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Driven Audiobook
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(3.02) - 479 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
At the end of the initial novel, Drive, Driver has killed Bernie Rose, “the only one he mourned,” ending his campaign against those who double-crossed him. Driven tells how the young man, done with killing, later will become the one who goes down early one morning in a Tijuana bar.
Seven years have passed. Driver has left the old life, become Paul West, and founded a successful business back in Phoenix. Walking down the street one day, he and his fiancée are attacked by two men, and while Driver dispatches both, his fiancée is killed.
Sinking back into anonymity, aided by his friend, Felix, an ex-gang member and Desert Storm vet, Driver retreats but finds that his past stalks him and will not stop. He has to turn and face it.
Because he drives. That’s what he does.
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"In 2004, James Sallis wrote the short novel Drive, which I think is one of the most perfect pieces of crime fiction ever written. It had everything: plot, characterization, action and style. Shorn of everything ornamental, it was unstoppable and I thought would be the only of its kind. But after that story was surprisingly made into a movie, Sallis gives us a sequel - just as haunting, riveting and enigmatic as the first book. This no cash in, however, he is the master storyteller twisting multiple characters and plot lines like a strand of DNA helix. The challenge of the story is part of the pleasure, there are no kid gloves here and the melancholy sadness of the story reveals itself without a drop of sentimentality. The un-named Driver has come a long way since the first book. It's revealed that he became a successful businessman for a few years, but the past has a way of catching up with you, especially when you have left as many bodies behind as Driver has. Gunmen come for him and murder his girlfriend before he has the chance to dispatch them. And we're off on an extraordinary roller coaster ride that is a complex puzzle, an enigma: who tried to kill Driver? Who is sending men to chase him around the desert is his hopped up Ford? Sallis has a signature style that is all his own, characters drift in and out of the narrative focus with little or no warning. Scenes shift hypnotically with flashes of extraordinary violence. Like its predecessor, this book is under 200 pages, and every word is etched in stone like a master craftsman had chiseled a perfect statue from a block of granite. Challenging, harrowing and always thoughtful, this is a book that must be read."
— Tim (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Terse, brutal, poetic, perfectly wrought.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Sallis, perhaps the most genuinely poetic crime writer alive, bleeds tone on every page, crafting sentences that read like a Thomas Hardy lyric.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Driven Listener Reviews
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" A fine sequel to Drive, with similarly likable characters and only a slightly less compelling storyline. "
— Patrick, 2/19/2014 -
" Great noir in a slim package. Sallis certainly captures Phoenix and all it's gritty underbelly. "
— Jim, 2/12/2014 -
" Agree with others in saying it is superior to the original novel. Even if you didn't read the first book and just want to continue the story based off the movie it is still a fun read. "
— Ryan, 2/8/2014 -
" a too short novella about revenge and motivation. Sallis is one of the better new Noir authors i've read. I'll check out his other stuff for sure. "
— Toney, 2/8/2014 -
" I think Sallis was cashing in on the movie with this sequel. It's meaner, it's less story, it's more exposition and internal monologuing, it's more talking about people who don't much influence the plot, except this time it's present tense instead of past. And there's no real resolution at the end! "
— JW, 1/25/2014 -
" A thrilling and engaging first half that flies by, only to come undermined with a half-baked reveal that doesn't justify the inclusion of a few side characters nor does it add any particular weight to the first novel in this series. "
— Conor, 1/19/2014 -
" I liked this, not as much as Drive, but definitely enough that I'm going to read some more Sallis very soon. "
— Andrew, 1/14/2014 -
" I think this book suffered from being a sequel and I suffered from not having read the first book. "
— Ellen, 1/3/2014 -
" I really liked this book and the one that came before it. Sallis writes punchy neo-noir and he has a deft touch for creating atmosphere and suspense. "
— Amanda, 12/29/2013 -
" The driver is back. In this book we learn a little more about him, his attempt to leave the life he was living, and the people who want to see him dead. Quick read, fast moving, satisfying. "
— David, 12/21/2013 -
" I really enjoyed Drive and this one too. I love Sallis's writing and might branch out to read some of his non-Driver works. "
— Jennifer, 10/11/2013 -
" Fast and to the point but lacking somewhat in substance. "
— Daniel, 8/5/2013 -
" This is the first James Sallis book I read. Read this book because I saw the movie Drive. I found the writing to be very choppy and not very flowing. I agree with another's comments about his book seeming more like a screenplay. I cannot recommend this book to anyone. "
— Peggy, 7/19/2013 -
" An excellent sequel to Drive. As always, Sallis imbues his work with rich textures and wonderful details. "
— Charles, 2/13/2013 -
" Not as good as Drive, but still pretty damn good. "
— Jc, 1/2/2013 -
" Driven is really big piece of apple pie for dessert. "
— Jonathan, 10/24/2012 -
" The sequel to one of my favorite movies of 2011 this book continues the story of Driver. The no name man bent on revenge. Tight story telling not a wasted word just like the movie. Violent yet not gory. Wonder if they will make it into movie. I would watch it. "
— Tony, 10/13/2012 -
" Great, quick read. Really enjoyed the writing style. I saw the movie adaptation of James Sallis' Drive. After reading this book, I'm anxious to see the visual of Driven. "
— Lyndsay, 8/20/2012 -
" Nice little short read. A fantastic sequel to Drive. Definetely well worth the read if you are a fan of the first. "
— Dillon, 4/28/2012 -
" Excellent noir. "
— Jezier, 4/25/2012
About James Sallis
James Sallis has published more than a dozen novels; multiple collections of short stories, poems, and essays; the definitive biography of Chester Himes; several books of musicology; and a translation of Raymond Queneau’s novel Saint Glinglin. His works have been shortlisted for the Anthony, Nebula, Edgar, Shamus, and Gold Dagger awards. The film version of his novel Drive won the Best Director Award at the Cannes International Film Festival, and his Lew Griffin books are in development for film. He plays guitar, French horn, mandolin, fiddle, sitar, and Dobro, both solo and with the band Three-Legged Dog.
About Richard Powers
Richard Powers has published thirteen novels. He is a MacArthur Fellow and received the National Book Award. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory, and Bewilderment was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.