a movie. It has all the characteristics that you expect out of a book. Drama, suspense, and humor. Oh my gosh, I think I laughed out loud in every chapter. My favorite funny part comes with Gallier in the limo with the pirate and the girl who thinks he is a movie producer. Please join the Lozell club, he is a diverse writer.... horror (Bring Me Children and Cul-de-Sac) and great literary novels (The Beginning of Sorrows, Crying Heart Tattoo) and Pelikan... THE BEST !

A Breathtaking Love-Hate Novel About New Orleans

I seem to be in the minority here, not being a relative of David Lozell Martin's. For the record, I am sceptical of writers whose review pages are salted liberally with glowing reviews written by relatives, their publishers and/or a huge number of reviews written by "A Reader" (these are often written by the author himself, in the hope of bolstering sales or acceptance. I don't necessarily think that is the case here (since the positive reviews are so...oddly...written), but I thought I would let you know where I was coming from, since two of the reviews here were written by Martin's sister and niece. Now, on with the real review. "Pelikan" is a novel about a man named Charlie Curtis who has been poisoned by his own lack of ambition, which he blames on a betrayal by his uncle. No, wait. "Pelikan" is a novel about James Joseph Pelikan, an evil, violent pimp and junkie who sleeps with his nephew's girlfriend, breaks his nephew's finger and ties birds to a christmas tree and refuses to allow anyone to help them as they flutter madly, trying to escape, breaking wings and legs. Um, wait. "Pelikan" is a novel about James Joseph Pelikan, the self-styled "King of the French Quarter", who takes the wounded under his wing, rights wrongs and settles disputes, undertakes a dangerous mission on behalf of a distant religious order, and physically washes and purifies an old bum as Christ might have done, all without thought of his own reward. Um, no. It's about clowns. I mean, nuns who plan a heist. Aw, hell. It's about all these things, but really it's about a ragged old gal called the vieux carre who has seen better days, but still paints herself up for the tourists and makes a go of it. This is the first novel I have read by David Lozell Martin and I confess to being confounded and amazed. His prose seems effortless, oddly beautiful, even when describing horrible realities like death, homelessness, betrayal and cruelty. Perhaps his most amazing feat is his description of Hurricane Emily as almost human, flinging herself across hundreds of miles to die in the arms of the French Quarter, like a tragic lover. I was spellbound through the entire novel, but the last hundred pages kept me rooted to my chair, turning pages automatically. This is also a novel of comic madness, reminiscent of Carl Hiassen's Floridian cycle, easily as insane as Toole's "Confederacy of Dunces". I laughed at least every other page, and I am not someone who laughs out loud at books. The city of New Orleans, specifically the French Quarter, makes a grand showing here; Martin describes her in brutally honest terms that may frighten those who have never visited or cause those of us who love her wince. But it is obvious that Martin, too, is in love with her, just not too blind to see her as she truly is. The "Felony Theft" of the subtitle seems thrown in almost as an afterthought - the book would have been just as good withou

Another bizarre one!

That's what I like about David Martin's novels; they are beyond bizarre! Loyal Martin readers will be able to appreciate this new book. PELIKAN's characters and plot are intriguing, to say the least. No one else can combine hookers, clowns, and nuns so perfectly without seeming ridiculous. I, too, wonder if they are real people that Martin actually met while living in the French Quarter.

Another fabulous story!

This is such an amazingly original story and collection of characters. This story is not for the politically correct audience. THANK GOD! It's great to have someone tell a story the way they think it should be told, not trying to match the bland writing that is so readily available these days. If you want a story that is different from ANYTHING you've ever read, try David Martin. You won't be disappointed. You can't be!