I’ve only read one novel of his, Cuba Libre. It was pretty hard to put down. After reading this, I could see how Leonard’s material was easier to adapt to film or TV unlike his contemporaries James Ellroy or Carl Hiassen; I’ve never read Walter Mosely (yet). He had somewhat of a renaissance in the Nineties with Jackie Brown (originally the novel Rum Punch, modified by the king of cut n’ pasting other films, QT), Out of Sight (Jennifer Lopez’s only role that didn’t make me want to wretch) and Get Shorty.
Cuba was also a return to form for him in many ways. After writing mostly contemporary stories involving criminals with a heart of gold (Chili Palmer, Jack Foley), the plot and characters were a return to his roots…Westerns.
As the years go by, I hope Elmore Leonard gets added to the cannon of American literature for high school and college students alike. He does belong amongst the revered ranks with Mark Twain and Ernest Hemmingway.