Below is a link to my breakdown of Elmore’s work for a Complete Works hardcover series.  Strictly my fantasy at this point.  I post this list to get your feedback.  That means you, Robb and John.

http://www.elmoreleonard.com/index.php?/collections/the_complete_works_of_elmore_leonard_beta/

looks like The Hunted could fit
the early crime novel group
Touch is more a Detroit crime
than a fit between Bandits and Killshot

The westerns work in any combination.  The Florida novels are grouped perfectly.  Jack and Chili work well together.  1990s.  The collections could be grouped by decades, Florida, cops, Carl Webster, early crime, and westerns.

Here are a few suggestions.

Early Crime Novels - This works, but the voice is not there.  All three are good, but definitely not classics.  Maybe add Fifty-Two Pickup to add value to the package. 
The Big Bounce
The Moonshine War
Mr. Majestyk

Detroit Crime - This is a great collection of 1970’s Detroit crime.  Touch could be added to replace Fifty-Two Pickup.  1970s
Fifty-Two Pickup
Swag
Unknown Man No. 89
The Switch

Novels of the 1980s - Touch doesn’t fit.  I would put it with the 70’s Detroit crime novels.  Freaky Deaky could possibly be added.  1980s
Glitz
Bandits
Touch
Killshot

The New Century - Wow, is this good.  I am not sure A Coyote’s In The House fits with the rest.  2000s
Cuba Libre
Pagan Babies
Tishomingo Blues
A Coyote’s in the House

How come everyone seems to think that Cuba Libre was first published in the 21st century?

How come everyone seems to think that Cuba Libre was first published in the 21st century?

I will resist the temptation to forensically examine your statement.  Think groovy, not grouchy.

looks like The Hunted could fit
the early crime novel group
Touch is more a Detroit crime
than a fit between Bandits and Killshot

I forgot The Hunted!  Now I got to fit it in.  Some of my breakdowns don’t really work well.  Touch is not, strictly speaking crime, but it does have the same texture and landscape as its 70s brethren.  Check out my next mix.

Early Crime Novels - This works, but the voice is not there.  All three are good, but definitely not classics.  Maybe add Fifty-Two Pickup to add value to the package.

You’re right.  52 Pickup is the payoff for the other journeyman’s work (by comparison.)  Its presence in the Detroit 1970 book is sacrificed for the greater good.  However, you are also correct that it leaves room for Touch.  I will change those collections accordingly.

I forgot The Hunted. It just got deleted as I was doing this.  Here is another idea.  Call it “Other Places” - include Glitz, Bandits and The Hunted.  That’ll do for now. 

As for Coyote, it could be in a three short novel collection with Tenkiller and Fire in the Hole.  Tenkiller’s connection to The Webster Saga is problematic.

Check for the updates:

http://www.elmoreleonard.com/index.php?/collections/the_complete_works_of_elmore_leonard_beta/

djones - 17 February 2008 09:58 AM

How come everyone seems to think that Cuba Libre was first published in the 21st century?

Isn’t 1998 the 21st Century?  I’m an idiot.

I am really liking the collections.  Each one has at least one classic and one forgotten novel. 

I can’t believe we forgot THE HUNTED.  I have only read it once.  It was good.  I will read it next week.

yes that’s better
The Hunted would seem to fit with what is called “The Early Crime Novels”
insomuch as the “crimes” in these novels are “soft” extortions, revenges, and thrillseekings.
Murder does work its way in at the end of these whereas 52 pick up puts the murder up front.
Recent works could also be called Other Places II

Yeah, the new list is terrific.

I like the idea of the collections. I first read The Hunted because I picked up Elmore Leonard’s Dutch Treat to get Swag. I’d seen the movie Mr. Majestyk. Dutch Treat has the introduction by George Will.

That’s another question, who’ll write the introductions for these? I’d like to see Gregg write some. Certainly for the books he researched.

There’s a scene close to the beginning of The Hunted, after Rosen has tried to pick up the tourist lady when the guy comes in the BMW to try and kill him. The owner of the cafe says something about, “the Arab’s gone,” and Rosen says, “He’s not Arab.” It’s a perfect line and you just know he’s a black guy, probably from Detroit.

The Hunted is really a Western. Think about it, Rosen’s stash of money everybody’s fighting over at the end. The good guy, the Marine on embassy duty, poor guy, is the perennial Western white hat, acting on honor, duty, his word, whatever.

This is the one book I always dreamed of buying the rights, writing a script.

Tell me Willis wouldn’t be perfect as the Marine. He’s too clichéd now. And Duvall as Rosen. Yeah, that’s not the way it works, writing something for a certain name in mind. But it happens occasionally. Pitt would also be perfect.

And get this, I always had Eastwood in mind as the old Marine jogging down the desert black top in his combat boots and shorts.

Of course, Other Places doesn’t really sound special. Out of Town. On the Road. Something, just not Other Places.

The Hunted’s a quick, short work, but still a favorite.

If you can have just one Mr. L favorite. Don’t know that’s possible. Is it?

mksmithwriter - 22 March 2008 12:36 AM

If you can have just one Mr. L favorite. Don’t know that’s possible. Is it?

Welcome aboard MK. Have a look around, you might find some interesting past discussions here. Might even get some started up again.

We’ve seen bits and pieces of Gator Bait. It’is good, but it’s not EL.

And, no, you can’t have just one favourite EL novel. You can have a favourite today, but tomorrow it’ll be a different one. You start to appreciate different things in different ways. And none of the books ever suffer from repeated readings.

JohnMcFetridge - 22 March 2008 11:38 AM

mksmithwriter - 22 March 2008 12:36 AM

If you can have just one Mr. L favorite. Don’t know that’s possible. Is it?

We’ve seen bits and pieces of Gator Bait. It’is good, but it’s not EL.

I don’t understand: Are you saying someone is writing Bait pretending to be Mr. L? Or Mr. L is slacking off? The page that was posted claiming to be from Bait sounded okay; it’s been deleted since.

Thanks for the welcome. I’ve been in and out of here for a couple years, just never joined the list ‘til last week.

Handsome Smitty

nice t meet ya smitty
someone should look at David Davis
a white hat with a dark side
or just a big dumb guy
the great grandson of RL Davis
grandson of norma davis by harold jackson

This beta is working perfectly for me as EL newbie.    The beta is a map to the EL stories.  Fantasticfiction or amazon dont tell you which type EL book a book is, the setting and so on.