Tuesday 3 March 2015

2 BY TED LEWIS

I've read a couple of books from Ted Lewis in the past, most notably GET CARTER, which was also an iconic film starring Michael Caine.

He wrote nine books in his lifetime, three in the Jack Carter series, which kind of puzzles me because I’m fairly sure Michael Caine dies at the end of the 1971 film. I can’t recall the ending of the book well enough to set my mind straight.











These two came out in the mid-70’s and are still quite hard to find, though I believe they are being re-published as e-books at some point in the future. (A conversation I had over on Keishon’s site  Yet Another Crime Fiction Blog a year or so ago informed me of that fact.)




Lewis died in 1982 whilst only in his early 40's.

There's a more detailed article on the man and his books, from Brian Greene over at Allan Guthrie's Noir Originals site - here.





Boldt

HE’S BAD, HE’S BLUE, HE’S BOLDT…

A veteran cop, with a laid-back attitude and too many lean years on the force. Until his politician brother tours the old neighbourhood – and is marked for death.

When a celebrated hitman swings into town, Boldt was sure he had his thug. But the cops order him to back off, the Mafia offers him a gig – and Boldt isn't sure of anything anymore.

Except murder.








The Rabbit

“Mr Lewis has left gangsterland for a real landscape in what is perhaps his best book so far.”
THE TIMES

The author of the JACK CARTER thrillers turns his skill in a new direction with this harshly moving story of a teenage boy’s sexual awakening.

“Mr Lewis’s account of the stumbling failures of early sexual encounters exactly catches that mixture of the ludicrous and the passionately painful which most of us can remember.”

SUNDAY TIMES

15 comments:

  1. Col - I remember hearing of that film, but it's one of Caine's that I haven't seen (I probably should, as I like his acting). It's interesting that Carter took himself into such a different direction with The Rabbit.

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    1. Margot, the film was re-made in 2000 with a US audience in mind, starring Sylvester Stallone. Caine had a small part in it. I've not seen this one myself - not great reviews TBH.
      I think Lewis' first book and The Rabbit are kind of non-crime, while all the rest are quite grim and gritty - my cup of tea then!

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  2. Well you did warn me yesterday that I'd be seeing that cover again soon. Somehow I don't think I'll be sampling this author's works just yet....

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    1. Fair enough - maybe if you need a mid-70's book, give me a shout.....

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  3. Lewis died in 1982 whilst only in his early 40's.

    Astonishing when you consider all that he managed to do.

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    1. A real shame when you think of all the books he never got the chance to write

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  4. I'd really like to read his work. Get Carter is a fantastic film. Was the original novel English or did they adapt it to England for the film?

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  5. I'd really like to read his work. Get Carter is a fantastic film. Was the original novel English or did they adapt it to England for the film?

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    1. No Ted Lewis and his books were 100% English....like fish and chips!

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  6. Col, I'm familiar with these books. Although I have never read them I might have seen the Michael Caine film. I have a couple of old Get Carter comics (Dell) that I'm holding on to.

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    1. The film gets re-shown every year or two on one channel or other. I never knew it had been turned into a comic though!

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    2. Col, my mistake! I confused Get Carter with some other comic-book. Not John Carter but something else from Dell. Turns out it's not the same as Ted Lewis books.

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    3. No problem - thanks for the update though.

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  7. I have not read any books by Ted Lewis, I am not sure if I will add him to my list of authors to read. I do think I liked Get Carter (the film).

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    1. Might be a bit too hard, but as long as you watched the film - your Ted Lewis box is ticked!

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