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Title: Fletch and the Man Who
ISBN: 0375713492
Author:
Gregory Mcdonald
Publicate Date: 2004-12-07
Publish: 2004-12-07
List Price: $12.00
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.73
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.00
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| Customer Review: |
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1: The 'Man Who' is pleasing, if scant
If you've ever worked for a presidential campaign- particularly one in a Northeast state like New Hampshire- you'll feel the winter wind wipping at your back and the freezing snow on your feet when you read 'Fletch and the Man Who', a crisp, spot-on mystery that swirls around a presidential campaign.
Like watching 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'Man Who' feels intentionally timeless to me- like the plot could've unfolded at any point from 1950 through the late 90's. Without relying on dated references or lame attempts at social criticism, Gregory McDonald instead places his brilliantly smarmy private eye, Fletch, in the limelight as he works to solve the murder of a girl whose body was discovered fallen out the window of the presidential candidate's hotel suite.
'The Man Who' whisks along and finishes with an exciting burst, but while the details are enjoyable, the supporting characters are uncharacteristically weak and the plot fairly straightforward, especially for McDonald.
If you're looking for a complex mystery, check out something else. But if you like your commentary subtle, your details rich, and your one-liners fast, check out 'The Man Who'. If you read it on a summer afteroon, you'll still feel the chill of the February wind.
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2: Fletch for President
In this installment, Fletch goes to work for an American Presidential candidate after a murder in his campaign hotel. Along the way we get a lot of unique Fletch insights into the political process. This book would have made a much better sequel for the original Fletch movie than the idiotic "Fletch Saved." Overall, an excellent entry in the Fletch saga.
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3: Enjoyable Escape
I have read two Fletch books (Fletch (the one on which the movie was based) and this one), and found both to be entertaining comic mysteries. I can't speak for the artistic quality and subtle nuances, but I can say, "Read it, you'll like it!" An easy read from start to finish
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4: Best Fletch book
If you are a fan of the Fletch book series (not necessarily the movie versions), this is the best Fletch book in that series. In it, a number of characters that appear in other books are written where you finally get an idea of their backgrounds, relationship to Fletch and true character. The books "Son of Fletch" and "Fletch Reflected" are best understood by reading this book first. Apart from character histories, this book provides insight into the political process of the campaign/primary trail. As with some of the better Fletch books, the twist of the ending will have you immediately re-reading the book to look for the subtleties and nuances missed the first time around when you were simply enjoying the storyline. I highly recommend this book!
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5: Sometimes Unemployment is Better...
There's a danger to the "big money deal" for any writer, and Gregory McDonald, author of the inimitable "Fletch" series of adventure/comedy/mysteries, is no exception. Witness the (if only temporary) decline of Ian Fleming's James Bond, when morphed into the pablem of late-70s cinema; the blood-and-punk-rock, comic book treatment of all things vampiric since the shady, haunting genius of Bram Stoker's allegory-tinged "Dracula;" and, now, Fletch. Following the moderately successful film based on the first novel in the series, fans of the literature were hopeful: imagine the possibilities of a star-studded cast, big-money backing, and good ol' Chevy Chase (face it, kids, he was BORN for this role) in a film adaptation of "Fletch's Fortune," "Confess, Fletch," or, indeed, ANY of the books in the series...that is, until 1986's "Fletch and the Man Who." Yes, it's a comedy/mystery, as expected, filled with quirky, narcisistic characters, lots of American locales, a dead-on portrayal of the American Political Press, and the ever-curious investigative reporter (this time working as--what! --a Presidential candidate's press secretary). So, what's missing, here? Readers of this installment in McDonald's otherwise perfect body of witty, oftentimes thought-provoking "little" mysteries will find an imposter hiding beneath the skin of that always tanned, seemingly aloof proponent of self-sufficiency. It's as if the author is stating, for the record, that perhaps Richard Dreyfuss would be more suitable for the title part. Decidedly, Fletch just isn't acting himself, and who can blame him? In "Fletch and the Man Who," our hero has literally taken a job position out of tired old obligation, and it's difficult to argue that our Gregory McDonald hasn't done the same, at least as recently as '86. What's interesting to note is that, though social commentary has since proven a successful arena for McDonald's nonchalant treatment, in "Son of Fletch," "Fletch's Moxie," and even previously in the "Flynn" spinoffs, it's obvious that "Fletch and the Man Who" is a failed attempt at putting common sense behind the driver's wheel of American politics. A disastrous idea for motorers...but, for movie rights, this reviewer bets that McDonald, though he's certainly forgiven for sake of later volumes that DO entertain and enlighten, just couldn't see his thesis for all those dollar signs. Luckily, the studios forgot to call back, until better "current" work was available for scripting. Nowadays, there's a new cluehound on the beat--and with "Son of Fletch" and "Fletch Reflected," well, let's just hope Chevy has a strong raport with the big movie studios of the 21st century; it'll take YEARS to "catch up" with British Agent 007, but, excluding "Fletch and the Man Who," this is a horse that can really run. That is, as long as the author's mortgage payments remain comfortably taken care of.
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