Woo Skin - Shop now
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$9.99 with 33 percent savings
Digital List Price: $14.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $8.16

Save: $1.96 (24%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

James Sallis
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Drive: A Novel Kindle Edition

by James Sallis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 1,218 ratings

Now a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling, this noir novel, “is full of sly humor, poetic details and plenty of rude violence . . . A terrific ride” (Los Angeles Times).
 
I drive. That's what I do. All I do.

The gritty back streets of Los Angeles are the backdrop for what the New York Times calls “a perfect piece of noir fiction” in which the Driver is double-crossed in a burglary gone horribly wrong.

This beautiful new edition introduces a noir classic to a new generation of readers, featuring added materials, including a reading group guide and author Q&A.
 
“Sallis gives us his most tightly written mystery to date, worthy of comparison to the compact, exciting oeuvre of French noir giant Jean-Patrick Manchette.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“One crisply written, spot-on scene after another . . . [A] hypnotic little story about driving circles around your life.” —Booklist, starred review
 
“[Drive] packs a wallop . . . Sallis injects so much meaning and emotion into his carefully selected words that the power of his prose exceeds its volume...For those who have not yet had to chance to read one of crime fiction's most underappreciated writers, now is the perfect opportunity.” —The Boston Globe

“Full throttle . . . Salliss riveting novella reads the way a Tarantino or Soderbergh neo-noir plays . . . Drive is one lean, mean, masterful machine.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Imagine the black heart of Jim Thompson beating in the poetic chest of James Sallis and you’ll have some idea of the beauty, sadness, and power of Drive.” —Chicago Tribune

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    137 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Poisoned Pen Press
  4. Publication date
    December 31, 2011
  5. File size
    2.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

From the Publisher

I drive. That's what I do. All I do. (image of book)

Praise from Washington Post

Praise from Entertainment Weekly

Praise from Marilyn Stasio, NYT

Praise from The Independent

Praise from Boston Globe

Praise from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. I drive. That's what I do. All I do." So declares the enigmatic Driver in this masterfully convoluted neo-noir, which ranges from the dive bars and flyblown motels of Los Angeles to seedy strip malls dotting the Arizona desert. A stunt driver for movies, Driver finds more excitement as a wheelman during robberies, but when a heist goes sour, a contract is put on his head and his survival skills burn up the pavement. Author of the popular six-novel series set in New Orleans featuring detective Lew Griffin (The Long-Legged Fly, etc.) and such stand-alone crime novels as Cypress Grove, Sallis won't disappoint fans who enjoy his usual quirky literary stylings. Reading a crime paperback, Driver covers "a few more lines till he fetched up on the word desuetude. What the hell kind of word was that?" Lines such as "Time went by, which is what time does, what it is" provide the perfect existential touch. In this short novel, expanded from his story in Dennis McMillan's monumental anthology Measures of Poison, Sallis gives us his most tightly written mystery to date, worthy of comparison to the compact, exciting oeuvre of French noir giant Jean-Patrick Manchette.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Critics agree that James Sallis, author of the Lew Griffin mystery series, "may be one of the best mystery writers that most readers have never heard of" (Knight Ridder Tribune). In Drive, he combines murder, treachery, and payback in a sinister plot resembling 1940s pulp fiction and film noir. Told through a complex, cinematic narrative that weaves back and forth through time and place, the story explores Driver’s near-existential moral foundations while revisiting its root cause: his hardscrabble, troubled childhood. Dark and gripping, Drive packs a powerful punch.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VPKRBHR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Poisoned Pen Press; Large type / large print edition (December 31, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 31, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 137 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 1,218 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
James Sallis

James Sallis

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Jim Sallis has published fourteen novels, multiple collections of short stories, essays, and poems, books of musicology, a biography of Chester Himes, and a translation of Raymond Queneau's novel Saint Glinglin. He has written about books for the L.A. Times, New York Times, and Washington Post, and for some years served as a books columnist for the Boston Globe. In 2007 he received a lifetime achievement award from Bouchercon. In addition to the feature film Drive, the six Lew Griffin books are under consideration for development as feature films and Driven is optioned to the same team as Drive. Jim teaches novel writing at Phoenix College and plays regularly with his string band, Three-Legged Dog. He stays busy.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
1,218 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this book to be a well-written novel with rich, mysterious characters and a noir feel that's worth the money. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer comparing it to driving a race car. The plot receives mixed reactions, with some finding it catchy while others note it's difficult to follow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

79 customers mention "Readability"76 positive3 negative

Customers find the book readable and enjoyable, with several mentioning they loved both the movie and the book, and one customer noting it's very well written.

