Only Child

by Andrew Vachss

Book Overview

It's been years since Burke has been home, years since he's seen his "family" and worked in the underbelly of New York City. Although his appearance has changed, his reputation grown dusty and his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375414878
• ISBN13: 9780375414879
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 275 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Try To Put It Down, I Dare You!

It is 4:30 in the morning. Now that we have established that little fact, let me tell you a little bit about my reading habits. I have a library full of books. Heck, I work in a book store. I adore books. A nice little chunk of every day is spent reading something. Since my son was born almost a year ago, this reading mostly takes place at the foot of the stairs to my apartment while I draw on a pipe so the smoke won't offend anyone else in the house. I usually read in twenty to forty minute sessions, usually enough for a bowl or two of Vanilla Cavendish. After that I put the book down and go about my day (or night as it usually turns out). It is like my own little sanctuary, and that is where I leave it. There is a stack of books at the foot of the stairs I am currently working through. In the last year I have never brought a book back up with me to continue. There is always a good spot to put a book down, believe me. At least I thought so until I started Only Child today. I read while I smoked, then I came up to the living room and read while my wife watched TV, then I returned to the spot and smoked some more (at least with a pipe I am looking at lip and throat cancer rather than that lung stuff), followed by a stint in the rocking chair and finally finishing with a last smoke while the book raced to its conclusion. I am not a fast reader either. I tend to savor books. The closer this book got to the final pages, however, the faster I read. I read as I walked up and down the stairs. I read as I went to the kitchen for a soda. I just couldn't look away from this book. In my younger days, I might have read a book straight through, but age (and being an aging father) has caught up with me. Now it is an unknown experience. Until I started Only Child today.I am not going to go into plot elements and how wonderful and engaging and hard Mr. Vachss writing is or even how amazing the character of Burke is at he has evolved over the years and in the pages (and you should read the Burke novels in order as there is definite evolution and continuity). You probably know all that. I am simply going to tell you that in years of reading some really wonderful books, the experience of having found one so intriguing that I couldn't put it down until it was done is an experience I haven't had in a very long while.It is 4:30 in the morning, and I couldn't be happier. Or more blown away.

"Watch me, watch me close."

When it becomes clear at the end of 'Pain Management' that Burke has decided to return home to New York many readers breathed a sigh of relief. Burke's pain at his losses had created a world that was too nightmarishly bleak, even for Andrew Vachss. If the silent crusader had remained, the call of the zero would simply have become too strong. So the first part of 'Only Child' is a homecoming, one as joy filled as a Vachss story is ever allowed to get. Burke's family - Michelle the transsexual, Mama, the Professor, the Mole, Clarence, Max, Terry, and the countless others that Burke has helped all reappear. It is unusual to speak of love in the dark side of the city that Vachss' characters inhabit, but it is there, ready to lend one of the shadow knight all the strength he needs.The case Burke becomes a reflection of Burke's one need for family. Two men, both important in the organized crime world come to Burke with a grim problem. One of them had and interracial daughter at a time that is organization could not tolerate that behavior. He gave in to his fears and detached from the woman, and now, 18 years later she is dead, stabbed repeatedly and the police are useless. Giovanni doesn't know if the killing was a sex crime or an attempt at getting to him, but he wants revenge. And he and his lover want Burke to find the killer.The story turns into an intricate piece of detection, which is rare for a Vachss novel. In order to penetrate the world the girl lived in, Burke must hatch scheme after scheme, including an outstanding effort as a casting director. This is really one of Vachss more interesting plots, a shade less noir than usual. Think of it as an anti-heroic procedural.It has been a while since a Burke story has been this light on its feet, and the change is refreshing. The dialog is sharp, Vachss knack for making the reader feel the ghostly presence of the darkness is at a peak. As is his ability to penetrate to the essence of the victims and their predators. I think many old fans who have been less than happy lately will find this one a source of great delight.

Guess who's back?

