Beat the Reaper: A Novel
by Josh Bazell
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Book Reviews of Beat the Reaper: A Novel
Book Review: I Almost Passed On This One--Glad I Didn't!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Josh Bazell's debut novel, "Beat The Reaper", is a fun, original, and highly innovative read. In a rollicking dark comedy, Bazell includes subjects ranging from coming-of-age and star struck lovers, to professional killings and, improbably, medical advice. In a nod to the fresh original voice of this novel about a former hit man for the mob who becomes a doctor at an inner city hospital, the reader is peppered with medical advice and factoids from the protagonist, Peter Brown (nee Pietro Brnwa), as he performs his hospital functions while dealing with unexpected business from his former life.
Pietro Brnwa, known as the Bearclaw, was raised by the Locano family after his parents were killed when he was 14. Pietro becomes friends with the Locano son, called Skinflick, and soon develops the knack for assassinations when he offs the killers of his parents. He goes to work as a killer for David Locano, who is a mob lawyer. After considerable back story of his growth, his discovery of the love of his life, and his fall from grace with the mob, Pietro (Peter) enters the Witness Protection Program...goes to med school and becomes a doctor. Unfortunately, he is recognized by an old mob acquaintance who soon tips off enemies from Peter's past pushing the narrative into high gear with some breathless page turning.
It is a powerful commentary on Bazell's skill that a protagonist so infused with both good and evil qualities becomes someone or something else to the reader--even sympathetic in an odd way--the way Tony Soprano became a sympathetic character while we ignored his vices and excesses. I strongly recommend this debut novel to those who enjoy suspenseful thrillers with dark comedy along for the ride.
Book Review: Fast Food Crime Novel Lots of Fun
Summary: 4 Stars
Josh Bazell, a newly minted doctor, received a seven-figure deal for "Beat the Reaper," his debut crime novel that he wrote while an intern. Unfortunately, it's difficult reading "Beat the Reaper" and not dwell on that enormous payday. It's much like watching an overpaid baseball player - he's good, but is he that good?
The good news is that "Beat the Reaper" is a nasty, little crime caper. It's a crime farce with a cynical attitude and a slick style. The best part of the book is the first-person narrative voice of protagonist Dr. Peter Brown, a.k.a. Pietro "Bearclaw" Brnwa. Brown was once a mafia hitman and is currently in the Federal Witness Protection program studying to be an MD.
That's where the reader lands in the story. One of Brown's patients recognizes him. The deal is that Brown helps the patient live through his operation or one of his associates rats out Brown to the mafia family looking to take him out. It's a delicious, wacky journey of cutthroat encounters with Russian gangsters, Italian wise guys, cranky nurses, desperate patients, and even a tank filled with man-eating sharks.
The one unfortunate part of "Beat the Reaper" is the ridiculous ending. It's so improbable that you'll find yourself rolling your eyes and groaning. But luckily Bazell has built up enough goodwill through his witty, stabbing style that you're willing to forgive him for it.
"Beat the Reaper" is a blast - a guilty pleasure (kind of like eating at a fast food joint). You'll love it while your reading it (sans the conclusion), but you probably won't remember reading it in six months.
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Book Review: Fast-paced, exciting and even a little dangerous
Summary: 4 Stars
"Beat the Reaper" is about hitman for the mob named Pietro "Bearclaw" Brnwa. It is also about Dr. Peter Brown, an overworked intern working at Manhattan Catholic hospital. Through the use of vivid flashbacks, readers learn that Peter is also Pietro, and his past ridden with a trail of murders and tragedy is finally catching up to him. Having been recruited into the mob by a close friend's father many years ago, he must now face the consequences of his actions. With the imminent threat of death upon him, he has eight hours to stay alive and 'beat the reaper'.
What I love about this book is its' originality. I was drawn to the unique storyline and especially the interesting characters, even though it all seemed a bit crazy. The writing style is engaging and direct, which is why I was a little confused by the seemingly random footnotes included throughout the book, which I don't think contributed much to the story.
There is a fair bit of vulgarity and one particular nausea-inducing scene, and yet I was always intrigued. The unexpected twists in the book were appreciated and made the book more enjoyable. Although there seems to be some method to the madness of this book, I was a little let down by the ending and was hoping for more of a dramatic turn of events for Peter/Pietro.
This book makes for a fast read and I finished it one sitting. I can't say that I felt particularly connected or sympathetic for any of the characters but they successfully held my attention and kept me turning the pages until the very end. "Beat the Reaper" is nothing if not fast-paced, exciting and even a little dangerous!
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Book Review: Great Debut, But a Little Too Over-the-Top for my Tastes
Summary: 4 Stars
BEAT THE REAPER is one of the "big" debuts of 2009, with author Bazell reportedly receiving a seven-figure advance for two books featuring the main protagonist, Pietro Brwna, who is both a Jewish doctor and a ex-mafia hit man.
For the most part, I think the hype surrounding this debut is well deserved. BEAT THE REAPER is incredibly well written. It's pretty obvious that Bazell has a huge amount of talent and intelligence, and it pretty much saturates every page. This is an entertaining novel that should keep you attention until the very end.
More than one person has compared Bazell's style to Quentin Tarantino, and I think that's an apt comparison. Like Tarantino, Bazell revels in rolling out one over-the-top situation after another. Nothing in BEAT THE REAPER is remotely realistic. But Bazell is such a great stylist, that the reader is able to suspend his belief long enough to enjoy the novel. Still, I would have enjoyed this book more if it was closer to the day-to-day realities of everyday life.
This type of novel isn't for everyone. There is a lot of dark humor in this book, as well as tons of graphic language, violence and sex. There is also one gruesome scene, near the end of the novel, that I find one of the most shocking (and absurd) things I've read in a book in a long time. If you're easily offended, this book probably won't be your cup of tea.
For the most part, however, I found BEAT THE REAPER to be savagely funny, especially when it comes to the gruesome realities of the US Medical system. If you're into intelligently written, darkly humorous books, this novel is definitely worth a try.
Book Review: entertaining, but rather manic
Summary: 4 Stars
Intern Dr Peter Brown, previously the mob hitman Pietro Brwna (pronounced Browna), is, more or less, in the federal Witness Protection Program. He's doing his internship at one of the seedier New York hospitals. New York was his home turf as a hitman. This should trigger a frown or two: if you're hiding from the mob, why keep (in essence) your real name and stay on your home turf? Why not relocate to, say, Houston or Akron? Things get dicey when a mob figure who's a cancer patient in the hospital recognizes Brown/Brwna.
The novel works back and forth between Brown in the hospital and Brwna before the Witness protection Program. An episode as a hitman, for example, is followed by another hour or two passing in the hospital. The writing is good--gory at times--but the problem is that the hitman tales don't really hang together the way they should. Breslin's The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight is a similarly-veined mob comedy, but there is more attention to proper mob protocols. If, for example, you want to get made, I don't think that simply killing a random person or two grants you entitlement (I'm not talking about Brown/Brwna here, who being of Polish and Jewish extraction cannot be made). Protocols must be followed. A number of the hitman episodes require a stretch of the imagination--it sometimes becomes quite unsatisfying.
This novel works best if you enjoy the asides, the frequent footnotes, the manic violence and gore, the fast unrelenting pace. It doesn't work quite as well if you try to rationalize, to look back over what's been going on.