"...This is a short read, less than two hundred pages, but nothing is missing. Nothing." Read more

"...I have seen the movie before I read the book. This is a good read...." Read more

"...the movie but there are enough parallels that it makes for an interesting experience of trying to discern and predict what will happen next as you..." Read more

"...Add James Sallis to the head of that class. Unsettling, disturbing, brilliant - read it." Read more

38 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive11 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as concise as haiku written with an icepick and easy to read, with one customer noting the crisp and sharp dialogue.

"...He’s cold and remorseless yet capable of compassion. The dialogue is crisp and sharp...." Read more

"...It sure feels like it is. Both strive to be minimal in terms of dialogue and superfluous backstories, and through uncompromising bloat cuts their..." Read more

"...Overall this novel is very well written and is as great as the film, possibly greater." Read more

"...He tends to miss words in sentences; for instance: Instead of, "The dog ran into the street to fetch the ball," Sallis would write, "Dog ran into..." Read more

30 customers mention "Character development"21 positive9 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them rich and mysterious, with one customer noting how memories are key to understanding them.

"...pulp crime masterpieces of McBain, Westlake, and Block; a raw and rugged little novel of a guy we know only as Driver, Hollywood stunt driver by day..." Read more

"...crime story, and a violent one at that, but it's also quite a good character study and worthy of your attention." Read more

"...The character's speech patterns actually missed words too (convenient, huh?). Ultimately Drive was a disappointment...." Read more

"...His characters are arty but hardened; isolated but part of like-minded individuals who run underground; deep thinkers who aren't afraid to threaten..." Read more

28 customers mention "Pacing"24 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, noting its dark noir vibe and moody atmosphere, with one customer highlighting how the suspense builds with each page.

"...I have to admit I fell in love with the movie. It has a unique feel to it, visibly takes inspiration from 70ties and 80ties flicks...." Read more

"...It is thoroughly visceral in its violence, moreso than the movie I would say; as where in the movie you don't quite observe the brutality of Nino's..." Read more

"Moody, dark, and atmospheric, "Drive" is the perfect refresh of the pulp crime masterpieces of McBain, Westlake, and Block; a raw and rugged little..." Read more

"I saw the film before the book, guilty as charged. The film was majestically dark, elegantly offbeat, with beautiful cinematography and it had the..." Read more

10 customers mention "Value for money"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth their time and money.

"...one at that, but it's also quite a good character study and worthy of your attention." Read more

"...All in all, this book is well worth reading and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Driven.(less)" Read more

"...(a lot of info about cars and engines) but this was definitely worth the money." Read more

"...Was in excellent shape and well worth the price." Read more

40 customers mention "Plot"26 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some finding it catchy and great, while others describe it as disjointed and difficult to follow.

"...to describe pornography but knows it when he sees it, this stylish hardboiled story has all of the attributes of the works of Cain, Chandler and..." Read more

"...Both strive to be minimal in terms of dialogue and superfluous backstories, and through uncompromising bloat cuts their authors achieved unmatched..." Read more

"...that came across to me as cliché and superfluous, the chronology of the story is confusing..." Read more

"...This is a short novel that is jammed pack full of a fantastic noir story that could hold its own against Noir greats like The Postman Always Rings..." Read more

NOT a hardcover
2 out of 5 stars
NOT a hardcover
The actual book is alright so far (I'm on page 84), if I had to rate it right now I would say it is a 7/10. However this received 2* because despite being described as a hardcover, the book I purchased is not what I paid for. It is a paperback and I will likely end up returning it.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Browntrout2
    5.0 out of 5 stars Noir at its finest.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Drive is my favorite American crime noir of the new millennium. Sometimes it’s hard to define noir from police procedurals and crime thrillers but, like the judge who said he doesn't know how to describe pornography but knows it when he sees it, this stylish hardboiled story has all of the attributes of the works of Cain, Chandler and Stark. Much like the man with no name in the spaghetti westerns or Richard Stark’s Parker, Driver’s first name or surname is never revealed yet he takes on a mystical quality. He’s a reactionary, and we can’t wait for his next reaction. He’s cold and remorseless yet capable of compassion. The dialogue is crisp and sharp. The settings and people are described so wonderfully each page becomes visual. This is a short read, less than two hundred pages, but nothing is missing. Nothing.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Łukasz
    4.0 out of 5 stars It's hard not to compare it with the film adaptation
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    In case you haven't read the book or seen the movie yet, I tried hard not to spoil anything in my review.

