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    Nobody Move: A Novel
    Nobody Move: A Novel
    Nobody Move: A Novel
    Audiobook4 hours

    Nobody Move: A Novel

    Written by Denis Johnson

    Narrated by Will Patton

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From the National Book Award–winning, bestselling author of Tree of Smoke comes a provocative thriller set in the American West.

    Nobody Move, which first appeared in the pages of Playboy, is the story of an assortment of lowlifes in Bakersfield, California, and their cat-and-mouse game over $2.3 million. Touched by echoes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, Nobody Move is at once an homage to and a variation on literary form. It salutes one of our most enduring and popular genres—the American crime novel—but does so with a grisly humor and outrageousness that are Denis Johnson's own. Sexy, suspenseful, and above all entertaining, Nobody Move shows one of our greatest novelists at his versatile best.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateApr 28, 2009
    ISBN9781427206909
    Author

    Denis Johnson

    Denis Johnson is the author of The Name of the World, Already Dead, Jesus' Son, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man, Fiskadoro, The Stars at Noon, and Angels. His poetry has been collected in the volume The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly. He is the recipient of a Lannan Fellowship and a Whiting Writer's Award, among many other honors for his work. He lives in northern Idaho.

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    Reviews for Nobody Move

    3.5/5

    270 ratings32 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Very intense from the first page to the last.
    • 5/5
      Johnson takes what appears at first to be a typical crime story and imbues it with both spark and depth. Jimmy Luntz, a likeable. impractical gambler with a "sissy body" gets in trouble with a bad crowd over - what else? - gambling debts. There's a bad woman, a good woman, and many bad men. The writing is crisp and the dialogue pin-point, punctuated by moments of poetry: "Her hearing came up: the hiss of the river in this wide slow spot, and the breeze in the branches, the tick of the willow leaves." A deceitful judge is "the father of lies." Johnson doles out facts and plot tidbits artfully, but not necessarily where you would expect them. Nearly every word and scene is written as if it could be no other way.
    • 5/5
      (Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)As heavy readers know, it's common for authors of big, giant, important, award-winning tomes to follow them up with something light and short, for a variety of reasons: as a literary 'cleanser,' to avoid burnout as a writer, to pre-deflate high audience expectations. But this turns out to be a real hit-and-miss proposition, also as heavy readers know; because sometimes you end up with, say, Michael Chabon's delightful genre experiment Gentlemen of the Road (his follow-up to the supposedly astounding Yiddish Policemen's Union, which believe it or not I still haven't gotten a chance to read), but then sometimes you end up with a book like Jonathan Lethem's truly dreadful You Don't Love Me Yet (his follow-up of sorts [there was a book of essays in between] to the also supposedly astounding Fortress of Solitude, which I also still haven't gotten a chance yet to read).And now we have our latest example to judge, Denis Johnson's short pulp-fiction exercise Nobody Move (originally published serially last year in Playboy), his first book since the mindblowing 2007 National Book Award winning Tree of Smoke (which I've also reviewed here in the past, and whoo man what a phenomenal freaking book that is). And how is Nobody Move? Well, in a cliched nutshell: He shoots, he scores! And that's because Johnson does here what Chabon did as well, but Lethem simply did not -- he takes the light cleanser project just as seriously as he did the giant important award-winning one, even with them designed from the start to serve two very different purposes, honoring those intentions and taking a lot of care to get the details right. For example, just like most pulp projects, Johnson's novel is a look at a series of petty criminals and lowlife losers (in this case centered around the central California town of Bakersfield), which of course was one of the big things to originally differentiate the genre from the lurid crime tales of the Victorian Age that came right before it; that instead of featuring criminal masterminds or fiendish supervillains, the characters in pulp tales live out on the edges of society, too stupid and cowardly to go for the big score but rather sticking to the petty schemes they know definitively to work, trying to get away with them as long as possible without getting caught, while nonetheless always dreaming of the day their ship finally comes in.In this case, for example, there is the weasely schlub Jimmy Luntz, the closest thing we have to an 'antihero' if any of them can be called that; then there's the aging enforcer Gambol, who spends the book chasing Luntz after getting shot in the leg by him in the first five pages; there is Anita, the unusually attractive Native American alcoholic who has just gotten busted embezzling several million dollars from the company she works for (in actuality a frame-up by her ex-husband, plus the crooked judge who granted him a divorce), who drunkenly hooks up with Luntz while both are on the run; there is Juarez, Gambol's boss who Luntz screwed over not too long ago (hence Gambol being on his trail), a Middle Easterner who tells everyone he's Hispanic and who dresses like a gangsta rapper; and then there's Mary, a former army medic dispatched at the beginning of the story to go find Gambol and quietly patch him up, who just happens to be Juarez's ex-wife and who just happens to now hate him but needs his money. And then the thing that brings them all together is not much more than a MacGuffin, and not actually very important to the story at all (you know, like the glowing briefcase in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction), with the point instead to spend 200 pages watching these people all chase each other around, while spouting unbelievably great lines of dialogue at each other.Because that of course is one of the most well-known things about Johnson's writing style, what generates so many admirers but what you need to look out for as well; that if you're not already a fan of people like David Mamet, who attempt to boil stories down to the absolute minimum amount of words needed to make their point, you need to stay the hell away from Johnson no matter how