Smith, Scott: A Simple Plan

Vintage © 1993, 416 pages [amazon]

It's a simple premise. What would happen if three men--two brothers and a friend--should stumble on a bag full of money in the woods? Stolen money, you'd have to assume, millions of dollars in non-sequential, hundred-dollar bills--enough that somebody, somewhere, has to be looking for it. Should they keep the cash? Use it to escape from their one-traffic-light town? Call the police? Scott Smith immerses his characters in this moral dilemma of a situation and lets us watch as the ostensibly reasonable plan they agree on leads inevitably, inexorably, to a string of tragic consequences.

[INSET TEXT: Scott Smith immerses his characters in this moral dilemma of a situation and lets us watch as the ostensibly reasonable plan they agree on leads inevitably, inexorably, to a string of tragic consequences.] Smith makes it look easy. In this book as well as in his second novel, The Ruins (see my review), he puts people in a trying situation and records what happens to their characters as they respond to events. The plot of the novel arises naturally from their actions, which follow naturally from the initial set-up. Writing such a book oneself almost seems possible, but of course the simplicity of the story is only apparent.

A Simple Plan is a perfect suspense novel. Smith's protagonist, Hank Mitchell--from whose perspective the story is told--is forever in danger of being found out. The bag of stolen money, stashed precariously under his bed, nearly throbs in the story, Tell-Tale-Heart-like, constantly in our minds as a source of potential trouble for him. Incredibly, Hank remains entirely sympathetic throughout the story. He may do some bad things, but he's still a normal guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His responses, if regrettable, make perfect sense given man's natural urge for self-preservation. Readers may insist that they would act otherwise, but Smith makes a good case for the argument that Hank really never has much of a choice.

There is only the one choice: should they keep the money, or call the police?

Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Tags: A Simple Plan, book reviews, books, Scott Smith

Comments

[pixites]

are you not aware of the movie? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120324/

[Debra Hamel]

Actually, I just rented it from Netflix! I may watch it this afternoon. Have you seen it?

[David]

The movie is GREAT; one of my all-time favorites.

[Kimmy]

This does sound rather intriguing. I'll have to give it a read. Thanks!

[Debra Hamel]

Wow. I'm really looking forward to the movie now. David, if you actually read, you can see that you would enjoy this. I kept thinking that this is the sort of plot that would have attracted Hitchcock.

Interestingly, as with Smith's other book, it also kept making me think of Patricia Highsmith, who excelled at building tension from seemingly innocuous circumstances. This connection is interesting, too, because she wrote Strangers on a Train, which of course Hitchcock made into a movie (twice, I think).

[Kimmy]

Now I'm really intrigued. When you go dropping names like Hitchcock & Highsmith, I become very interested!

Also, Hitch only did Strangers on a Train once to my knowledge. He did The Man Who Knew Too Much twice though.

[Debra Hamel]

Hmmm. Maybe I'm thinking of The Lady Vansihes (which she did on a train, I believe) being made twice. Haven't looked this up, I'm just thinking.

[Kimmy]

Yes, she did indeed vanish on a train, and there was a remake, but it was not directed by Hitchcock. I haven't seen it, but I can't imagine it being good. I've never seen a decent Hitchcock remake.

[Debra Hamel]

Though I must say Disturbia was quite good. Not a remake per se but an adaptation.

[Kimmy]

Is that the one similar to Rear Window? I haven't seen it. You recommend it then?

[Debra Hamel]

I enjoyed it. I don't watch enough movies to feel very confident of my critical faculties in that department, but I liked it.

[Debra Hamel]

Okay, I finally saw the movie last night, and blogged about it here: http://www.the-deblog.com/2007/09/a-simple-plan-t.html

[Heather (errantdreams)]

An old premise, but a powerful one with plenty to be explored. Sounds like compelling reading!

[Jody Tresidder]

I've just finished Scott Smith's latest effort "The Ruins" - it left me doubting it was by the same author (it was). It's a bloated, turgid, sub-Stephen King doorstop about a group of tedious tourists stuck in a man-eating jungle (groan!). The main problem was not believing a word - it's a very strange departure from everything I enjoyed about "A Simple Plan". (I've just checked reviews for "The Ruins" - oh dear. People seem to like it. I am baffled...!)

[Debra Hamel]

Oh, I liked The Ruins. It's true that you have to suspend disbelief to get past the premise, but I didn't have a problem with that. And in fact reading A Simple Plan I was surprised at how similar the two books were. Really, it was just a question of watching people unravel in a difficult situation. It's just the situation that changed.