Driven: The Explosive Sequel to the Noir Classic Drive

If you made it to the Cineplex to see Ryan Gossling in Nichols Nefn's neo-noir masterpiece, "Drive," don't wait to see if there's going to be a sequel - you can read in now. "Driven" is James Sallis' brilliant follow-up to his dark tale of Driver, a 26 year-old reclusive Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a robbery wheelman. Driver is now 32, living as Paul West in Phoenix, having gone-to-ground to escape the mobsters he dispatched in the first episode. Or so he thought. Sallis wastes no time getting to the action and violence; the first page hasn't turned before Driver leaves two would-be killers broken and dying on the pavement. From here out the formula is straightforward - Driver, with some assistance from the shadowy Gulf War vet Felix - brutally retires a seemingly endless parade of thugs send to kill him, while he soups up an inconspicuous Ford Fairlane and hunts down those behind the repeated attempted hits.This is a simple story, a fast read that could be mediocre were it not delivered by James Sallis. Despite its brevity, the talented Sallis packs more imagery and power into 140 pages than the average crime writer could muster in 1,000; that rare brand of prose that is atmospheric without being bloated. This is lean, stripped down fiction, reminiscent of Jim Thompson or Raymond Chandler, but more elegantly told in sentences that, despite the grisly fare, read more like poetry than pulp fiction.Like its predecessor "Drive," "Driven" is American crime writing at its best, and James Sallis is the unsung master of the genre. If you haven't discovered him yet - with or without Ryan Gossling - this quick pair of novels is a great place to make the acquaintance.

This is a great little read and a pretty good followup to Sallis' Noir thill Drive. While the first book focuses on interactions at Diners and Dive Bars in Los Angeles, this book throws in philosophy to the conversations. Existentialism is thrown in and Nietsche is even mentioned once in the book. It works well and ties into the events of the novel. Manny always has been an interesting character and in this book he waxes philosophical on how life is short chaotic and without inherent meaning but how even so it is still an exhilarating experience. A major theme of the book is finding ones way in a life and in a fast paced city like Los Angeles it hits home. Driver has just lost his wife after taking the persona of Paul West. He tried to fly staight after the events of the first book but his past life has caught up with him. Dealing with the death of his wife he pinballs between Arizona and California. To make matters worse it seems he is being followed and there is a hit out on him. The new characters introduced help out driver. His buddy Felix, a Desert Storm Vet., along with some other veteran buddies of Felix's do some reconnaissance work for Driver on exactly who he is dealing with. What ensues is the discovery of something more shocking than expected....who actually is behind all of this! There is further exposition to Driver and in this sequel he really is still a...... Erm mean motorscooter. After trying to fly straight and being thrown back into the fire he discovers he's still got what it takes to survive. The book is short. It's a novella and is more of an afternoon or Airport read. That being my only gripe it still is as good as it's predescessor and a worthy additon! 9/10 great book, highly recommended.

I found Sallis's writing sharply descriptive and his use of words unusual - such as "forested by tattoos". The characterization was powerful. One 'knew' characters such as Bill and his daughter Billie. This was the first Sallis book that I have read and I felt a little put-out by the number of references to past-book characters. Not all seemed necessary to this plot. I was also disappointed by the ending, finding it rather lame, after the suspense created and held throughout the book.

I loved this book. Even liked it better than Drive, but I feel like both books will baffle readers who want the story more filled in along the way… feelings, motivations, descriptions etc. Not me, I enjoyed the style very much. To me, the ending was perfect, but only if you read Drive first.

It was interesting

I bought the book because I liked the movie 'Drive'. It was pretty good, a little formulaic, and very short. I enjoyed it enough to pass it off to a friend. The seller shipped it very quickly.

Being sincere I expected a bit more, just a bit more. I still picture Driver as Ryan Gosling, there's no going back now. What I liked was the fist part of the book and the final chapters, everything else in the middle was a bit confusing.This is the second book I read by James Sallis and I find it quite enjoyable, I really like his writing and his perspective of life, I found myself highlighting various passages in both Dirve and Driven.

Sallis writes in a very compressed style. and can tell a long novel's worth of story in a short book. The only problem is that it's over too quickly and you want more even though everything you've gotten is wonderfully satisfactory. Plot, action, character, suspense, mystery and resolution--it's all there and I'll be reading it again soon.

The book arrived in perfect conditions and on time. I hope someone will achieve a film of this story, maybe the same director Winding Refn of the previous and appreciated Drive. Unfortunately is the second and the final episode of this exiting character. Anyway an interesting and pleasure reading!

One of the many things I love about James Sallis is that he writes his characters as he finds them.  They are dysfunctional, not always likeable, definitely broken but also incredibly compelling.  So it is with Driver, who you meet as he watches his fiancé get gunned down in the street, seemingly for no reason.In Driver’s world though, there is always a reason, and so there is here if he can just figure it out in between fighting for his life and constantly trying to stay one step ahead of a seemingly endless supply of hired guns determined to earn their money.   It involves talking to shady people, hitting shadier people and never giving up.  I like that about Driver – he doesn’t stop.Like him, this book is relentless, never letting up for a second.  It’s dialogue heavy with not much in the way of descriptive scenes bar the odd flashback to his childhood or earlier life, before he tried to start again.  And it’s short (only 155 pages), meaning there isn’t much time to breath.The language seems simple on first reading but then you realise that a picture is being painted, of men (mainly) who believe in action versus trying to talk things out.  It’s not a world I understand but it’s lived by a code and it’s best not to break it.  It’s a world where you don’t go to the police, you sort out your own problems. And it’s a world where people live with the idea of an eye for an eye.It’s a world I was drawn into quickly and was quite sad to see the end of, especially as it was left open so you don’t know what is going to happen to Driver next and whether it will be good or bad.  Perhaps it’s good for me as I will get to meet him again…I just hope it’s not another seven years before I get the chance.  Loved this one and a recommended read!

I really enjoyed the book for Drive. Since I read it I have goen back and read a lot of James Sallis. I am a huge fan now! His style is simple but has the power to create a great tone. I read 'Driven' in one sitting, my only complaint about the book is that it is short. However I'll take short and sweet any day if the story is this well written.

Verwirrende Geschichte, viel Slang, eher deprimierend in seiner Beschreibung von Amerikas Outsidern. Wer knappe Beschreibungen mit viel (zum Teil brutaler) Action mag, kommt auf seine Kosten.

Le style est agréable et fluide à lire. Il ne faut pas forcément être un bon anglophone pour appréhender ce livre en anglais.Les phrases sont courtes et concises et l'histoire se tient bien.Mais il ne vaut pas le premier opus qui est meilleur au niveau du scénario.Pour les fans de "Drive" uniquement.