annieb123
Written on Oct 14, 2022
Born for Trouble is a collection of Hap & Leonard stories by Joe R. Lansdale from 2016-2019. Released 21st March 2022 by Tachyon, it's 310 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
Hap & Leonard are simply a mighty force of nature. The stories are violent, outlandish, over the top, and hysterically funny (often at the same time and with a suddenness which leaves the reader with whiplash). Lansdale is such a capable writer that I can simply go along for the ride knowing that he knows where we're going and I can just look around and enjoy the scenery. And what scenery it is. There's a real-ness and urgency to the storytelling that *must* be from the writer's stored experiences. He's simply a virtuoso storyteller and I love his work.
These 5 stories are all worthy of the canon. The stories are introduced by the author himself, who even brings his good game to the writing of the foreword.
5 stars. For readers unfamiliar with Hap & Leonard, fair warning - there's graphic, over the top violence and gunplay. They're unapologetically ride-or-die and on a mission. There are also cookies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.