Reviews for Half of paradise

The average rating for Half of paradise based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-02-25 00:00:00 Marilyn Weinstock-collins This is James Lee Burke's first novel. Great characters, strong description, and mostly interesting situations. BUT. . . it is one of the most depressing books I ever read (just finished it), and some of the dialog and situations go nowhere for pages and pages - just lots of back and forth between desperate little people with nothing to say about life sometimes. I really like his later mysteries, but this was not my cup of tea (I did finish it, hoping to find something redeeming in it. Sigh!)

Review # 2 was written on 2012-01-15 00:00:00 Feroz Vilsing It is quite interesting to read the first book by an author you enjoy, to see how their writing has developed and progressed, especially if they have acquired a following, such as Burke definitely has. The story itself is less than satisfying, but interesting enough (though I much prefer Pierce's Cool Hand Luke), and goes along fairly quickly. I found it amusing when I came across turns of phrase that I know he has used in later books, such as his description of nutria as they make their "scream of a hysterical woman." You can easily see the groundwork for his Robicheaux series, in tone and descriptive language, as well as character development. One thought however: why is it no other snakes except moccasins slither through literary swamps?