There's a small niche in crime/mystery novels for the likable burglar. Lawrence Block finds it with his Bernie Rhodenbarr books, which I mentioned here. Donald Westlake found another slice of that niche with his Dortmunder books. I've just recently found Dortmunder, and I enjoy him.
One of the aspects of these stories that makes them palatable for the reader (I think) is that they are typically non-violent. The law itself makes that distinction: Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law defines burglary as "the act of entering or remaining unlawfully (as after closing to the public) in a building with intent to commit a crime (as a felony)." The same source defines robbery as follows: "the unlawful taking away of personal property from a person by violence or by threat of violence that causes fear."
Neither Bernie nor Dortmunder threaten anyone with violence in the course of their crimes. There's a threat to the victim of loss of his property, if he even knows his property is at risk, but he never feels any personal threat. The reader understands this; the essential criminality of the protagonist isn't repellent. Dortmunder is Everyman except that his profession is theft rather than insurance sales.
Both Block and Westlake wrote (and in Block's case still does; Westlake died last New Year's Eve) books with harder edges. Block's Matthew Scudder is an ex-NYPD officer turned private investigator and a recovering alcoholic. Westlake wrote nearly thirty books featuring Parker, who's a career criminal, perfectly willing to use violence including murder for gain. I've read a couple of the Scudder books; I've not yet read any of Westlake's Parker series.
If you liked the original Ocean's Eleven, Topkapi or The Thomas Crown Affair you'll like Bernie and Dortmunder.
Posted by Linkmeister at October 19, 2009 09:59 AM | TrackBackI have read a few Lawrence Block books, but none by Donald Westlake. I'll give them a try. Thanks.
Posted by: cassie-b at October 20, 2009 04:35 AM