Books › Get Shorty
Get Shorty
384 pages
A razor-sharp, sun-drenched joyride where the mob meets the movies, fueled by deadpan wit and effortless cool.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like slipping on a pair of expensive sunglasses and cruising down Sunset Boulevard in a stolen convertible. It is a masterclass in effortless cool, driven almost entirely by razor-sharp, naturalistic dialogue that crackles with deadpan wit. The narrative moves at a brisk, confident clip, never bogging down in exposition, instead letting the characters reveal themselves through what they say and what they hide. The atmosphere is a sun-drenched blend of Hollywood sleaze and mobster grit, creating a cynical but deeply entertaining playground where the line between a criminal hustle and a movie deal is hilariously thin. It will absolutely delight readers who crave fast-talking antiheroes, tight plotting, and a wry, satirical edge that never takes itself too seriously.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- sleazy
- breezy
- cinematic
- Tone
- wry
- deadpan
- cynical
- cool
- satirical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the absurdity of Hollywood · reinvention and hustle · blurred lines between crime and business · the art of the con
- The writing
- Lean, effortlessly cool, and driven by razor-sharp, naturalistic dialogue that crackles with understated wit.
- The arc
- A confident, breezy glide through chaotic, high-stakes situations toward a satisfyingly ironic triumph.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love fast-talking, unflappable antiheroes and cynical, sun-baked satires of the entertainment industry.
Content notes
- gun violence
- organized crime
- strong language
About the book
Mob-connected loanshark Chili Palmer is sick of the Miami grind -- plus his "friends" have a bad habit of dying there. So when he chases a deadbeat client out to Hollywood, Chili figures he might like to stay. This town with its dreammakers, glitter, hucksters, and liars -- plus gorgeous, partially clad would-be starlets everywhere you look -- seems ideal for an enterprising criminal with a taste for the cinematic. Besides, Chili's got an idea for a killer movie -- though it could very possibly kill him to get it made.
Description from Open Library.
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