much your friends keep recommending him, or else suffer a fit of self-righteous eye-rolling so bad that it will threaten to induce a seizure. And in fact Johnson delivers not only his usual brilliant yet controversial clipped dialogue here in Nobody Move, but even sometimes very cleverly skips over big sections of action-text when he thinks the audience doesn't need it; to cite one infamous example that I've already mentioned, how the opening scene of the book is of Gambol and Luntz riding in a car together, Gambol telling Luntz not to mess with the shotgun he's accidentally discovered in the back seat, while in the very next paragraph Gambol is now laying in the desert with a bullet in his leg, with it only then that we learn that he had been taking Luntz out somewhere desolated in order to do him some kind of unspecified harm.This is why fans of the genre love pulp fiction, after all, because it's storytelling taken to its most terse, rat-a-tat extreme; a meaty yet bare-boned way of telling a tale, like watching a couple of scrawny yet professional lightweight boxers duke it out, a chance to admire the literary arts at its most stripped-down and essential. And this is certainly the case with Nobody Move, with a series of developments that I won't divulge any more of but let's just say are always unexpected, funny and horrifying at the same time just like pulp fiction should be, held together with sparkling gritty dialogue and just the general scuminess of the entire milieu. And I don't have a lot more to say about it, actually, because frankly there isn't a lot more to say about it -- when all is said and done, it is nothing more than a genre tale, never once straying from the well-known tropes that define pulp fiction, which is why it's getting an above-average but not spectacular score today; yet is pulled off almost perfectly, which is why it gets a boost in its rating specifically for those who are existing fans of, say, Raymond Chandler. If you're the kind of person who likes reading only one or two pulp tales a year, this should be one of them; and of course for those who like the genre more than that, this title is absolutely not to be missed.Out of 10: 9.2, or 9.9 for lovers of pulp fiction
    • 4/5
      I've never read anything by Johnson that wasn't good, and this is no exception. The story starts simply enough with an in-debt gambler shooting his about-to-be assailant in the leg, then it spirals through a group of mostly desperate characters--including a beautiful woman framed for theft--and a series of violent incidents, though the worst violence takes place off stage. What shines through is Johnson's characterization. Each member of the cast is made multi-dimensional. Even the worst of them have some elements of humanity we can identify with. And the relationships between the characters are well handled. The plotting is solid, but it is Johnson's writing that makes it all work. Recommended.The audiobook version is well narrated.
    • 3/5
      A solid, fast-paced crime novel that has none of Johnson's poetic flourishes whatsoever. If it had a blank cover I would have assumed it was by Elmore Leonard.
    • 2/5
      Are you familiar with the subreddit r/menwritingwomen ? Because that is where this book belongs. Though Johnson's female characters certainly have some agency. Quentin Tarantino could direct the movie.This novel did apparently first appear in Playboy. And it very much reads like a c1950s harboiled detective novel, but everyone here is a criminal--there is no detective. Gamblers, loan sharks, thieves, embezzlers, who knows what all. They come from Arcadia, Bakersfield, and somewhere outside Oroville. They are all interconnected, because I guess all criminals know each other? And it's equal opportunity insults, with women, Mexicans, Muslims, and Natives all getting it. Only the gay characters aren't mocked.I listened on hoopla so don't have page numbers, but here are some lines:--"pee kind of musically" (a woman, of course)--"a hefty woman", also described as "a hefty blonde"--"Do you always talk about people as though they are invisible?" "Usually just women." (HAR HAR)--"You do drink like an Indian." (another woman)--"possibly pregnant or ready for a diet"So...yeah. There's also lots of shooting.
    • 4/5
      Trust Denis Johnson. If you need someone to lay down a straight flush pulp masterpiece, one of the best writers in the business is a safe bet. Not that I usually expect to find Johnson writing in this genre. But if anyone understands the movement of plot and character through dialogue, it’s him.Jimmy Luntz is a bit down on his luck. He’s in debt to some unsavoury people. The kind who come round to collect. And that gun you see in the first act will go off. In the first act. It’s that kind of novel. When Jimmy crosses paths with Anita Desilvera, he might think his luck has changed. She’s clearly out of his league. But she’s got troubles of her own, a taste for vodka, a bad karaoke habit, and a few million in missing funds that she’s taking the fall for having pilfered. She’s also got a bit of a mean streak. But she and Jimmy hit it off, sort of. And their two narrative paths are certain to comingle. With consequences.Mostly this is just fun writing and fun reading. There isn’t really much more to it than that. Johnson’s dialogue is endlessly refreshing. And he knows how to mingle fates both subtly and with lead. You might as well just sit back and enjoy. Gently recommended.
    • 5/5
      A quick fun read about losers constantly turning on each other, lots for violence and bad language to round out a great book to read.
    • 3/5
      delicious pulp
    • 3/5
      Fast and entertaining read.
    • 5/5
      The best Elmore Leonard novel ever!
    • 3/5
      When I first started reading this book, I didn't have high hopes, but it completely surprised me. The characters were archetypal without seeming cliche. I thought all of them were interesting, and the story was too. I loved the way the author gave his readers credit; instead of just spelling out the story or trying (and failing) to give a surprise twist, he expected the reader to follow along. Well written.
    • 4/5
      This book zips along and is pleasurable but ultimately falls well short of awe inspiring. It is a hard-boiled, noir-like story set in California. A likable gambler shoots a mobster in the leg to escape paying a debt, he goes on the run, meets a beautiful woman also at odds with the law, and they hole up in a biker bar together. While they are spinning a plan to get millions of dollars she was framed for embezzling, the mob catches up with him and a certain amount of action ensues. Ultimately, the bad guys don't fare particularly well.

