A Valiant Effort

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

As crime stories go, this is pretty good. The problem lies in where the bar is set for this series. Spenser is an American icon and Robert B. Parker was the absolute master of the genre. His use of language was lean and spare, yet packed a punch comparable to Spenser's right cross, and his literary voice was unmistakeable. Asking another writer to pick up his mantle is like asking someone to carry for Hemingway. If you're a casual ran of the genre and aren't overly familiar with Parker, this is a worthy listen. If, like me, you loved Parker's novels and waited for each new Spenser novel the way a child awaits Christmas, then this is a frustrating listen. A Spenser novel is like great jazz. Atkins knows all the notes and he plays them well. But they aren't his notes and it's not his solo he's riffing on. When you listen, you keep telling yourself "That's not Coltrane." With this listen, that same thought kept coming to me: That's not Parker. And I don't mean that as a knock on Ace Atkins. His books, with his own characters, are excellent and I enjoy them -- because he writes them with his own literary voice. Taking over for a master artist is a thankless task, and as efforts to carry on a legend go, this is a worthy effort. But by definition, any such effort is missing that master's touch.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This didn't have that Parker ending, but it was good.

What about Joe Mantegna’s performance did you like?

Joe Mantegna was my favorite narrator for Parker's novels. It was a great pairing -- equal to the incredible pairing of James Lee Burke's words and Will Patton's narration. You hear echoes of that great Parker-Mantegna chemistry as he reads this book. He does a wonderful job. But it's not Parker.

Did Robert B. Parker's Lullaby inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to go back and listen to the original Spenser novels again. And it inspired me to go looking for more of Ace Atkins' novels. Not sure it inspired me to buy the next effort in this series. This one reminded me of how much we all lost when Parker passed away, and how much this genre owes to its now past master.

Any additional comments?

I did try making the dish Atkins described early in the book: sweet potatoes, andouille sausage and onions sautéed together with a little real maple syrup and a hint of brown sugar. It was delicious. I added some granny smith apple to mine the second time I made it and it was exceptional.

8 people found this helpful

Ace aces Spenser!

Atkins has more than captured the essence of Spenser. I have been rereading all the old Spenser novels (via Audible) and thus the whole enivronment is fresh in my mind. I honestly can not tell that this book was written by a different author. He has captured the universe entirely, including references to unseen characters from previous tomes that fit right into the flow. There is no sense that he used a "checklist" to ensure that he covered all the bases - something very common with follow-on works. Everything here felt right. He captures Susan and Hawk perfectly, and his references to inside-Boston stuff was spot on.
Finally, the story was compelling and held my interest. The new characters were well-developed and felt as if they belonged in the Spenser universe.

Ace gets an A+ from this avid Parker reader. (Are you ready to do another Cole and Hitch?) I'm looking forward to the next Spenser - may he live forever!

Thank you to the Parker estate for letting this series continue.

Joe Mantegna is the perfect reader for this series. I've listened to several others, who range from OK down to horrible - but Joe captures the spirit and attitude of the stores perfectly. (I'm aware that he portrayed Spenser in some made-for-TV movies that were not well received by most Spenser fans, but reading is not the same as acting). Joe does the multiple roles well, and I think he does the best Hawk of any of the readers.

In short, I strongly recommend this novel to either long-time Parker fans, or new readers. You won't be disappointed!

16 people found this helpful

Parker, 3; Spenser 1

Not a bad story -- and helping out a kid who wants to find out who killed her mother is definitely something Spenser would do. But as for the rest of it? Fergit it.

First of all, the big, burly, tough-guy, pure male creature like Spenser wouldn't have a high pitched voice like this narrator. Nothing special wrong with the narration -- just that the voice didn't fit. No way is this how Spenser would sound. If Spenser were around, he'd be inclined to kick this guys teeth in.

Second, because this is an audiobook, I can't tell if the narrator is taking liberty with the written text or not, but about three hours in, he starts reading everything without contractions -- so it's "I can not tell you if that is true...." "He did not smile back..." and with a very sing-song cadence. Seriously annoying. What you get is a very stilted rendition, something I don't remember from the original Robert B. Parker books, if it were there -- and yes, I've read every one of them, most of them twice. I don't think Parker would have written it that way, so either this copy-cat author is off, or the narrator is reading stuff that isn't there.

If you love Spenser -- skip this. I won't buy any more, that's for sure.

5 people found this helpful

He's Still Spencer

If you could sum up Robert B. Parker's Lullaby in three words, what would they be?

