Rate this book

The Lost Coast -- A Larison Short Story (2000)

by Barry Eisler(Favorite Author)

3.52 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

review 1: Eisler is not a terrible writer. Visually he's both precise and thorough, allowing his readers to see a whole scene in short bursts of imagery. But he suffers from a handicap I've noted in the very few thrillers I've read. The drama he attempts in the penultimate and ultimate climaxes never quite measure up to the promise.In this particular story, John Larison (a character from Eisler's previous tales I am unfamiliar with) drives up the Pacific coast to get away, having faked his own death. Restless in his hotel room, he goes to a bar, in which he picks up a college student, Seth. While he and Seth walk to the latter's car, a couple of thugs try to mug Larison (the student, it turns out, is the bait). Larison mutilates the two muggers and forces the Seth to drive him to a ... moreremote spot where Larison first rapes then abandons him. This is justified because the boy and the muggers attempted a bout of "fag beating".Larison abandons Seth's car, hits the road, and, The End.In a post-story interview Eisler explains he's "passionate about equal rights for gays. At some point, I was reading something about gay-bashing, and I had this idea... what if a few of these twisted, self-loathing shitbags picked the absolutely wrongest guy in the world to jump outside a bar?" It's also explained that Larison, in Eisler's other stories, is a bit of a dark hat, an anti-hero.Regardless of these attempts at justification, or perhaps even because of them, the story is a porn piece, in both the gruesome violence and the violent sex. Eisler read something about violence against gays and took his anger out on gay-bashers on the page. He attempted to make bloody assault and rape laudable acts. One wonders where he thought he got off better than the gay-bashers he read about.
review 2: Barry Eisler has done it again! Eisler has mastered the art of setting a scene for all senses, without sacrificing timing, as he steadily builds suspense and titillation. His word choice is similarly balanced: intelligent and precise.What I also appreciate about Barry Eisler is that he is unafraid of using themes that may be controversial, but are nevertheless critically relevant discussion topics in contemporary America; the revulsion I felt at the end for Larison (as well as some of the other characters), I am sure, is exactly the point.And the fact that Eisler's writing is like a mini-lesson in "how to behave like an operative," is pretty cool, too. less

Download links for: The Lost Coast -- A Larison Short Story

Advertising