Drive: A Novel

You can learn just about everything you need to know about this story through understanding why Sallis never chose to bestow the protagonist with any other moniker than "Driver". It sounds like a gimmick at first blush, an attempt to a throwback narrative reminiscent of pulp works, and there may be something to that notion, but it's not the whole story. One grows to suspect that Driver's name is intertwined with the truth of Driver's life, that of a man with no real sense of identity and purpose, a living machine of sorts. This is an important point to understand his growth through the novella.The story unfolds in a non-linear format, but we learn that Driver came from a dysfunctional background, one in which he learned to survive by divorcing himself from everyday, "common" life. Sallis shows this through Driver's recollections of his increasingly insane mother, a woman lived "just to the right of the life that everyone else lived", to paraphrase. These memories are key to understanding the character, and the character is key to the plot itself.Let's reiterate that: without Driver's coping mechanisms, there is no Drive, or at the very least we read a drastically different tale. So much of the plot's action originates with Driver's attempts to live not just outside of mainstream society but even his own life. As with Ignatius J. Reilly, Driver experiences the consequences of attempting to sidestep life and live int he shadows. As the story progresses and Driver is drawn deeper into the underworld, so too do we see hints of a personality under that machine - a man that exists almost entirely in the shadows. It's no coincidence that his driving jobs begin to taper off as his personality (and the attendant emotions) emerge.Even the most powerful members of the criminal underworld are crushed under Driver's wheels as he plows forward, relentless and unstoppable, a machine driven by long-repressed emotion. This is a hard-boiled crime story, and a violent one at that, but it's also quite a good character study and worthy of your attention.

When I began this book, I thought it would just be the movie in writing form but I couldn't be more wrong. It's a very different story, a sort of character study if you will, that jumps around in time and often feels as though there's more under the surface. It's not a hard read, I finished more than the last half of the book in a single afternoon. It's not the neon-flashy 'literally me' type story really, I suppose I'm not very familiar with this genre but it did feel like a unique read to me, and not in a bad way.

I wanted to read this and just the first few words eluding to one of the better more violent scenes of the movie drew me in. The story differs from that of the movie but there are enough parallels that it makes for an interesting experience of trying to discern and predict what will happen next as you read on. I think the film made some improvements in its artistic liberties, but the book shines in several other areas. You get the impression that the author writes from an authoritative position of knowledge on cars and has done his research on the inner workings of Hollywood. 'Driver', the protagonist, doesn't present as silently here as in the film and I've heard people say that Ryan Goslings portrayal was indicative of someone with autism which does not appear to track as much in his dialogue here. Though emotionally disconnected and still something of a loner at times, he's not nearly as isolated and disinterested in social interactions in the book. You hear about his friends, you hear about his family, and you see layers of complexity in his character that don't get as fleshed out in the movie. It is thoroughly visceral in its violence, moreso than the movie I would say; as where in the movie you don't quite observe the brutality of Nino's last scene as the camera pans away this book pulls no punches and I have to respect it for that. The protagonist is presented as having more of a sense of humor, but it doesn't compromise the appearance of stoicism you see emanating from his behaviors. I wish the author would have fleshed out some of the antagonists a little more and I think some other characters are introduced and taken out of the equation too quickly, but you do get a diverse array of people not present in the film for a more than single slice of life image of the world the author is trying to build. There are some things that bothered me, it seemed a lot like there was a 'mans man' kind of tough guy talk that came across to me as cliché and superfluous, the chronology of the story is confusing (especially for someone like me who spends a lot of time reading many books rather than reading one in a steady, fast pace), and a lot of the more climactic/violent scenes are covered very suddenly and briefly without giving you much time to internalize the severity of their implications for the rest of the story. I think for me it was difficult to envision a lot of the characters and dialogue without thinking of the impression I'd already made from their portrayals in the movie, and some of their depictions just pale in comparison to how their counterparts were portrayed by actors like Bryan Cranston. I have to give it to James Sallis that he says some profound things in the narrative of the story and I don't believe I would dislike the book as much if I read it prior to watching the movie. The movie is one of my favorite films of all time and inspired me to get a job driving and wearing fingerless gloves. The book just doesn't leave that much of an impression on you to mimic or identify with the world inside of it and I can't find that reasonable to expect of a book but the juxtaposition makes it that much more laid bare. I have the sequel book, 'Driven', and I'm not exactly sure what to expect from it but I'm interested to see what he does with a story that seemed so wrapped up in the first installment. One thing you could credit to the author here in Drive is that you're satisfied with the ending and there isn't a lot of feeling of loose ends. To me I respect the author and I understand why people read this and wanted to transform it for a feature film, but I'd advise readers to take caution with their expectations.

Drive is my favorite American crime noir of the new millennium. Sometimes it’s hard to define noir from police procedurals and crime thrillers but, like the judge who said he doesn't know how to describe pornography but knows it when he sees it, this stylish hardboiled story has all of the attributes of the works of Cain, Chandler and Stark. Much like the man with no name in the spaghetti westerns or Richard Stark’s Parker, Driver’s first name or surname is never revealed yet he takes on a mystical quality. He’s a reactionary, and we can’t wait for his next reaction. He’s cold and remorseless yet capable of compassion. The dialogue is crisp and sharp. The settings and people are described so wonderfully each page becomes visual. This is a short read, less than two hundred pages, but nothing is missing. Nothing.

Absolute quality.Writing as good as it can be, superb characters throughout. Completely engaging from first to last page. Atmospheric clever descriptive intelligent storytelling. Clipped quirky witty dialogue.Completely and utterly recommended.

Easily one of the best crime novels of the modern era. As good as the movie is (and it's bloody great) the novel is an altogether different beast: a bleak, sad, existential affair about a nomadic non-entity's search for place and meaning in a violent, complicated world he can't help but become entangled in, despite his better nature. I'll be giving this another read ASAP.

Prima mia esperienza con un libro in inglese, lettura per niente pesante (letto in un paio di settimane ad un ritmo di due/tre di capitoli al giorno).Consigliato ai fan del film di Winding Refn, approfondisce il personaggio di Driver e presenta cambiamenti rispetto al suddetto.

I have read many of James Sallis novels and enjoy every one of them.'Drive' did not disappoint and am looking forward to reading 'Driven.'

Mais je viens de lire le livre en Anglais (Américain). J'avais adoré la "Turner trilogy", plutôt difficile, mais Sallis est un auteur surprenant, qui colle à son sujet. Ici les phrases sont courtes, le rythme nerveux, tout va si vite... Fabuleux.