When Robert B. Parker died, you would figure Spenser did as well, but Ace Atkins has kept him alive...the flavor, the crassness, all of it is the Spenser, those of us fans of the original stories are so familiar with. This story was not extraordinary, though the client was fun, But what made it good was the fact that Spenser, Hawk, and Susan are all here and truly the same characters with the same humor and action that Parker so prolifically provided.
Joe Mantegna has done most of the Spenser readings (as well as played Spenser is several TV movies) and so he adds the right touch of sardonic wit to make the book work. If you are a Spenser fan, this will all work for you...if you've never done a Spenser book, go back and listen to the older Spenser books, this one will still be here waiting for you when you come back.

5 people found this helpful

Good mystery but NOT authantic Parker

It's an excellent story but I'm down rating it to 3 stars because Atkins uses foul language Robert B Parker would have never used. The narration By Joe Mantegna is flawless but I'm down rating the narration because the voice is simply very wrong. Spencer would have a deeper and older voice.

7 people found this helpful

Hooray for Atkins/Parker!

What did you love best about Robert B. Parker's Lullaby?

The character of Maddie made me laugh as she resisted Spenser's desire to help her/change her/improve her life. Her attitude toward life was both realistic and sad, but I giggled as she resisted Spenser and Susan's attempts to improve or change her approach to negotiating her days. She absolutely tolerated no coddling, no interference with what she perceived as the "right" approach to avenging her mother's death, and, yet, small insights about her feelings emerged with such hints as the fact that she had a toy tiara on her head when Spenser first visited her.
None of the characters reacted in a stereotypical fashion.....the convict was not grateful for Spenser's help, the "dirty" cops don't get their comeuppance, the old foe ends up being sympathetic at the end. But Hawk is always Hawk, and Spenser is always Spenser.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Maddie is spectacular. Mantegna does a good job with her cynical voice. I will always remember the scorn in his/her voice when she announced that the "cops" gave her a card so she could see someone to talk about "her feelings and crap."

Which character – as performed by Joe Mantegna – was your favorite?

Maddie is my favorite, but Mantegna does a great job with the by-play between Hawk and Spenser. His "Hawk" is, by far' the best of all the narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Spenser Meets His Match.

4 people found this helpful

Solid story, just not my favorite

Big fan of Spenser. Joe M is so talented. What an artist he is. I enjoyed the book but the story was not my favorite. I would recommend it to others but for a person just coming to Spenser, it’s not the first one I would introduce them to . F

1 person found this helpful

Atkins almost aces it

This is definitely a Spenser story. It's all there: the fight against evil, the artless philosophizing about life, and, of course, working mostly pro bono. My only complaint is that i don't think Atkins quite got Hawk right; he just seemed more talkative than usual. Nonetheless, I'm delighted that Spenser has not passed along with Parker.

3 people found this helpful

Good story, but no R. B. Parker

Just finished Lullaby. Mr Atkins does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of Spenser. Good listen, just not Mr. Parker.

1 person found this helpful

Disappointed

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wanted to love this book. I've read all of Robert B. Parker's books, and Spenser is my favorite fictional character. So I really want more of Spenser, and I really wanted to love this book. But I didn't. It may have been largely due to Joe Mantegna's performance, or it may be a combination of things. I felt like the story was formulaic. Spenser's wise cracks were more sophomoric smart ass comments than Parker's Spenser. I found it hard to care about the characters. I've never been happy to see one of Parker's books end. This one, I couldn't wait until it was over.

Would you recommend Robert B. Parker's Lullaby to your friends? Why or why not?

No. For the reasons above. I also felt the plot was weak. I never did feel like we should care why Julie was murdered. I never understood why Gerry Broz was brought into the story. Time and time again, people told Spenser they wouldn't help him, and then boom--for no explained reason they were helping him. The involvement with the FBI man didn't gel. There was no point. None of it seemed to have a point.

Would you be willing to try another one of Joe Mantegna’s performances?

Maybe for another character, but never again for Spenser. Mantegna's rendition felt like Mr. Rogers channeling Micky Spillane. I cringed when I heard some of Spenser's dialogue come out of Montegna's mouth. I know some people think he's great for the part, but this voice was not Spenser. I thought the performance was awful. Sorry. I like Joe Montegna, but not as Spenser. I felt like a first grade teacher was reading to six-year-olds.

Do you think Robert B. Parker's Lullaby needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. I never got emotionally caught up in the characters. I was glad when the book ended. No more!

Any additional comments?

I don't like giving bad reviews, and usually if I don't like a book I just quietly move on. But this is Spenser. Except it wasn't. And I was sorely disappointed.

1 person found this helpful