Love is a Racket by
John Ridley
pbk out August 99
(Bantam)
at £5.99
John Ridley is a black American who was raised in Wisconsin before finding his way to New York University. Afterwards he worked as a stand-up comedian, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman . He worked on scripts for American TV, and then moved on to screenwriting for names like Francis Ford Coppola and Oliver Stone. He's directed his own films, and written a previous novel called Stray Dogs .
And he can write. It is a quirky, street-hip, almost neurotic prose, but it jogs you along at a fairly brisk pace. Love Is A Racket introduces us to Jeffty, a small-time grifter and gambler who is in very deep debt to the local loan-shark. The book opens with the sound of both of Jeffty's thumbs being broken, a sort of reminder note.
The first half of the novel detail s Jeffty's doomed attempts to raise himself out of the pit of his life. He grabs at straws, but each attempt plunges him deeper into the mire. He becomes a Job-like figure, mocked and regaled by man and god. He is a totally self-obsessed loser. He has no friends and regards everyone he meets as a possible source of income. All women are objects that he can use and discard.
But then, on the point of death itself, he has an epiphany. He meets a woman who inspires him to live; together they will manage the perfect sting.
A couple of problems for me with this one. First is the misogynism. And the other is the disparity between Jeffty the writer, the intelligent and creative artist, and Jeffty the street-wise but essentially stupid jerk-off con man. Oh, yes, and the ending is impossible and disappointing. But even with these problems, Love is a Rackett is one of the treats of the year.
(
John Baker
- author of the Sam Turner mysteries and one of Britain's most highly acclaimed writers)
Love is a Racket by
John Ridley