≫ [PDF] Shaft Bloomsbury Film Classics Ernest Tidyman 9780747537779 Books

Shaft Bloomsbury Film Classics Ernest Tidyman 9780747537779 Books

Download As PDF : Shaft Bloomsbury Film Classics Ernest Tidyman 9780747537779 Books

Shaft Bloomsbury Film Classics Ernest Tidyman 9780747537779 Books

Pretty solid, if you care enough to know were Shaft as a character, mean, determined, angry, cool, takes nonsense from no one, but like most pulp fiction, it's pretty forgettable, I would like to see a reprint of the whole series.


Tags : Shaft (Bloomsbury Film Classics) [Ernest Tidyman] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The novelisation of the 70's film in which the leather-jacketed hero, Shaft, fights his way, pistol in hand,Ernest Tidyman,Shaft (Bloomsbury Film Classics),Trafalgar Square,0747537771,CinemaFilm: Book

Shaft Bloomsbury Film Classics Ernest Tidyman 9780747537779 Books Reviews

Takes a bit to get going, but its easy to see why Shaft became an iconic cultural character from this intense thriller. As created by Ernest Tidyman, John Shaft is a complex, yet morally righteous figure. By the end of the book, you want to follow this guy to the ends of the Earth.
I approached this novel after viewings of the 1971 film. I still was lost, as Ernest Tidyman's writing - for this novel, at least - goes in and out of inner monologues without any notification who is actually doing the monologue. Also, the plot isn't really clear Shaft is supposed to find the daughter of a Harlem mobster (here named Knocks Parsons, differing from his movie counterpart in name and physical stature) but there is also the matter of gangland wars occurring, and black revolutionaries being involved in the matter. It seems like Italian mobsters want Harlem and have kidnapped Knock's daughter to blackmail him into handing over his turf and they are doing this by framing or inciting war with black revolutionaries, and eventually Shaft asks Buford and Knocks to create a riot in a predominantly white neighborhood in order to save the daughter. It's confusing. Too, I think the movie was more credible in handling the daughter's rescue, since it is a straight-forward rescue.

Shaft seems to be impulsive in this novel, and not a clear thinker. For example, he kills a mobster in cold blood who is supposedly leading him to the kidnapped girl. However, based on the described circumstances, Shaft doesn't know what is behind the door at the location the mobster led him to, and killing said mobster seems to kill his lead to the girl.

As for the love interests, there are two Shaft girls in this novel Ellie and Valerie. Ellie is arguably Caucasian here in the novel based on the description of blue-grey eyes and pale, white flesh, but "black" in the film; of course, she could be biracial, but Tidyman doesn't give any evidence of this. Valerie is a girl Shaft meets at his usual hangout, the No Name Bar; in the film she was named "Linda," I believe.

Overall, a passable introduction to the John Shaft character, but there are stronger books featuring the character that followed.
I picked this up after watching the 2000 remake of "Shaft" starring Samuel L. Jackson. I had been meaning to see if there were any books as the basis for the 'Shaft' stories, and the 2000 movie reminded me to resume the search. The 1971 movie with Richard Roundtree was an event, but I had a hard time following the story. Fortunately, this first book - in what turns out to be a series of seven - is the basis for the 1971 movie which follows the story almost as closely as Tinseltown ever can.

In this book, Shaft leaves his girlfriend's and starts out his day as a (very cool) private eye, but realizes the streets seem different - not safe, actually - and he's right. Right on, you might say. Seems the police are looking for him, and a gangster has all his minions looking for him, and none of them are going to be asking questions politely. Shaft is hot (yet still cooler than anyone else on earth).

As the day matures in an unpleasant way, we discover that the gangster's beloved yet wayward daughter has been kidnapped for an (as yet) unknown reason, and he wants Shaft's help getting her back. Shaft wants the help of the local Black Power leader who has his ear to the ground, but that will involve enduring no end of righteous attitude (now I know why the movie was confusing). Meanwhile, the motive of the kidnapping is concerning the local police, since 1970 race relations are such a tinder box. And Shaft has to work with all sides, even the Italian mafia, to make this come together ... and stay alive.

Shaft has double the attitude (and the book double the pages) of Mike Hammer or James Bond, and replaces secret agent savoir fair with superhuman street smarts. Similar to the movie, you have to follow the plot carefully - Tidyman makes no effort to hold your hand. But I can see why it became a movie, with its 1970 frankness, open acknowledgement of racial differences, contemporary language, hyper manliness, and edgy plot.

As a side note, I still remember the Isaac Hayes performance of the theme song on the Academy Award show. I was not even in my teens, but that music was riveting - and MADE Shaft. I don't know if I would have seen the character the same way without that theme song. Amazing.
fast delivery and great book a must read
Awesome. Book!
It's John Shaft, man. What do you think this book is like?
To anyone who likes the hard boiled detective stories, pick this up. I was surprised to find out that Shaft was a book character before he became a movie star. This series reads much like a black version of Mike Hammer. Very cool!
Pretty solid, if you care enough to know were Shaft as a character, mean, determined, angry, cool, takes nonsense from no one, but like most pulp fiction, it's pretty forgettable, I would like to see a reprint of the whole series.