"when I say I like to read narrative nonfiction, this is what I mean "

"I cannot remember the last time I finished a book within a day. After reading, Mr.Majestyk last month, I ordered eight Elmore Leonard novels over the last week. The Hunted was the first one to arrive.

Al Rosen is hanging out at luxury hotels in Israel, doing what rich forty five year old single men do - drinking and picking up women. He is also hiding out. After a night in bed with a beautiful American woman, he saves people from a hotel fire and inadvertently gets his photograph in the papers. His enemies do not waste any time coming after him.

Without much description or reliance on history, Leonard gives us a good sense of Israel. Sure it has its luxury hotels and tourist hangouts. But it is also a place with Jews, Christians and Muslims bunched up together. A restive land where danger lingers even in the beautiful luxurious bars and lobbies. Israel is mostly described from the point of view of expatriate characters - Al Rosen, Mel Bandy - a boorish and cunning American lawyer and marine David.E.Davis - an ex-Vietnam war vet who has spent too much time guarding banks and doing embassy duty but has not shed his warrior soul.

The thrills and action are relentless and clever. The dialog between the multi-cultural and multi-racial characters are often hilarious - like when the Black Muslim gangster sent to hunt down Rosen discovers that there is a Jordanaian chapter of Black Panther, from his Jordanian Jewish driver. Or Mel Bandy's impatience with the Israeli staff at the hotel.

I loved reading this. I couldn't put it down. Leonard's dialogs have so much wisdom and depth. Yet not a phony or trite line of dialog escapes the man's pen. The plots and accompanying twists are ingenious. The characters are always up for a drink even in the midst of the gravest of dangers. It is a nice feeling to know that there are so many more Elmore Leonard novels left to be read."

"Now, we have Stephen Fry narrating here. I love the guy, he could read to me to sleep any time - but it wasn't enough. We also have classic British comedy - well, right here and right now it's not enough.

It's the latter that is 'problem' here for me. As a Brit, I came home from school each day and The Goodies, and Kenny Everett Show were on TV - loved it, the humour is just like the humour you'll find in this book.

So, alas, it was something a bit old and worn for me. I mean it's good, but not it's not new.

Comedy is a funny thing, it's extremely personal. But for me I did find this a bit dated. I'll give it 2-stars, because I don't want any death threats, and it's not rubbish. But a DNF at about the halfway point. "