Book Review: Elmore Leonard’s “The Switch”
This is a book review of the book “The Switch” by Elmore Leonard. The crime novel was released in 1978 and the film adaptation of the book is being filmed currently as a prequel to the 1997 film “Jackie Brown” the adaptation of the novel “Rum Punch”.
The Switch is about a dysfunctional family with a wife, Mickey, who won’t complain to her alcoholic husband about his problems. Criminals kidnap Mickey, but for the beginning of the book there is no link between Ordell & Louis (the criminals) and Mickey. How Elmore Leonard linked the two together was imaginative, creative and very clever. The criminals ask Mickey’s husband to pay the ransom of $1million but he’s with his mistress, Melanie, and ends up not paying to get rid of her as he was going to divorce her anyway. The criminals and Mickey then work together to get all of Frank’s (Mickey’s husband) money and you see a gradual bond growing between Mickey and the kidnappers.
SUMMARY:
- Characters: 4/5
- Plot: 4/5
- Ending: 4/5
- Language: 3/5 (quite explicit)
- Recommended: 5/5
- Prediction of Film Version: 4/5
^ Interesting roles for the actors to play, worth a read and a watch!
The crime novel is currently being produced into a film and is unnamed at this time but currently being referred to as “Untitled Elmore Leonard Project“. It is currently being filmed in the Greenwich and Stamford areas in the USA. The film has a star-studded cast with the following actors playing these characters:
- Jennifer Aniston as Mickey Dawson
Isla Fisher as Maggie- John Hawkes as Louis Gara (Will Forte also credited as this role so unconfirmed)
- Tim Robbins as Frank
- Mos Def as Ordell Robbie
- Chyna Layne as Loretta
- Ebony J Lewis as Melanie
(according to IMDb; click here for full list of cast and crew)
Want to buy this book? Buy it on Amazon today!
Warning: Quite explicit language used throughout the book.
Author: X
