I'm reading a book right now--a highly praised debut novel--that just isn't doing it for me. Here's my problem: The author is trying too hard to make his text sound "street." In other words, he's going to great lengths to make all his characters sound like hardened thugs.

You aren't in prison, you are "inside."

If you're a criminal, you're "in the game" or "living the life."

Characters talk about drug sales in terms of "weight" and "product."

Everybody seems to have chipped teeth or a broken nose or a haunted past.

It's all just too much for me. Seems artificial.

For some reason, though, Elmore Leonard can get away with that sort of thing. His tales always seems to have a sort of wink between the author and reader, almost like he's saying, "Yeah, I'm making these guys a little outrageous, but it makes for a good story, doesn't it?" There's an irony to his writing that makes it work.

Of course, the book in question appears to be selling well, so what do I know?