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I highly recommend this book. Mar 09, Elizabeth A. Ishmael Toffee is not a nice man. He just ran out of steam for killing. Not wanting him to become a victim himsel Ishmael Toffee is not a nice man. Not wanting him to become a victim himself the warden isolates Ishmael, putting him to work in the prison gardens, a place where much to his surprise Ishmael finds he has another natural calling.
She also begins confiding in him, eventually revealing through play acting with her dolls that her father is raping her. And now Ishmael must decide: Roger Smith is unquestionably one of the most bold, powerful authors currently writing fiction. Roger Smith gives Ishmael a heartbreakingly difficult path to walk as he strives to find that peace, and challenges readers to walk that path with Ishmael Toffee in this hard-hitting, gut punch of a novella. Mar 01, Gareth Price rated it it was amazing. Ishmael Toffee, out of prison and apparently rehabilitated after losing his taste for blood on the inside, is given the chance to follow his new found passion for gardening by working for lawyer John Goddard.
All is not well in the Goodard house, though, and Ishmael is soon caught up in the plight of Goddards' six-year-old daughter, Cindy. Cindy is being sexually abused by her Father, her Mother committed suicide after finding out and the Goddards' maid is using the knowledge to blackmail Goddar Ishmael Toffee, out of prison and apparently rehabilitated after losing his taste for blood on the inside, is given the chance to follow his new found passion for gardening by working for lawyer John Goddard.
Cindy is being sexually abused by her Father, her Mother committed suicide after finding out and the Goddards' maid is using the knowledge to blackmail Goddard. Ishmael reluctantly befriends Cindy and quickly ends up being her only hope for survival. This novella was astonishing. Roger Smith really draws you in with his portrayal of a very, very bad man trying to go straight. Ishmael doesn't know how many people, men or women, he has killed as a street gang assasin, isn't sure whether he should help Cindy or stay away from trouble and is so vividly brought to life that he will have you rooting for him, not matter what, by the end of the book.
An old and familiar storyline is given fresh life aided by believable, real characters and Smith drops you into his Cape Town settings so hard that you feel battered and bruised by the end.
Vivid, brutal and heartbreaking, Ishmael Toffee will stay with me for a very, very long time. Jan 31, Esme rated it it was amazing Shelves: Die Mutter nahm sich, als sie dies herausfand, das Leben. Diese Novella ist Noir. Der Stil spiegelt das wider, trifft das Idiom von Ismael Toffee punktgenau, auf Artikel wird meistens verzichtet.
Im Anschluss folgt die Kurzgeschichte Falling, ebenso pessimistisch und kompromisslos geht es darin um Porno und tik. Jun 30, Ross Cumming rated it really liked it. Smith has been described as the South African Elmore Leonard and I think this is who his writing reminds me of most. This is just a novella length story of reformed gangster turned gardener Ishmael Toffee who befriends the young white daughter of the employer who he goes to work for.
She confides in him that she is being sexually abused by her father and Ishmael is faced with the dilemma of either having to walk away or take matters into his own hands. Smith as usual paints a vivid picture of mo Smith has been described as the South African Elmore Leonard and I think this is who his writing reminds me of most. Smith as usual paints a vivid picture of modern day Cape Town and the disparity that exists between rich and poor and also the racism that still exists in the country.
Not only between black and white but between all the various ethnic groups. There is also the added bonus of an additional short story tagged on at the end of the book which tells the story of a 'down on his luck' cameraman Ford and his meeting with a porn star from his most recent assignment.
Feb 16, Meghan rated it really liked it. I was very impressed with this book. The description and the action kept me going through the whole book and, before I knew it, I realized I'd been sitting there for quite some time and had finished the story. What a despicable father, but what a great man Ishmael was, no matter what he had done in the past, for not only standing up for this child, a stranger, but for protecting her at all costs.
My only problem - I wish it had gone longer because I want to know what happened to the daughter and I was very impressed with this book. My only problem - I wish it had gone longer because I want to know what happened to the daughter and if this all came out after the end. I do have to say that I started to read the short story that is at the end of the Kindle edition and couldn't get past the first chapter.
How sad that someone could write a novella as good as this and then start a short story off in such a disgusting way. Not my kind of book at all. Mar 28, Layla rated it it was ok. I feel bad just giving the book two stars since I bought it because all the reviews on Amazon raved about it. I always feel weird going counter to the raves because I feel as if I were the deficient one, i. It was certainly an interesting concept, set in a location South Africa that I'd never read about and had no clue of, but something about it left me dancing on the fence between a Two and Three star rating Maybe it was th I feel bad just giving the book two stars since I bought it because all the reviews on Amazon raved about it.
Maybe it was the narrative voice, or the structure, or the sometimes excessive descriptions i. Leaves poured out like cake batter, etc. Without giving away any spoilers, the narrative voice of Cindy was much more interesting in my view and I almost wish the entire tale had been told solely from her point of view. It's a ok book May 31, C. Raggio rated it it was amazing.
Roger Smith is a genius!! This is the second book I've read by him and it didn't disappoint. Ishmael Toffee is a novella, so it's a quick read, set in the slums of Cape Town. From his opening paragraph I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I finished it. Solid writing and a clean flow made it easy for my eyes to dart across the page in my rush to find out what would happen next. I'm not a fan of spoilers so all I'll say is Ishmael Toffee is not a good man. Cue Cindy, a trou Roger Smith is a genius!!
