09/30/08
Text: Bryan Hood
Over the last three decades Richard Price has established himself as one of America's greatest living authors. Across books such as The Wanderers, his masterpiece Clockers, and screenplays for movies and T.V. shows like The Wire, he has forged a legacy on his honest and compassionate portrayal of America's gritty urban side. Because of this anything with the writer's name attached to it is a cause for celebration, but with this level of acclaim comes high expectations, something his latest novel, Lush Life, lives up to.
Things start with a literal bang in Lush Life, when Ike Marcus is shot and killed on his way home from a night of drinking in New York. The only reliable (or in this case conscious) witness to the botched robbery attempt, is Marcus' co-worker, a thirty something screw-up. Eric Cash has spent his whole adult life wasting any inkling of talent he had, and now after lying to police about calling 911 directly after crime, he has finds himself the police's number one suspect. The problem is Cash was in shock and mixed up his story, but is about as innocent as can be. After being questioned by Detective Matty Clark for what feels like forever, he is less than willing to cooperate with police unless he is given full immunity. This is something that no one around town, least of all Marcus's suburban dwelling father, Billy,can understand, henceforth Cash becomes maligned public figure. Meanwhile, the real killer, an in-over-his-head teenager named Tristan, realizes that taking someone's life will not earn him the respect or attention he so desperately craves, especially since no one knows it was him.
The first thing anyone notices about a Richard Price novel is the dialogue and Lush Life is no different. In fact it seems as if there are more conversations in the book than actual narrative prose. Normally this would be annoying but Price writes dialogue like no other contemporary writer. It is not that his characters speak realistically, but that it feels natural. Price writes dialog that gets to the point, but makes sure to accent it all with style that sets each character apart, almost rendering speech tags unnecessary. Every person talks differently and Price understands this and uses it to his advantage.
As good as the dialog is, it is not the book strength. From Eric Cash to Ike's father, all of Price's characters are fully developed living entities. Details like how Clark answers his cell phone to Tristan's rhyme book open up the character to the reader. Price's characters also do something that so many literary characters fail to do, they continue to live their lives despite the difficulties they encounter. Things may show no sign of improvement, yet they keep tiredly marching forward in hopes of a better tomorrow, a big break or just a chance to start again. Initially Price's characters come off as defeated, but it eventually becomes clear that they have just learned to adjust, to block things out, to deal in ways that anyone can relate to.
While Price's dialogue and characterization are truly exemplary, they are barely enough to keep the book going during its second act. The novel starts fast, Price introducing the reader to the community and cast of characters, and setting the plot in motion by killing off Marcus. But once detectives start questioning Eric Cash, things slow to a glacial pace. Realistic as it may be it is not all that interesting, especially when it goes on for two hundred pages. It is a chance to get better acquainted with the characters but also allows the reader a chance to focus on some of the books fuzzier―and less developed―aspects. Why the police feel Cash is a suspect and Clark's infatuation with Ike's step-mom are just a few that come to mind. Price spends much of this time sending the detectives off to explore the projects and going off on observations about New York's societal (d)evolution and gentrification. These are all fine and good, except that they take away from the narrative flow. It is almost as if Price forgets how to balance literary worth and entertainment value, which is especially frustrating because he proved with Clockers, that the two do not have to be mutually exclusive. Things pick up for the third act, but it just feels as if Price got bored and decided to bring things to a close.
Despite serious pacing issues, Lush Life is a good book, at times even great. Part of what is enjoyable about any good writer, is that each new novel brings another chance to spend time in that artist's head, and Price's novel is no different. Price creates a living, breathing world for his readers to inhabit. It is a remarkable feat and one that so few writers are able replicate.
