The Bobby Gold stories

by Anthony Bourdain

Paper Book, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

813/.54

Genres

Collection

Your library

Publication

New York : Bloomsbury, 2003.

Description

Bobby Gold is a lovable criminal. After nearly ten years in prison, he's no sooner out than he's back to work breaking bones for tough guys. His turf: the club scene and restaurant business. It's not that he enjoys the job--Bobby has real heart--but he's good at it, and a guy has to make a living. Things change when he meets Nikki, the cook at a club most definitely not in his territory. Smitten, he can't stay away. Bobby Gold has known trouble before, but with Nikki the sauté bitch in his life, things take a turn for life or death. A fast, furious, pitch-perfect story of food, sex, crime, and mayhem, The Bobby Gold Stories is Bourdain at his best.

User reviews

LibraryThing member wenlib

I bought this book based on how much I enjoyed Bourdain's non-fiction (A Cook's Tour and Kitchen Confidential). This was a huge disappointment.

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LibraryThing member MissTeacher

No nonsense and to the point, Bourdain triumphs in making his characters real and relateable, and in turning his gruff murderous hitman of a main character into someone you're constantly rooting for. The plot was almost nonexistant for most of the story, but this detracted nothing from the

brilliant character study. When action did commence, the descriptions were spot-on and the twists were well-placed. The repetitive nature of this novel is something to be enjoyed, though I found myself wishing every chapter would start with a description of clothing. Brief, witty, and gritty--three of my favorite things.

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LibraryThing member sailornate82

I think this novel is very much inspired by Elmore Leonard. However, the brevity of the book diminishes the story's integrity. At only about 160 pages Bourdain should have included at least another one hundred pages to make both the characters and situations more intriguing and not as thin.

Bourdain is still my man, though. His two other books seem to have more favorable reviews on Amazon.com, and I think they may be worth looking into at some point.

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LibraryThing member ThomasPluck

A great crime novel. Illuminating and human

LibraryThing member Narshkite

Bourdain was Bourdain even before everyone knew him. His voice is so clear and his world view seems to have developed but not changed with the years. Noir from the mob goon's perspective can fail 100 ways but Bourdain creates a fun anti-hero in Bobby. The dame in this book is an idiot with impulse

control issues, and she had potential to be an interesting character. That was a shame. Filled with sex and money and food and travel this novella is funny and really enjoyable. Listened to this for a commute plus a morning getting ready when I needed a break from the gutting nonfiction book I am reading (We Were Once a Family) and it was a solid 3.5. The reader was excellent.

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