Jim Racine is a professional boxer. He is 36, and his
best years are gone; he is still fit, but his quickness, speed, and strength
are memories. When he was younger, Racine was a contender, but now makes his
living fighting second- and third-tier opponents in South America. He makes
good money, too, but the wheels fall off in the fictional city of Quitasol when
he kills his opponent in the ring.
The outcry is significant, and the local government
seizes his passport pending an investigation stranding Racine in Quitasol. The
U. S. Embassy is unwilling to help, and Racine is certain if he could speak
directly to the ambassador he would have his passport back in a matter of
hours. When he finally gets his audience the meeting is interrupted by terrorists
who kidnap Racine, the ambassador, and three others. The terrorists’ goal is to
ransom the ambassador back to the State Department; which means the remaining
hostages are extra baggage.
The
Long Count is a sparse, well-plotted gem. It is written
in first person with a rich, literate prose—seemingly simple, but its
simplicity is deceiving. Jim Racine is one of Mr. Faust’s most likable
protagonists; many are cold, almost unapproachable, but Racine is well-defined
with high intentions. It is also a novel of ideas. There is a late scene where
the ambassador and a terrorist are arguing their political differences; the ambassador
turns to Racine—
“‘Racine,’
the ambassador said contemptuously. ‘Haven’t you anything to say for your
country?’
“‘You
aren’t talking about my country,’ I said. ‘You’re repeating slogans.’”
The ideas tendered are very much of the novel’s era.
It was originally published in 1979, and its major themes are communism,
capitalism, and the United States role—both politically and economically—in
South America. There is no clear “ideas” victor, but everything is encased in a
brilliant adventure story.
Interestingly, the word “quitasol,” used as the name
of the city where everything begins, is Spanish for “parasol.” I haven’t worked
out the connection between parasol, and the story, but I bet there is one.
The
Long Count is Ron Faust’s fourth published novel. It
was originally published as a paperback original by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1979,
and it is currently available as a trade paperback and ebook from Turner
Publishing.
Purchase a copy at Amazon.
Purchase a copy at Amazon.
5 comments:
You've persuaded me to read Ron Faust. Tho the name is familiar, I hadn't come across his work. From your review it would seem his characters, ideas and storytelling might be compared with Robert Stone's. Thanks for shining the light on him.
You won't regret getting acquainted with Ron Faust's work. My favorites are When She Was Bad, Dead Men Rise Up Never, and Split Image.
I'm not familiar with Robert Stone. Are there any specific titles I should look for?
I like A Flag for Sunrise best. His oeuvre wasn't as extensive as Ron Faust's, but he had more luck--his first two novels sold to the movies. Hall of Mirrors became WUSA, and Dog Soldiers (which won a National Book Award) became Who'll Stop the Rain. He hated both movie adaptations.
Here's a piece Ed Gorman posted on his blog when Stone died in January.
robert-stone-novelist-inspired-by-war
Forgot to mention, right after I read your reviews I bought When She Was Bad. The opening alone blew me away. Thanks again for bringing him to mind.
When She Was Bad is Ron's best novel, and you will really like it (I hope). Thanks for the info about Robert Stone. He is officially on my get a book and read it list.
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