In the mid 1800s, Gustave Flaubert described France as a place where "the banal, the facile, and the foolish are invariably applauded, adopted, and adored." Flaubert's lament is an equally apt condemnation of early 21st century life in America, or indeed, much of the modern "developed" world. I have never written a book review before. I have never read a Burke novel before either. The convergence of the two firsts is no accident. I loved this book, but from reading the descriptions and professional reviews before getting my copy, I didn't necessarily expect to even *like* it. I'm not a stranger to Andrew Vachss' writing, having enjoyed all the comics, short fiction, and full-length novel "Shella." And Vachss is well known as the author of the Burke series, so most fans are presumably already closely acquainted with the characters I just discovered in fall of 2002. "Only Child" has been promoted by pros and fans alike as the book "we" have all been waiting for, the one that sees Burke return to his native New York. And if you've ever read even a single review of any Burke novel, or any article about Vachss for that matter, then you already know that Vachss, and Burke, are both the ultimate New Yorkers. One review of the books I've seen stated that New York City is actually the "predominate character" of the entire series. For those people who are "fans" of New York, this is bound to be a draw, but Vachss' and Burke's fans come from all over the world. If you're one of those people who hated "Dead and Gone" and "Pain Management," and couldn't wait for Burke to get back to his home turf, then you've probably already ordered "Only Child" and need no encouragement to give it a shot. If you are more like me - West Coast to the core, never been to New York, nor had any special desire to go there, met plenty of people *from* NY who pay homage to the Holy City, but would laugh in your face if you offered them a pre-paid one-way ticket and guaranteed job back to where they're from - then you might be a little more dubious about jumping into an established series at the "coming-home-after-an-enforced-absence" point. If so, DON'T BE. Perhaps people familiar with and fond of New York see the city as a character, but if this is not the case, it's no kind of problem at all in my eyes. The themes Vachss deals with are international and timeless, and so are the characters. If you've never been closer to the east coast than El Centro, don't fear that you'll be left out. I think every single review I've read so far stresses the back-to-New-York angle, and the fact that Burke must "infiltrate the teenage subculture" of Long Island as pluses. The first drawing point initially made me worry that I'd be confused by endless local references, and the second I admit had me half expecting some kind of "Samurai Jack undercover at the rave" trick, but both worries proved so groundless that it was amazing. Yes, Burke is home, and if you're a NY native, you'll

The TRUTH is in the Details

Having read most of the Burke books, I can say I've never been disappointed. ONLY CHILD is no exception. It's a compelling story that will keep readers turning pages long into the night. But the thing I have to point out is the absolutely dead-on right way Vachss captures the feel for the Long Island (NY) locale. Being born and raised here it's nice to see the Island truthfully and honestly depicted in this book. Vachss even managed to find the best hardware store on Long Island (Karp's Hardware in East Northport), and include them in the story. Now I *really* know that Vachss knows what he writes.

Burke back from the dead

I'm a slow reader. I finished Only Child in about 2 days. Vachss' writing is like a pitbull locking onto you - you just can't shake it loose. When one of Vachss' books hits the stores, I drop everything else to go get it and read it. Not many writers I can say that about, and there are several reasons. Real characters that inspire true emotions from the reader, with depth and development across time; intricate plot line; sledge hammer prose; a perfectly-woven story - all are standard issue with any Vachss novel. I can't guarantee you'll like his work. I've heard people say it's too intense, too scary, too gritty, too real - but never boring, and never bad writing. Maybe those people were looking for a "light read," I don't know. This stuff is more like mercury. If you read one of his stories and you dig his work, you'll be hooked for life. Because this man brings together two elements in his writing that make for a potent combination. First, Vachss is a warrior. Read his credentials on the sleeve of the novel, and you'll know - he's been there. He has lived the stories he writes - or has battled for people who have. Like any true warrior, Vachss stays with the mission until either the job is finished or he is. Vachss' war is against child abuse. His writing is one powerful weapon in that war. It has inspired legislation (see the CARE Act) and recruits an increasing number of soldiers to the cause with each new book. Second, Vachss doesn't just have an inborn talent for writing. He is a master - and I mean skill, as you can only gain from practice. And like any true master, Vachss never stops becoming more skilled at his craft. Only Child proves that. Beautiful writing about an ugly subject. "Criminal psychology" through the criminal's eyes - Burke (the main character) seeking redemption in the only way that matters, and telling us where evil truly comes from. Vachss clearly views writing as a medium for accurately conveying experience, emotion, and truth. Few things are more beautiful than the truth; and if any writer is more qualified to pull it off, I'd like to hear about them. The passion that drives Vachss' mission hits you with the power of a .50 cal, firing words like voodoo-cursed bullets - aimed with the grace of a samurai's blade. This isn't just hard-core, top-notch writing. It is the stuff of life-and-death; the pulse of the streets. You will be educated, enlightened, angered, scared, empowered, and, hopefully, spurred into action. "I just open the case files and change the names," says Vachss. But he does far more than that. A good story goes miles further than a good sermon. Vachss writes great stories - the message behind the writing woven in as deeply as sinew, and will strike you just as deep. College criminology classes need to make Vachss required reading.