Review of PRISONER 489 By Dr. Thomas G. Potter on December 20, 2014 Format: Kindle Edition I just finished Joe Lansdales PRISONER 489 and, man alive, what a fantastic book. As it started I thought I was getting into a modern riff on Kafkas THE TRIAL, maybe, set it a UN-sanctioned prison set on an island located at the end of extraordinary rendition. The early imagery calls to mind the Bastille and Victor Hugo but with the beauty and structure of the setting of PAPILLION. And just when I thought I knew what I was in for, Lansdale did what he does so well and kicked my expectations out from under me and gave the story a hard left turn. Without giving away too much, a legendary monster becomes involved and the characters flesh-out and engage in brisk and brilliant dialogue the author always does so well. Lansdale also takes on some social issues but offers no commentary or opinions, they are just there for the reader to do with as they please. This is a tough thing to do, but something he has proven himself adept at throughout his career. PRISONER 489 is also a beautifully bound book, the cover fully realized painted art, with interior art in what appears to be pencils, possibly with minimal ink finishes. Rarely do illustrations add so muck to a story. Everything about this novella is a win. Its even one of my favorite works by Joe Lansdale, and that, my friends, is really saying something
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 04:46:49 +0000
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