The Goldseekers (Stark House Adventure Classic) - Vintage Treasure Hunting Novel for Adults & Teens - Perfect for Camping Trips & Adventure Book Clubs

A straightforward adventure novel portraying three young men of Portland OR seduced into venturing to Alaska just in time for the Gold Rush. I like the author's clear narrative strategies: chronological, unforced, shifting perspective subtly. The three friends are well-sketched, and their adventures, though drearier than they expected, are well-told, too. Burnett wrote more than a dozen novels, mostly on the hard-boiled side. This isn't a crime story per se, but has the cinematic quality the author honed writing screenplays (leading to The Great Escape). For his best work, his first: Little Caesar; or The Asphalt Jungle, or High Sierra, or It's Always Two O'Clock. But this book has pleasures, and passes quickly. Recommended, though it's not deep or as dark as a similar book would be, coming out today.