They Made a Movie of THIS?

I've read a half dozen or more Donald Westlake novels (some of which can be found here), and I have to say that I'm the least impressed by this one, Why Me (see here). So unimpressed in fact that yesterday's discovery that they had made a movie of it is not just surprising, it's utterly shocking.

Although funny and light and witty in the manner of Catch 22 and so many of Donald Westlake's other novels this one had absolutely no depth. It was one note. There was one plot and the story followed that plot along doggedly and without much verve or imagination.

There was one Donald Westlake I read (it was from the library which means I didn't blog about it, so I can't type "here") where he had a try and salvage a treasure from the bottom of a lake in upstate New York. Drowned Hopes (see here). That one was movie worthy. There was another one where he had to try and steal a jewel from a guy's house and the guy wanted him to do it. The Hot Rock (here). That was worth making a movie about. There was another where Dortmunder had to pretend to be a chauffeur in order to get to a painting. The Road to Ruin (here). That was worth a movie. This one was not.

Don't get me wrong, it was good. Like I said in my previous post (here) it is a good Donald Westlake novel. This one was just not as good as so many of the others.