Daeninckx as many other contemporary French authors of
"polars" with a HB
and/or noirish orientation, have often a direct political and
social content
for the problems they put as a background to their
novels.
I did not receive the RARA AVISmessages for the discussions
about
European/American HB literatures, so please forgive me if I
come back now
with some details that were already discussed previously by
the group.
As for "Le Der des Der" (published in french in 1984) the
tittle is from a
colloquial French expression meaning:"Really the last one" -
and was very in
use to qualify the WW I (1914-1918) as LA Der des der, (La
derniere des
dernieres) as it was reputed to be the last worldwar at the
time! LE Der
des Ders comes from it, but observe the change of gender: LE
is for
something or someone of masculine gender in French.
Daeninckx's novel is set in the aftermath of this terrible
war...
By the way, the novel was very recently adapted into a comic
book (graphic
novel, if you prefer...) by one talented French artist for
comics: Tardi.
Tardi did also some very good adaptation of some novels by
Leo Malet into
comic books, with PI Nestor Burma and the different districts
of Paris as
central characters.
You could find some examples of strips taken from these
books(including some
of 'Le Der des Ders') in my Web pages:
" Hard-Boiled Mysteries" - see chapter for Comics: European
comics-
Nestor Burma, at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384/
I'm still looking for somebody ready to help to establish the
content of
the other section for HB comics in these pages: The American
HB comics.
Anyone interested?
If so, pls contact me by e-mail at:
etienne@singnet.com.sg
E.Borgers
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