Little Caesar

Since discovering W.R.Burnett recently I have become a big fan of his books, the best of which are probably his noir-style gangster novels. 'Little Caesar' was his breakthrough success, from 1929, which was turned into a Hollywood movie and made a star out of Edward G. Robinson overnight; I haven't seen the film so I can't compare it with the book, but Robinson played the leading character, Rico, in the movie. In the novel, Rico and his boys plan a robbery that doesn't quite go to plan, and most of the book deals with the aftermath of the event, and how each individual deals with the resultant fall-out. In this respect, it's a typical Burnett book, in that he shows how the basic character of each person determines what eventually happens to him; so nothing is forced or unlikely, but evolves naturally to the end. Burnett is very much in line with the other, more famous writers in this genre - Hammett, Chandler, etc. but it's this focus on the character of his leading players which tends to set him apart and give him his unique style. Quite a number of his books are now out of print and hard to get without paying big prices, but his best known novels, such as 'Little Caesar' are easier to get hold of; so if you're a fan of the noir genre it's well worth checking them out. Anyhow, it's certain that this writer deserves to be better known than he is at the present time.

this is one of the early gangster books with a wealth of "street-wise" detail and convincing dialogue - for me, the only downside was that there was no mystery involved, the guilty party was clear from the beginning.

This book was out of print and I really wanted it as a "surprise" present for my brother it arrived promptly and exactly as described

Little Caesar is considered to be the first American gangster novel, highly innovative for the time for its social realism in depicting how a gang was run and organised, their crimes and on-going struggles with the law. He subsequently converted the book into a screenplay and it was made into a movie (1931), also considered the first classic Gangster film. In total he wrote over 40 novels and the screenplays for over 50 movies. The plot for Little Caesar is very linear, telling the story of the rise and fall of a hardnosed, ambitious gangster, who quickly moves up the ranks due to his daring and ruthlessness. The prose and storytelling is tight and expressive, the pace kept high, and the reader is quickly hooked in through the action sequences punctuated by Rico’s manoeuvrings. The story lacks the depth and sophistication of later gangster tales, but is nonetheless an interesting and engaging read.

Novel writing has come an awfully long way since this book was written, subject matter is good, story telling is poor. It may have seemed good in the early part of the last century, sadly it really isn't very good now.

Attention, il s'agit du scénario du film et non du roman de Burnett dont il est tiré! C'est écrit en tout petit sur la couverture (Screenplay).

Written in a straightforward and almost colorless style, this book reads a bit like a docudrama, or even a long film treatment, so it's not surprising to learn that the author went on to a very successful career as a screenwriter. Author Burnett gives us an entertaining peek at a presumably typical rise-and-fall in the Chicago underworld of the early twentieth century, long before this type of material was well-mined by others. As usual, we are indebted to Otto Penzler for a beautiful edition; the jacket art is a deco masterpiece.

Moves at lightning quick speed. W.R. Burnett knew how to spin a gangster tale. You can easily see where this novel influenced so many that followed. Loved the movie version just as much, starring the one & only Edward G. Robinson.If you're not familiar with either: this author or Eddie G., do yourself a favor & get both. What can I say? I praise stuff I like.

80 years ago, after years of failures and rejections, young novelist William R Burnett hit it big with this short, bleak, beautiful novel about a tiny, vicious crime lord in 1929 Chicago. Nothing like it had ever been done and in a year that saw major works by Faulkner and Fitzgerald, it was a soaring best seller.Even if you saw the movie version of "Little Caesar" that gave Edward G. Robinson his famous breakout role, you have to read the book. With its spot-on dialogue and brisk, deep characterizations, it is an unappreciated monument to a place, an era, and the kind of man who who flourished in the newly minted system of American organized crime.

Item was just exactly as it was advertised, arrived promptly....a good vendor. I will definitely use this vendor for future purchases.