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Review by Robert Fleming
Easy Rawlins is back in Gone Fishin', the prequel of Walter Mosley's acclaimed mystery series, which takes a close look at the personal and cultural forces leading to the young black man's departure from his hometown, Pariah, Texas, and enlistment in the army during World War II. In this new novel, Mosley explores the emotional chemistry that binds together two very different personalities, Easy and his occasionally violent sidekick, Raymond "Mouse" Alexander.
Once again, Mouse convinces Easy to join him in an almost surreal set of madcap adventures, this time in the rugged Texas backwoods. Both young men, in their late teens, are on the brink of manhood, questioning their next move away from their homes into an uncertain world shattered by the early rumblings of World War II. Mouse, engaged to his sweetheart, Ettamae, is broke with no job prospects. He intends to collect his portion of his late mother's estate to finance the start of his new life with his bride, but the quest will not be a simple one with a hardhearted stepfather and the memory of a troubled childhood.
As a storyteller, Mosley never fails to please. The journey in the 1936 Ford to reclaim the lost inheritance has many stops filled with scenes and characters that remain with the reader long after the page is turned. All through this early work, the author's sure touch with characterization is evident, even in his depiction of the book's supporting cast. Mosley takes us to the exotic but disturbing lair of Momma Jo, a witch with a huge appetite for men and elixirs for every occasion. Ernestine and Clifton, a young couple on the run from the law, are especially noteworthy, as is Dom, an emotionally challenged dullard who collects dolls as objects to vent his rage upon. Miss Dixon, a widower with a large house full of old furniture and musical instruments, affirms the Mosley magic in etching precise yet sensitive human portraits.
A constant element in all the Easy Rawlins books has been the author's ability to build tension and suspense in a scene simply and quickly. The confrontation scenes between Mouse and his dreaded stepfather, Reese, are chilling and revealing in their unraveling of the true nature of Easy's volatile friend. And there is humor as well, lots of it. Scenes such as Mouse's fishing outing with the gun are masterful and hilarious.
Gone Fishin' provides Mosley fans with an early look at the development of Easy as a young teen coming of age in a poor Texas town and the influence of those years on the character of the mature man seen in the five previous Rawlins novels. The author allowed Black Classic Press, a small African American publishing house, to add this book to its growing list as a way of showing his support for minority publishers. While this book may not be as strong in some ways as the later works, it is a rich, vital, and flavorful addition to the Mosley literary legacy.
Robert Fleming is a freelance writer in New York City.
©1996, ProMotion, inc.