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| Plot Summary of God Save the Mark |
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"
Donald E. Westlake
Forge, Jan 2004, 14.95
ISBN: 0765309181
Copy editor Fred Fitch is so famous as the king of marks, con artists come from everywhere to take him for a buck or three. Grifters visiting New York include Fred as one of their prime tourist stops for no vacation is complete without taking Fred for a ride. Fred is not insane, but he believes in the basic goodness of humanity so that he trusts people until that person rips him off.
Fred is still small potatoes though an important merit badge award for con artists until he inherits over $300,000 from Uncle Matt. Though he never heard of an Uncle Matt, Fred is now a desirable mark beyond honorarium status. Everyone wants a piece of Fred or at least his loot. However, someone wants more than just Fred's inheritance, that individual may have killed Uncle Matt and wants Fred dead too.
Though some of the humor seems a bit dated and even naive, readers can see why this reprint won an Edgar for Best Novel in 1967. The story line combines humor with suspense as Fred is a unique character whose conned from the beginning of the story line in a downtown barbershop to the end of the fun tale. Though the ultimate target, Fred makes GOD SAVE THE MARK works because he is likable and readers will appreciate his trusting nature even though his naiveté is mindful of Einstein's definition of insanity. A new audience will enjoy Donald E. Westlake's 1960s New York joy ride.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of God Save the Mark |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- white collar fraud or theft
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by killer/stalker
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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