The Way Home

by George P. Pelecanos

Book Overview

Christopher Flynn is trying to get it right. After years of trouble and rebellion that enraged his father and nearly cost him his life, he has a steady job in his father's company, he's seriously... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316156493
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding book - below average for this author

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in spite of the fact that I think it's not one of the author's best efforts. Some of the criticism from other reviewers about tired plot features and overworked story lines is probably valid. But when an author is as good as this one is, he can overcome some fundamental weak points and still deliver a book that's a joy to read. And, that's how I found this book to be - a true page turner. If you're reading this, you're almost surely a book lover and, like me, you probably read a lot. And, I'd bet that a lot of your reading seems like a certain amount of work. But, I find Pelecanos' work to always be a joy to read and I'm sorry to reach the end of the book. He tells a good story. He helps his readers see the pictures and relate to the characters. He is a master of the craft, in my opinion, and the best crime author I've read. So, while this book is probably below average in his body of work, it's still head and shoulders above any of the other crime novels I've read. I hope his next book is a little longer and that I don't have to wait too long for it.

An excellent read!

The Way Home is another excellent Pelecanos book. The only *bad* thing about a Pelecanos book is I get hooked and finish these in a couple days and I have to wait for the next one ;) The Way Home is about the relationship between a father and son and found me rooting for Chris and Ben to succeed after they were released from the detention center. In this book and in past books, Pelecanos creates these people who bond with the reader. That's one of the things that he does that makes his books excellent reads. A couple places, The Dancing Crab and Mitchell's Sporting Goods Store, were mentioned in The Way Home. I drank at Dancing Crab a lot back in my younger days. You could have called it my second home at times. I used to venture in to Mitchell's when I was a kid to check out gear. One thing I like about his books is how he mentions these places and I feel like I am a part of the story since I've lived in the DC area all my life and frequented some of these places. Just something I like and look forward to when I pick up one of his books.

Pelecanos: Am American Master

Okay, Greek-American, but whatever, George Pelecanos is one of America's best contemporary writers. What is amazing is that he sustains the quality of his fiction while being so prolific. The Way Home is another amazing novel, featuring conflicted characters and their relationships and an impossible situation that goes from bad to worse. The "bad guys" in this one really stood out for me. I really got a feel for them, even a liking of sorts. The only thing I miss is some old Pelecanos characters I'd like to see show up more often...and that's not a complaint--Pelecanos creates these people who resonate with the reader, people we feel we know or could know. The author has a subtle way about his prose which is, at times, hard bitten and a nod to the genre, but to dismiss this as mere genre fiction is to miss one of the best things going in American letters. And Pelecanos obviously has an ear to the street, from the cars, the music, the slang, everything feels right, all feels real. Another excellent book from a great American writer!

bottom feeder

i was curious why the previous reviewer would give a george pelacanos novel 3 stars. i decided to look at some of his other reviews to get an idea where he's coming from. voile! mr. newman gave the trite movie "pearl harbor" 5 stars. obviously his taste is skewed. he loses all credibility. mr. pelacanos is one of, if not the best, american crime novelists out there. pick up any of his novels; they are all, imo, great reads. mr. pelacanos does not write mediocre stories; if you want that than check out the works of john sanford, sue gafton, and james patterson. one more thing, mr. pelacanos had nothing to do with the lousy, '1 star' movie "pearl harbor." for that alone he should be praised.