To Catch a Thief (The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling - Lawrence Block)

Member Name: samueltyler

Product:	The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling - Lawrence Block
Date:	22/11/06 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great characters, good chemistry

Disadvantages: Poor last third

If we believed the movies we would assume that there is a fraternity of criminals that all work together to undertake huge capers that rob those that deserve it. A burglar will be a cheeky chappie who steals from you but you don’t mind so much because of his charm. The reality is likely to be a lot more depressing. Asbo teens hopped up on street grade crack stealing pension money off an old dear then pooing in her back garden. So how come I enjoyed the effortless charm of ‘The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling’?

Burglar is the third of a long series of novels about Bernie Rhodenbarr by Lawrence Block. Written in 1979 it tells the continuing tales of a charismatic thief that steals for profit but somehow gets away with it. In this case Bernie has decided to set up a front as a book seller. When he is meant to be in bed he is instead robbing from the richer houses of the area. One day a customer comes in and ‘hires’ him to steal a rare work of poetry by Kipling. The initial robbery itself goes without a hitch and it is not until Bernie goes to claim his money that things turn bad. He is drugged and wakes up to find himself one book light and opposite the corpse of a woman. Can Bernie escape the police long enough to clear his name and make a profit?

As you might have guessed form the initial paragraph of this review, my opinion of the average burglar is not a high one. In fact I often loath the portrayal of crooks in films as they are far too clean for my likening. It was a surprise to me then that I got along so well with the character of Bernie Rhodenbarr. Here is a man who steals for a living but charms his way out of trouble – every clique in the book, but done so well.

I had never read a Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery before but I got to know and enjoy the character by page 5. Block has an excellent way of describing characters and giving them quirks that make them instantly likeable. Bernie is a person that does bad things but you still enjoy reading about him. He is humorous and intelligent and tries to separate what he does with bog standard crime. This does not make what he does right but at least be admits this and knows of the scraps he could get into.

The fact that the main protagonist of ‘The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling’ is a thief gives the book a different view of crime solving from those I usually read. Normally it’s a cop, FBI agent, even a psychiatrist; all of these people have the law on their side and can work with the huge resources available. Even the many PI books I read show that a PI can get legitimate access to info, even if they often choose a different route. As a burglar Bernie has none of these options and must prove his innocence outside the law. The book looks at crime solving in a more amateurish way as Bernie is only interested in looking after his own interests and not doing things by the book.

To soften Bernie and give the reader a more everyman point of view this novel in the series introduces a new character to act as a sidekick. Carolyn is a friend of Bernie’s who works in a dog grooming parlour next to his shop. She is a lesbian with a lot of heart who is willing to help Bernie out of any situation. Carolyn’s wide eyed awe of Bernie’s life style makes the novel more entertaining as she comments on the things that he does. The chemistry between these two characters is very good and highlights the fact that it is the characterisation that is by far the strongest element of this novel.

There are weaknesses to the story that good characters can’t disguise. For the first two thirds of the book the story ticks along at a slow but fun pace as Bernie and Carolyn hunt down who the murderer might be. By the final third Block throws out the pacing and writes far too much. Bernie sets up a Poirot-esque meeting between suspects and seeks to uncover the culprit. Instead of making the case clear, Block only succeeds in muddying the waters and confusing the reader.

Another criticism is not due to the writing itself but the fact that the story may not have aged that well. Written in 1979 this book does have a 70s feel to it, not only in the lack of technology, but some of the attitudes in the book. I think as a period piece it works but readers must bear in mind that this is almost 30 years old now and should be treated as such.

In conclusion, what could have been an excellent book is ruined by an inept ending. All the life and character of the book is sucked out as it reverts to a detective novel by numbers. However, the characters of Bernie and Carolyn are very enjoyable to read and for the first part of the book they make it a joy. I will definitely read other books in this series as I have come to love the characters already; let’s hope that other novels in the series deal with the story to the same high standard as the characters.


Author: Lawrence Block
Price: amazon uk - £5.99
play.com - £4.99

Summary: Good introduction to some characters who could go on to better mysteries