Cool Hand Luke: A Novel"An impressive novel . . . the most brutal and authentic account of a road gang that we have had."--New York Times Out of his experiences working on a chain gang, Donn Pearce created Cool Hand Luke, the larger-than-life war hero--Good Guy Number One--turned drunkard, vandal, and convict. A blasphemer and "pretty evil feller" who "could work the hardest, eat the mostest, and tell the biggest lies." Luke's outsized feats of gambling and gluttony--he bets Society Red, a college man from Boston, that he can eat fifty eggs--and his harrowing escapes and recaptures are recounted by Dragline, who followed Luke in his last, fatal escape attempt and who basks in Luke's reflected glory. To the convicts left behind on the chain gang, Luke has become the hope of freedom and defiance that they dare not act upon themselves. Luke's refusal to "git his mind right" and submit to the sadistic discipline of the Walking Boss becomes part of their mythology of survival. |
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Common terms and phrases
Ah mean Ah'm ain't arms Aw right banjo barechested beans began bitch Boss Godfrey Boss Kean Boss Paul Building Bull Gang bunk bush axe cage truck Camp Captain Carr chain chest Cool Hand Luke Cottontop dirt ditch Dog Boy door Drag Dragline Dragline's drink edge eggs eyes face feet fence fingers floor Floorwalker Free World fuckin gate gawd damn gonna gotta grin growled guards head hear hell inside Jackson knew Koko leaning legs lips Lloyd Jackson looked Luke's Messhall minutes morning mouth Newcocks night pants Pepsi Cola pick playing pocket poker porch pulled Rabbit Raiford rest road rolled sand shackles shoes shotgun shoulder shovel side smile Society Red squad stared stood swinging tank truck thing took tool truck trustees turned voice waiting Walking Boss watch Waterboy Wicker Yard Yeah yelling yo-yo