Drive - 2nd Edition by James Sallis (Paperback)

About the Book

""Much later, as he sat with his back against an inside wall of a Motel 6 just north of Phoenix, watching the pool of blood lap toward him, Driver would wonder whether he had made a terrible mistake. Later still, of course, there'd be no doubt. But for now Driver is, as they say, in the moment. And the moment includes this blood lapping toward him, the pressure of dawn's late light at windows and door, traffic sounds from the interstate nearby, the sound of someone weeping in the next room...." Thus begins Drive by one of the nation's most respected and honored authors. Set mostly in Arizona and L.A., the story is, according to Sallis, "about a guy who does stunt driving for movies by day and drives for criminals at night. In classic noir fashion, he is double-crossed and, though never before has he participated in the violence (I drive. That's all.), he goes after the ones who double-crossed and tried to kill him.""--

Book Synopsis

"A PERFECT PIECE OF NOIR FICTION" NEW YORK TIMES * NAMED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"Drive is full of sly humor, poetic details and plenty of rude violence...The novel is a terrific ride." Los Angeles Times

I drive. That's what I do. All I do.

Originally written in 2005, Drive by James Sallis is the inspiration for the iconic 2011 film starring Ryan Gosling in the role of the man known only as 'Driver', a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night.

The gritty back streets of Los Angeles are the backdrop for what the New York Times calls "a perfect piece of noir fiction" in which the Driver is double-crossed in a burglary gone horribly wrong.

This beautiful new edition introduces a noir classic to a new generation of readers, featuring added materials, including a reading group guide and author Q&A.

Review Quotes

"Drive is full of sly humor, poetic details and plenty of rude violence...The novel is a terrific ride." -- Los Angeles Times

"A perfect piece of noir fiction." -- New York Times

"Imagine the heart of Jim Thompson beating in the poetic chest of James Sallis and you'll have some idea of the beauty, sadness and power of Drive...[It] has more thought, feeling and murderous energy than books twice its length" -- Chicago Tribune

"One stark and stunning tale of murder, treachery, and deceit . . . [Drive] packs a wallop." -- Boston Globe

"Sallis' riveting novella reads the way a Tarantino or Soderbergh neo-noir plays, artfully weaving through Driver's haunted memory and fueled by confident storytelling and keen observations about moviemaking, low-life living, and, yes, driving. Short and not so sweet, Drive is one lean, mean, masterful machine. " -- Entertainment Weekly

"Sallis's lean mystery and flat-voiced prose are refreshing, even startling. A lovely piece of work." -- Washington Post