The Night and the Music

The Matthew Scudder Short Story Collection

By: Lawrence Block

Narrated by: Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block's 17 Matthew Scudder novels have won the hearts of readers throughout the world - along with a bevy of awards including the Edgar, the Shamus, the Philip Marlowe (Germany), and the Maltese Falcon (Japan). But Scudder has starred in short fiction as well, and it's all here, from a pair of late-'70s novelettes ("Out the Window" and "A Candle for the Bag Lady") through "By the Dawn's Early Light" (Edgar) and "The Merciful Angel of Death" (Shamus), all the way to "One Last Night at Grogan's", a moving and elegiac story never before published. Some of these stories appeared in such magazines as Alfred Hitchcock, Ellery Queen, and Playboy.

The title vignette, "The Night and the Music", was written for a NYC jazz festival program; another, "Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen", has appeared only as the text of a limited-edition broadside. Several stories look back from the time of their writing, with Scudder recounting events from his former life as a cop, first as a patrolman partnered with the legendary Vince Mahaffey, then as an NYPD detective leading a double life. Along with these eleven stories and novelettes, The Night and The Music includes a list of the seventeen novels in chronological order, and an author's note detailing the origin and bibliographical details of each of the stories.

Brian Koppelman, the prominent screenwriter and director (Solitary Man, Ocean's Thirteen, Rounders) and a major Matt Scudder fan, has sweetened the pot with an introduction.

©2011 Lawrence Block (P)2012 AudioGo

YES! The Night and the Music--LB @His Best!

Lawrence Block at His Best--personally storytelling Matthew Scudder's early days and anecdotal shorts! Period pieces beautifully told by himself.
I highly recommend this so cool collection of Matt Scudder short
stories!!!

loved it

Lawrence Block may like to hear himself talk, but so do I.
Love this collection.

Is this Matt Scudder's last episode ??

The book is collection of Matt Scudder's short stories that most deal with the early years of Matt as a detective. They are witty, engaging and fun to read with a melancholic twist for the reader that knows that this may be the last book of one of the most compelling detective series . We shall miss you , Matt Scudder !!!

Enjoyable short stories

I enjoyed the stories and the narrator's grizzled vioced reading, perfect for style of writing.

Net was f’ed New York, there was Detective Scudder.

I started in the middle of the series. I double related to Matthew (pronounced Matt Thiew). I noted this pronunciation because the Author, Lawrence block narrated the story. It was the first time I heard his voice, because I read and beca hooked on all the other Scudder. So, he’s been my friend and flawed hero since.
This should tell you how biased this review is and not to trust it. Simultaneously, I’ve had Block’s how-to-write in my ears all weekend. Block taught me how to write in the 90s by example and I won a modest songwriting award with his help and author’s voice influenced my style of storytelling.
This series is also a tour of New York City, as the crimes and mysteries got solved. I decided songs could and should serve as both. Laycon, equipped le conic wit is not something google possesses, but I learned it from Lawrence block and Matt Scutter. I didn’t know what it was before Matt Scutter came along, and I figured it out on my own so I will let you figure it out also. That’s all I have to say about this book. Yea, it’s great.

Short Stories - Some Good; Some Not

What made the experience of listening to The Night and the Music the most enjoyable?

Some new Matt Scudder stories,and some are new. I had read or heard most of the stories but really enjoyed the new ones. The span Matt's career/life from the time he was married to his first wife on.

Any additional comments?

Why did Larry decided to read this himself? He once said that he wouldn't do it again.

Stories are clever if you can get past his voice.

As clever an author as Block is, his narration leaves much to be desired. If you can stand his reading, some of the stories are worthwhile. This is a case where I'd recommend reading them instead.

Leftovers

I have read a lot of Lawrence Blocks books and liked many and even loved a few. This is a collection of left over story ideas that essentially go no where. The stories are primarily focused on gays, aids, lovers spats… the mundane reflections of an aged queen. There is nothing hard boil here.
To make matters worse they are read by the author whose voice does not even remotely embody the character that his mind created.

No enthusiasm

The short stories of murder were of no exhilaration the racism and usage of derogatory language was a complete turn off in the Batman, Lawrence Block is on my black list