Cue Cindy, a troubled little rich girl, and things get a bit more complicated for this felon. You won't be able to help but cheer for Ishmael in the hopes he'll do the right thing. But can a convict as brutal as him help anybody but himself? You need to read this book and find out!! Roger Smith has a new die-hard fan!!! Mar 17, Dana rated it it was amazing. There are good authors and then there are great authors.
Good authors can write volumes. Great authors can tell you volumes with very few words. Roger Smith is a great author and I would highly recommend any of his books. How many chapters would it take to tell the terrors a young girl is feeling when being abused after the death of her mother? How many paragraphs to make you feel her innocent view of life?
Roger Smith does this with four words in Ishmael Toffee and it is a classic example of how There are good authors and then there are great authors. Roger Smith does this with four words in Ishmael Toffee and it is a classic example of how a great author can use words. Ishmael Toffee or "Dust Devils" would both be a good start, but be aware that after reading either one you will be looking for more from Roger Smith.
Sep 01, Paul rated it liked it Recommends it for: Readers of Grit Lit, Contemporary Noir. This novella is an excellent introduction to the gritty writing of Roger Smith. Ishmael Toffee was a killer for a black gang, a hired hand in Tin Town, a shanty town in South Africa. As this story opens, Toffee is paroled from prison after serving 20 years to work as a gardener for a white lawyer, who has a 6 year old daughter. The little girl tells Ishmael her Father is abusing her sexually. Ishmael knows he should walk away, but he can't. He must save this little white girl.
At the end of this n This novella is an excellent introduction to the gritty writing of Roger Smith. At the end of this novella, is a short story called 'Fallen'. Apparently Roger Smith doesn't DO nice. Aug 18, Rob Kitchin rated it it was amazing. The plot is quite linear and has a certain inevitability of outcome, but that matters little. Smith writes with a visceral urgency, every sentence propelling the story forward.
The story immediately hooks the reader in and drags them on an emotive ride as Ishmael, with his bloody, remorseless past, is re-cast as an anti-hero, who for the first time in his life is looking out for more than just himself. The characterisation and contextualisation is excellent and the story harrowing but compelling. Overall, a quick but gripping read. May 25, Lenore Kosinski rated it it was ok Shelves: OK, well this is probably more a personal thing.
When I saw it on my Pixel of Ink newsletter, it sounded intriguing, but also outside what I normally read and enjoy. I decided to give it a go. But it just wasn't for me. Too graphic, and in some ways detailed I'm a pretty sensitive person, and it was just too hard to read this. I was glad that Toffee was doing the right thing, but other than not wanting to do it anymore, he really didn't seem too remorseful about the raping and murdering.
So ye OK, well this is probably more a personal thing. So yeah, just not for me. Feb 02, Robert Cohen rated it it was amazing. You can read what this story is about elsewhere. What you need to hear from me is that this novella is shocking, crude, and terrifying.
But it is gripping.
I was taken off guard so quickly by where the plot goes that by the time I realized I was sickened, I could not put it down and I simply had to know how it would end. If you are in the mood for a q You can read what this story is about elsewhere.
If you are in the mood for a quick read that will prevent you from sleeping that night, go for it. Aug 07, Claudia rated it really liked it. If you look close enough you will often find something positive in the worst people. Even Hitler was loved by Eva Braun.
Ishmael Toffee is the kind of guy that makes you shudder and feel thankful you will never cross his path, and yet he is loved by a little girl who lives with a monster. She recognizes Toffee as the person who could save her. I loved this small book. It made me remember that everyone deserves a second look. Heroes are found in unlikely places and the instincts of children shoul If you look close enough you will often find something positive in the worst people. Heroes are found in unlikely places and the instincts of children should be trusted far more often.
Very up close and raw portrait of two people who couldn't be more different from one another.
I found it to be a tad melodramatic, but with such a difficult subject, I can understand difficulty to keep a narrative straight. Not that one is definitively better than the other, they are just very different. Jul 26, Marietta rated it it was amazing. Ishmael,a harden criminal is given a second chance in society. An unwilling Ishmael becomes her confidant and protector. The reader is taken on a thrilling ride of survival and the quest for justice with Roger Smith at the wheel. This is a MUST read! You won't be disappointed. Nov 20, TNae Wilcox rated it it was amazing.
I downloaded the novella because I liked the blurb Man on Fire is one of my favorite movies. When I started it, I was immediately drawn into Ishmael's character and the style of writing. I think what I loved more than the plot was the way the author writes his descriptions. He forces you to see what he sees Der Lachs war erstklassig. Bei Responsive Web- design geht Onkel John war einer der Wenigen die mich zum Lachen bringen konnten. Nadine Moonje Pleil, Toffee a terrific treat and homemade gift idea for My mother, Marilyn, has been making this toffee for the past plus years, and it is a wonderful combination of crunchy, chocolatey, buttery goodness.
Spoon the mixture into the dish, over the toffee sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the grill on to a moderate heat. Make holes in the cake with a knife — just large We want our Toffee Deluxe back! Quality Street customers launch It says customers felt there were too many toffees in the tin - so the chocolate-covered toffee in a brown wrapper was dropped. Some chocolate lovers claimed Quality Street bins the Toffee Deluxe Quality Street is replacing the Toffee Deluxe in its tins of sweets, changing Christmas forever.
The brown-wrappered toffee is being replaced by a new choice, Bring to boil over high heat, swirling pan occasionally until toffee is rich golden