Pronto

by Elmore Leonard

[jamiereadthis]

“You hear him say he’s from some county? People from the South do that. Not in Florida so much, I mean people from the south South.”
“I’ve heard of Harlan County,” Joyce said. “You want to know what I think?”
“Tell me.”
“He’s not as dumb as you’d like to believe.”

Somehow, I didn’t even remember this exchange from before. The thing about the county. Which is so true about the south South that I may have just realized now, at twenty-nine years old, despite having traveled all over the country, that it’s a southern thing.

I live right on the county line, myself. The pavement ends and the sign is fifty yards from my mailbox. It means two different things, which side I say I’m from. I always say the side I’m actually on. It’s the poorer, farmer, déclassé, redneck side. The best side. Because it’s home.

- - -

May 2012: Hell of a badass, entertaining good time. Oh man. I know this predates Justified— is the reason for Justified— but it feels like such a great, off-book origin story, fanfic at its finest. Raylan Givens. Arno, Italy, Tommy Bucks. But, a little infamous Tommy Bucks deal aside, it’s Justified that’s “off-book,” and that’s how damn perfect the latter has the former’s voice. It takes a reminder that Elmore did it first and best.

The ending back in Miami is just the greatest. Joyce, too. But the best is, always, how tickled Elmore is to spend time with his people. There’s nobody, good, bad, or asshole, who’s not worth every minute on the page.

A high four stars because if I keep giving books five, you won’t trust me. I’ll read it again and make it five soon enough.