      The dialogue is a strong point in this book, with well drawn characters and rapid fire repartee. And the plot is enough to keep you going with interest but not enough to, at the end of the day, say one be very impressed.

      I have not read any other Denis Johnson books but if this is an appetizer then it makes me look forward to the main course.
    • 4/5
      Will Patton was born to read Denis Johnson. Near perfect crime crosswire non-resolve. I loved it. Welcome to California.
    • 3/5
      Certainly a breezy read, perfect for transport reading. But it never quite delivers on its promise to be in the league with Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiassen. Starting with low-life gambler and sad sack Luntz getting nabbed by a gangster he owes money just as he leaves his barbershop chorus concert, you think that's where it's going. But despite plenty of nastiness, there isn't enough quirkiness, color or memorable dialogue. Also, the Amy character's arc wasn't convincing. She got awfully cruel and violent near the end; where did that come from? No foreshadowing. Greedy, sure but not capable of this. Also, it's as though Johnson has never done online banking. Lacking four digits as part of a code might be a problem but getting into a bank account, even one's on onshore account, you'll need more than that.Still, in the right hands, this could make a Tarantino-esque movie and Anita's surprise viciousness would work fine.
    • 3/5
      Good fun. Nowhere as deep as his other works, but good fun and a step up for airplane books.
    • 4/5
      The action and characters and snappy dialogue and impossible situations keep you reading until the end. It is a bit like a cross between Elmore Leonard and Flannery O'Connor. The gambler Jimmy Luntz is pretty lucky even though he keeps losing his lottery scratch offs.
    • 4/5
      After "Tree of Smoke", Denis Johnson has written a brief, action-packed, noir thriller. That's what the reviews all said. True, but there's a little more to it than that. A good read.
    • 4/5
      The story starts with a kidnapping in Bakersfield by a big guy named Ernie. He's mean and gets the girl. (Just not the way you'd like.) I'm tired of being stereotyped.
    • 3/5
      Dennis Johnson is a great writer. This however is not his best work. The story is well written there just isn't a lot of substance. It follow the genre formula to the letter and is instantly forgetable.
    • 3/5
      This is a quick read. It's a fun crime novel that reads like a Quentin Tarantino movie.
    • 4/5
      This book zips along and is pleasurable but ultimately falls well short of awe inspiring. It is a hard-boiled, noir-like story set in California. A likable gambler shoots a mobster in the leg to escape paying a debt, he goes on the run, meets a beautiful woman also at odds with the law, and they hole up in a biker bar together. While they are spinning a plan to get millions of dollars she was framed for embezzling, the mob catches up with him and a certain amount of action ensues. Ultimately, the bad guys don't fare particularly well.The dialogue is a strong point in this book, with well drawn characters and rapid fire repartee. And the plot is enough to keep you going with interest but not enough to, at the end of the day, say one be very impressed.I have not read any other Denis Johnson books but if this is an appetizer then it makes me look forward to the main course.
    • 5/5
      Leave to Denis Johnson to write a highly readable yarn about a group of low-life losers and gangsters and allow a measure of redemption. Many such books fail in the last regard and can only be labeled as decadent. (Not that I'm above a decadent read now and then.) But when a hard-boiled story is deft enough to twist and turn and leave the reader guessing until the last page the pleasure is double or triple. I closed "Nobody Move" with a satisfying, wry smile.
    • 3/5
      Read at a single sitting (10 PM - 2 AM), rare for me. Denis Johnson's Nobody Move caroms and skids through a week's worth of antics, ending up -- after significant collateral damage -- about where it started. I can imagine several scenes adopted as set pieces in snide movies. The crime noir plot is propelled by action and dialogue such that it’s easy to miss the book's elegant structure and occasionally evocative description. A gateway drug to Jesus’ Son or Tree of Smoke.