    I have seen the movie before I read the book. This is a good read. There are terrific ideas in there and the style rivets attention from the first page to the last. I'm not a native speaker so at times it was quite a challenge to get the meaning from the fragmentary sentences or cultural references. That might somewhat impact my view of the work.

    If the book reads like typical prose, the movie is like a poem. Says far less but tells so much more.

    It has to be said that the main character in the book is quite different from the Driver in the film adaptation. The story is as well but the divergence between the protagonists struck me most. I feel as if after reading the story I know more facts about the book's Driver but at the same time I know much less about the person inside. It was also a slight let-down to see Sallis literally call the main character "Driver" throughout the book. You'd think he would find a way to hide the hero's name without resorting to a placeholder.

    I have to admit I fell in love with the movie. It has a unique feel to it, visibly takes inspiration from 70ties and 80ties flicks. I was even caught saying it's like a modern variant of the "Taxi Driver" theme. It sure feels like it is. Both strive to be minimal in terms of dialogue and superfluous backstories, and through uncompromising bloat cuts their authors achieved unmatched Quality.

    All in all, I recommend this book if only to see how Gosling, Amini & Refn made a masterpiece out of a decent noir story.
    10 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mexicoman101
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the movie but still worth the read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I wanted to read this and just the first few words eluding to one of the better more violent scenes of the movie drew me in. The story differs from that of the movie but there are enough parallels that it makes for an interesting experience of trying to discern and predict what will happen next as you read on. I think the film made some improvements in its artistic liberties, but the book shines in several other areas. You get the impression that the author writes from an authoritative position of knowledge on cars and has done his research on the inner workings of Hollywood. 'Driver', the protagonist, doesn't present as silently here as in the film and I've heard people say that Ryan Goslings portrayal was indicative of someone with autism which does not appear to track as much in his dialogue here. Though emotionally disconnected and still something of a loner at times, he's not nearly as isolated and disinterested in social interactions in the book. You hear about his friends, you hear about his family, and you see layers of complexity in his character that don't get as fleshed out in the movie. It is thoroughly visceral in its violence, moreso than the movie I would say; as where in the movie you don't quite observe the brutality of Nino's last scene as the camera pans away this book pulls no punches and I have to respect it for that. The protagonist is presented as having more of a sense of humor, but it doesn't compromise the appearance of stoicism you see emanating from his behaviors. I wish the author would have fleshed out some of the antagonists a little more and I think some other characters are introduced and taken out of the equation too quickly, but you do get a diverse array of people not present in the film for a more than single slice of life image of the world the author is trying to build. There are some things that bothered me, it seemed a lot like there was a 'mans man' kind of tough guy talk that came across to me as cliché and superfluous, the chronology of the story is confusing (especially for someone like me who spends a lot of time reading many books rather than reading one in a steady, fast pace), and a lot of the more climactic/violent scenes are covered very suddenly and briefly without giving you much time to internalize the severity of their implications for the rest of the story. I think for me it was difficult to envision a lot of the characters and dialogue without thinking of the impression I'd already made from their portrayals in the movie, and some of their depictions just pale in comparison to how their counterparts were portrayed by actors like Bryan Cranston. I have to give it to James Sallis that he says some profound things in the narrative of the story and I don't believe I would dislike the book as much if I read it prior to watching the movie. The movie is one of my favorite films of all time and inspired me to get a job driving and wearing fingerless gloves. The book just doesn't leave that much of an impression on you to mimic or identify with the world inside of it and I can't find that reasonable to expect of a book but the juxtaposition makes it that much more laid bare. I have the sequel book, 'Driven', and I'm not exactly sure what to expect from it but I'm interested to see what he does with a story that seemed so wrapped up in the first installment. One thing you could credit to the author here in Drive is that you're satisfied with the ending and there isn't a lot of feeling of loose ends. To me I respect the author and I understand why people read this and wanted to transform it for a feature film, but I'd advise readers to take caution with their expectations.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Gary Griffiths
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fasten Your Seatbelt
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    Moody, dark, and atmospheric, "Drive" is the perfect refresh of the pulp crime masterpieces of McBain, Westlake, and Block; a raw and rugged little novel of a guy we know only as Driver, Hollywood stunt driver by day and getaway man for criminals by night. A simple tale - Driver gets set up on a robbery gone bad and plots his revenge on the mobsters who, as it turns out, have badly underestimated their mark. But here the story takes a back seat to form. For as a writer, James Sallis has serious chops. Seedy characters and shady deals twisted around lean and mean prose lurching from halting street talk to phases that turn so slick you'd think Cormac McCarthy was reinvented. And throw into this mix a nonlinear story line that hooks and jabs and keeps you off balance while building the mystique of this surrealistic little gem. Charlie Huston, Dean Swierczynski, and Victor Gischler - new masters all of contemporary noir. Add James Sallis to the head of that class. Unsettling, disturbing, brilliant - read it.
    9 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Ms. V. Lovatt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Oo, I like!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Wow. How did I miss this at the cinema? What a film!
    I realise there will be the hardcore Sallis fans who might pick holes in it because it does deviate from the book, but I definitely think it carries the same aura of menace/innocence/mystery the book conveys. Obviously the big selling point (for me anyway. Hey call me shallow- I don't care!) is the delectable Ryan Gosling, who I didn't take too much notice of before, but now I'm on the look-out for other films with him in....Well, he's great in it- I really don't know who could play Driver now he's nailed the role. Carey Mulligan is pretty good as the neighbour who falls under Driver's wing, she definitely under-plays it, no typical female Hollywood hysterics from her thank God. Even though you don't take too much notice of her son, you immediately see them, mother and young child as an automatic pairing...Driver is there to watch over them both, not just the mother in an attempt to get in her knickers. Driver's motivation for the protectiveness over the two isn't completely explained, but it dosn't need to be. I think this part of the plot is somehow best left unsaid- furthering Drivers lack of identification. He even befriends irene's ex-con husband when he returns from prison, there's no lovers jealousy causing tension here. He even helps Standard in the heist, this being the main pivot point in the film.
    Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks don't initially appear as Driver's enemies (you find that out when he does), but the two (again, an automatic pairing..was this done to deliberately to further isolate Driver?)have a air of malice to such a degree that you become nervous for Driver even during his first conversations with the two.

