Constantine is a drifter, a man with a lot of miles behind him and a lot more ahead and a number of jobs in between that never showed up on anyone?s books. He hitches a ride on a bright spring morning with a little man named Polk. Heading down a country road in Polk?s hopped-up car, the two men share a few cigarettes. Later, when Constantine walks toward the big brick house, the Beat in his head, the grip of the .45 warm in his hand, the siren wailing at his back, he thinks that the whole thing started on that road, with ...
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Constantine is a drifter, a man with a lot of miles behind him and a lot more ahead and a number of jobs in between that never showed up on anyone?s books. He hitches a ride on a bright spring morning with a little man named Polk. Heading down a country road in Polk?s hopped-up car, the two men share a few cigarettes. Later, when Constantine walks toward the big brick house, the Beat in his head, the grip of the .45 warm in his hand, the siren wailing at his back, he thinks that the whole thing started on that road, with the car stopping for his upturned thumb. He thinks that the things that happen to a man are put in motion by something just that small, just that random. He thinks about that and he laughs but keeps on walking. A powerful mix of violence and social realism, Shoedog is contemporary noir at its finest.
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Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $1.12, good condition, Sold by Greenworld Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Grand Central Publishing.
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Good condition. It may show normal signs of use such as light writing highlighting or library markings but all pages are intact and the book is fully readable. A solid complete copy that's ready to enjoy.
Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $2.12, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Grand Central Publishing.
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This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $2.76, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Warner Books, Incorporated.
Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $2.84, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by St Martins Pr.
Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $2.84, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by St Martins Pr.
Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $2.84, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by St Martins Pr.
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Add this copy of Shoedog to cart. $3.71, very good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Little, Brown Paperbacks.
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My neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. sponsors a monthly "Busy Person's Club", a book discussion group which focuses on worthwhile novels which can be read quickly. Last month the group read "Shoedog" (1994), an early novel by George Pelecanos. The novel was appropriate in part because it is set in Washington, D.C. including specifically near the Georgia Avenue corridor in the upper Northwest part of the city where the library is located. A different D.C. neighborhood library located directly on Georgia Avenue is mentioned in the story. George Pelecanos (b. 1957) has become widely known for his many gritty novels set in the Washington, D.C. area and for his work as a producer and screenwriter.
The heavily noir-influenced "Shoedog" is both a character study and a heist novel. The main character, Constantine, was raised in Washington, D.C. and, following military service, has drifted over the world for seventeen years with no direction to his life. A chance thumbing of a ride leads him back to the city where he becomes involved in a robbery of two Washington, D.C. liquor stores, one in Georgetown, the other in the Shaw area. The heists are organized by one Grimes, an experienced,violent career criminal and feature a large cast of helpers who are indebted to Grimes for various reasons. The rootless Constantine gets involved with the heists as a driver and also foolishly get involved with Grimes' lady friend. Constantine also befriends Randolf, another member of the criew, who also works successfully selling ladies shoes. Randolf describes himself as a "shoedog" due to his single-minded devotion to selling shoes during his hours in the store. He advises Constantine: "I'm a shoedog, man. Might be time for you to be some kinda shoedog too.".
The novel explores how Constantine comes to some sort of purpose and self-understanding in life and becomes a shoedog. But the story is made by the sights and places of Washington, D.C., the streets, the liquor stores, the shabby businesses and hotels on Georgia Avenue, fast cars, alcohol, drugs, guns,and women. "Shoedog" is a novel of place, showing the underside of life in the nation's capitol.
"Shoedog" was reissued in 2013 after Pelecanos had become famous, and this edition includes a brief afterword, "George Pelecanos on Shoedog" which greatly enhances the reading of the novel. Pelecanos says his ambition was to "write a pulp/noir in the tradition of David Goodis with the sensibilities of early seventies film." David Goodis is a wonderful influence who has become one of my favorite authors with his portrayal of the noir side of Philadelphia. Pelecanos describes "Shoedog" as the "vehicle for a straight-ahead thriller that means to shock and entertain", and it does both. The book was designed for readers in a "Busy Person's Club" as Pelecanos describes the novel as "meant to be read perhaps in one long afternoon, with the reader seated on the subway or on a park bench or in a bar, or simply adrift in the city,lost in the book." Much of my reading of the book in fact took place on a round trip subway ride on the D.C. Metro. Pelecanos poetically describes some of the themes and scenes of "Shoedog" and of his subsequent work:
"Shoes (and the legs and feet that came with them); American muscle cars: the funk and soul movement of the 1970s; the ritual of drinking and bars; the idea of the workplace as the second home of outcasts, loners, and freaks: work itself as its own reward; and notions of friendship, honor betrayal, and bloody redemption."
"Shoedog" reminded me of my love of noir, particularly of the novels of David Goodis. It was a good choice for a "Busy Person's Club" of readers with its brevity, writing style, and violent search for meaning.
