The Glass Rainbow

I know this book is nearly a decade old, but what I love about James Lee Burke is that his writing transcends time. Don’t believe me? Grab a copy of Heaven’s Prisoners and start reading. It is every bit as seductive and compelling as it was when it was published decades ago. JOB’s writing has only gotten better with age.
The Glass Rainbow is Burke ‘s 19th novel to feature the world weary Dave Robicheaux. This book can be picked up by someone who is not familiar with the characters and the setting, and be enjoyed thoroughly. I would encourage the new reader to go back at least a few books and get a sense of Burke’s style and cadence. His prose is dense, full of sensual anchors; his dialogue is earthy and sharp. When you read Burke you can see the characters and the setting, you feel the dense hot humid air of the bayou, you can smell the fetid decay of the swamp, you can hear the rain on the tin roofs and you can feel the hot sweat as if it were sliding down between your own shoulder blades. Add the mix a very sharp and personal integration of local history and current conditions and you have the basic ingredients of a James Lee Burke novel.
Here, JLB tells the story of the perverse, hateful and exploitative behavior by men who, concurrently are exploiting the land. This may be the darkest of the Robicheaux novels to date. The darkness is countered, nearly completely driven back by the transcendent moral goodness of Robicheaux and his family and friends.
These characters drive the story; we care more about them than the story. Burke’s skill creates people so real you will feel that you know them. They stay with you like few others do.
Read this book, especially if you love great storytelling and real, complex characters. Burke’s endings are not neat, they are too real. No happily ever after for him; he leaves the story the way life does. Not in a neatly tied bundle, just time to get on with things.

I have quite a few favorite characters that I follow in a series, and Dave Robicheaux is very close to the top of my list. I had picked up a copy at the library years ago that was somewhere in the middle of the series and I enjoyed it so much I got a list of the whole series and started from the beginning. After reading them all it had been so many years I went back and started all over again and enjoyed them just as much. The only other literary character I have done that with is F. Paul Wilson’s “Repairman Jack” novels. Burke’s “Heaven’s Prisoners” and “In the Electric Mist” have been made into movies but I haven’t seen them. When I love a literary character so much I am usually very disappointed in the movie versions. If I tried to imagine Dave portrayed by the two actors in these movies – Alec Baldwin in the first and Tommy Lee Jones in the second – I guess I would try Jones first. (He is the only one I could think of who may have been able to pull off portraying John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport, another character I love and have read all of the books.) John Goodman is in the one with Jones, so I guess he plays Clete Purcell, Dave’s best friend and partner. Clete is another awesome character. The two together are incredible.
Burke’s books are exciting, interesting and very unusual – and one thing that makes his writing such a work of art is his ability to describe things like backgrounds and nature. Some authors try to do this and just get bogged down in details making it a bit boring. Not so with Burke. He makes you feel like you are right there with him wherever he is and his depiction of local characters, accents and all – such as Cajuns – is perfect. This book, like all the rest of Burke’s Dave Robicheaux novels, is a riveting page turner. One of those books that you speed through to see what happens next – but then when you finish that last page you are disappointed that the experience is over. That makes me get on line looking to see if there is another I haven’t read yet.
If you love a good read and haven’t discovered the world of Dave Robicheaux do yourself a favor and jump in anywhere. If you’re like me though, get a list in order and start at the beginning.

James Burke has a first class crime mystery where the reader is treated to amazingly beautiful visions – landscapes and scenes combined with intense, impossible-to-put-down action. Burke combines this kind of 1-2 punch writing style – ie – a beautiful dream…or landscape which relaxes you – then BAM – the action happens. Its a potent and effective style that has me hooked now. This is my 2nd book I’ve read in the series. I’m a big Michael Connelly fan (Harry Bosch series) – if you like his work you’ll become a fan of Burke’s. I highly recommend this book!

Its difficult for me to find a book that I really like. Novels are like food, they are subjective according to each individual. I like this character a great deal so I guess that means that the author is doing his job well. I’m an older guy in my ’70’s just so you know where I’m coming from. I like the gritty detective novels and Dave Robicheaux fills the bill. Never fails to make his stories enjoyable for me. Keep on doing what you’re doing Mr Burke. You are a literary success in my book.

One of my favorite book group members chose this book so I felt obligated to read it. I hated it from the beginning and hated it through the end.

I don’t like the genre and disliked the tone in which it was written, macho gun-slinging lawman.

Our book group meeting is tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear what the woman who chose this book liked about it.

(Sorry Suzanne if you read this but I hope this review makes Amazon stop recommending more books by this author).

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member