Crumbtown - (Vintage Contemporaries) by Joe Connelly (Paperback)

About the Book

Written with all the immediacy, heart, and richness of character that marked his debut novel (1998's "Bringing Out the Dead"), "Crumbtown" is, as well, furiously satiric--and further proof that in Joe Connelly is a writer of the first order.

Book Synopsis

Some might say that Crumbtown isn't a place. It's a state of mind. And for the residents of this sinking, stinking, carcinogenic, potholed neighborhood, "There's bad luck in the world, and then there's crumbluck." But for Don Reedy, a true victim of this phenomenon, his crumbluck is about to change.

Sentenced to 15 years in prison after a botched armed robbery, Don is paroled early when a television producer decides to turn Don's tragic story into a television show. Back in Crumbtown and working as a special consultant on the shoot, Don wrestles with delusional actors, pines for a beautiful Russian bartender, and reunites with cops and accomplices alike. But when the opportunity presents itself, Don decides to do something really daring: He robs the re-enactment of his legendary robbery. With the cameras rolling and the line between television and reality blurring, the hunt for Don--and a ratings coup--is on.

Review Quotes

"Scathing social commentary. . . . At a time when reality itself is a style, the truths revealed in fiction are all the more indispensable." --The New York Times Book Review

"Funny . . . not to mention original and surprising . . . smart, engaging." -The Washington Post

"Crumbtown is a playful romp. . . . All hell is breaking loose, and lively and entertaining hell it is." -The Boston Globe

"A masterly comic triumph." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[Crumbtown] showcases Connelly's knack for humor and snappy, cinematic prose." --The San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author

Joe Connelly's first novel, Bringing Out the Dead, was made into a film by Martin Scorsese. A native of New York City, he now lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and family.