    The soundtrack is absolute tops, it doesn't force or exaggerate the direction of the film, in fact sometimes it does pretty much the opposite, so kudos to Cliff Martinez for that. The scene where "Under Your Spell" by Divine plays is beautiful in its simplicity, as is the lift scene as it shifts from protection to romance to violence in a heart-beat. Although you see Driver committing acts of terrible violence, he stills has this air of innocence and mystery about him...you do feel he's justified (although he's certainly not doing it for justice) in his actions.
    All said, its a must-see! (and I must see it, at least once a fortnight. Thank gawd for dvd's!)
    Report
  • あっちゃん
    3.0 out of 5 stars ちょっと難しい。
    Reviewed in Japan on January 14, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    乾いた文体のスタイリッシュな小説。主人公のDriverはニヒルでカッコイイです。ただ、ネイティブではないワタクシ（日本人）には原書で読むのはやや辛かった。phrasal verbや主語のドロップが多いため、意味を間違わない様に注意深く読むのに神経を使いました。翻訳版も出ているので、日本語で読んでから原書に戻れば、文章のニュアンスを楽しむ余裕があったかも知れません。
    Report
  • Wen M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in Australia on May 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I have read many of James Sallis novels and enjoy every one of them.
    'Drive' did not disappoint and am looking forward to reading 'Driven.'
    Report
  • Charles
    5.0 out of 5 stars Je n'ai pas vu le film...
    Reviewed in France on January 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Mais je viens de lire le livre en Anglais (Américain). J'avais adoré la "Turner trilogy", plutôt difficile, mais Sallis est un auteur surprenant, qui colle à son sujet. Ici les phrases sont courtes, le rythme nerveux, tout va si vite... Fabuleux.
    Report
  • Moreno Z.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Drive
    Reviewed in Italy on February 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Prima mia esperienza con un libro in inglese, lettura per niente pesante (letto in un paio di settimane ad un ritmo di due/tre di capitoli al giorno).
    Consigliato ai fan del film di Winding Refn, approfondisce il personaggio di Driver e presenta cambiamenti rispetto al suddetto.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report