A Catskill Eagle

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Spenser's girlfriend Susan goes away with another man, Jerry Costigan, the son of a very rich and dangerous criminal. Spenser and his friend, Hawk, go to find Susan. Soon they are in the world of the CIA, guns and murder.©1986 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House

Classic Parker, Epic Tale

Where does A Catskill Eagle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have read this book several times over the years and it was a pleasure to hear it read out loud.

What other book might you compare A Catskill Eagle to and why?

This book, and Looking For Rachal Wallace are two of Parker's best.

Which character – as performed by Michael Prichard – was your favorite?

Spenser

Bizarre story, well told

What made the experience of listening to A Catskill Eagle the most enjoyable?

This is where the series starts to get weird, and it's hard to disassociate it from the personal life of the author, if you have any knowledge of that. The good: this is some of the best pure action you're likely to get in a Spenser novel. It hits the ground running and doesn't stop. Hawk and Spenser genuinely feel like they are thinking through incredible odds to triumph in ways that at least seem plausible. "Grounded" is the hollywood term. It's when you get to Spenser and Susan when things take a turn for the weird. Spenser is forced to do a lot of morally questionable things in order to extricate Susan from a situation which by her own admission is of her own making. I'm not sure if it's a fault of the plot or the point, but Susan chooses a man that any reasonably sane woman would steer clear of. When Spenser and Susan finally get to talk about her choices and the events of the story, including those terrible things Spenser was forced to do to save her, the entirety of the conversation is about her problems and how her choices made sense TO HER, as if that is all that matters. And Spenser's acceptance of this interpretation takes me out of the story. There is no question in my mind that Susan's choices would only be made by a profoundly damaged person and the lack of attention to the collateral damage caused by these choices...well, I have to attribute it to an author who has lost his way in his own life, because no other character objects (Paul would seem to be an ideal choice for a dissenting opinion). It makes for a strange and off-putting reading experience. On some level Parker must have agreed because these question will all be addressed in Potshot (I believe) when Spenser finally takes Susan to task for what she puts him through in this book. But really, it needed to be in this novel. Spenser comes off, to some extent, as a lovelorn dope for whom anything is excusable, no matter how morally repugnant, in his quest. Susan comes off as a sociopath who cares for nothing but her own personal development. It's the nightmare of psychiatry and self help gone awry come true.
Ironically when these issues are finally addressed in Potshot, it gives that book a moral and emotional center that is missing in this entry.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert B. Parker? Why or why not?

And yet... everything else about this book is just so good that I am forced to ignore this so I can enjoy the action.

Great book

Wow. From the first pages I was wondering "How is Spenser going to get out of this one?" I really enjoyed it. And of course Prichard is great.

One of the better ones

Quite witty. Pretty good story. Lots of action. This one is longer than most, and most are a bit short for the price.

The Basic Premise was Bad & Couldn't be Overcome

What disappointed you about A Catskill Eagle?

None of the behaviors of Spenser or Susan made any sense based on the development of said characters in other books by the author. For example: Susan says something like "He is a violent man but would never be violent to me." It just doesn't sound like something the character, a future shrink, should say.

Would you recommend A Catskill Eagle to your friends? Why or why not?

Only buy if it's on sale really cheap.

How could the performance have been better?

A bit less monotone melodrama would be nice.

What character would you cut from A Catskill Eagle?

Susan could be cut from this one and Spenser and Hawk could chase bad guys and it would be better.

Best so far!

Kind of an all star book. Everyone gets into the action and it finishes the on again off again arch of Spenser and Susan. Great read!

Outlandish Events in the Name of Love

Susan Silverman who ran away to San Francisco calls Spenser in need of rescue. Like a Saint Bernard he hurries to her rescue; Hawk comes along it seems that he too inexplicably would do anything for Susan Silverman. They go along to various places together killing people and garnering charges. They rescue Susan; who having grown tired of her fling with Jerry Costigan is prepared to return to Boston and to Spenser. He seems to be quite willing to accept her; no questions asked. Because according to Parker there is no other woman in the world likes the shoe shopping clothes horse, girl of Spenser's dreams. Hawk of course loves her too; enough to risk his life and freedom for her. Once he has Susan back there is still the little matter of the law breaking spree that Spenser and Hawk have gone on. The U S government decides that it can all go away if they will just kill Costigan's father; an arms supplier connected with the defense industry because they are the scourge of the U S government.. Naturally Spenser and Hawk decide that murder is the way to go. After all it's all worth it if Susan has returned to Spenser. For whatever reason it's worth to him as well. Spenser is back with Susan; all is well with the world.

Riviting

What made the experience of listening to A Catskill Eagle the most enjoyable?

Once again, Spencer is off with Hawkk to accomplish the impossibe. This riviting tail read by famed narrator, Michael Prichard carries the listener along on the adventure. Great listen!

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Catskill Eagle?

Rescue of Susan Silverman

Which character – as performed by Michael Prichard – was your favorite?

Hawk

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. I listened while I exercise and I had to walk an extra 5 miles to finish

A mixed experience

Too much cold blooded pursuing and killing. Some familiar knightly honor and courage and steadfast love, and some humor. The relationship between Spenser and Susan is complicated and interesting, but I have heard that Parker said he made Susan annoying, and while I sympathize with her confusions, find it unclear why every male loves her so much. The narrator is quite good even if he tends to drop the endings of his sentences. Nonetheless, I enjoy the writing and the characters.

Performance ruins this interesting tale

If you could sum up A Catskill Eagle in three words, what would they be?

I have always wondered about Spenser's back story,so I was happy to find this story. The funny thing is I liked this guys voice, but he can't do this kind of thing.