    • 5/5
      Excellent brief read with great dialogue and an enteraining plot and characters. It reads like a script written by combination of Elmore Leonard with help from Quenton Tarantino.
    • 4/5
      The book opens with the main character, Jimmy Luntz, being exposed as a member of The Alhambra California Beachcomber Chordsmen, a sort of barbershop singing group. Aside from this completely unrealistic aside, Luntz is a pitch-perfect witty portrayal of a gambling addict, including his relationship with a well-written fetching boozer. Luntz needs to take increasing risks to get himself out of gambling debts being called in. Packed with guns, quirky bad guys, surprising plot twists, this novel benefits from Johnson's writing skills, without being wrapped around some controversial setting or characters with less action-packed ramblings.
    • 3/5
      This is first book I've read by Denis Johnson, and that was possibly a mistake. His writing style is amazing but most of the genre homages were lost on me.
    • 3/5
      There's not much too add to the reviews below. Nobody Move is like Tarentino's Pulp Fiction in novel form. Fun, fast, witty, and violent. Nobody Move doesn't have the depth and resonance of many of DJ's other works, but it seems clear that this was more of a palate cleanser for DJ following the weighty Tree of Smoke. That said, I found Mary and Jimmy's struggle to find love on the run endearing as hell. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of Clarence and Alabama's adventures in the Tarantino-scripted True Romance. May I humbly suggest that True Romance replace Pulp Fiction as the Tarantino comparison of choice for Nobody Move?
    • 3/5
      Nobody Move is the story of interconnected characters in the California desert. Jimmy Luntz is a gambler deep in the whole to his bookie, Gambol is the man sent to inflict physical harm to get the money, Juarez is the king of this underworld, and Anita Desilvera is an alcoholic and soon-to-be-divorced woman convicted of embezzlement who happens upon Jimmy. It's a motley cast of characters, and the cover's gunshots holes are a good indicator of the amount of violence.Denis Johnson is a gifted writer; no one disputes this fact. The characters are intriguing, and there is suspense of sorts, but somehow it didn't all come together for me. Perhaps my own cynicism led me to believe their futures to be bleak and inevitable and I didn't fully embrace the characters. I usually adore noir, but I was ambivalent about this one. It's a brief book, less than 200 pages, and it seems to beg for a movie rather than a book. I wanted to like it more than I did, although I did enjoy reading it (except for one completely unnecessary, disgusting scene that would not have been out of place in a cheap teen comedy).
    • 3/5
      Gambling addict Jimmy Luntz knows he’s in big trouble when he gets nabbed by Gambol, an enforcer working for Juarez, the underworld crime boss Jimmy’s in the hole to for a few grand. But his perenially bad luck changes when he manages to escape, having shot Gambol in the kneecap and stolen his cash-filled wallet. On the run, Jimmy crosses paths with another bitter loser, alchoholic Anita Desilvera. Anita’s crooked lawyer husband has embezzeled $2.3 million, framed Anita for the job, and, adding insult to injury, divorced her coldly…and Anita wants to get even. The two hide out, planning a caper to steal the $2.3 million from Anita’s ex while avoiding the thugs out to get Jimmy. Unfortunately for them both, Gambol and Juarez not only find them, but find out about the big money at stake. Fates collide violently, and, of course, not everyone makes it out alive and well.Deeply flawed but strangely likeable characters, from weaselly Jimmy to dedicated Gambol, add a little bit of something special to this grim and gritty noir thriller. Shots of bleak humor enliven the starkness of Johnson’s view of lowlifes on the make.