Not that he's a "bad" writer (neither was Macdonald), but I
find his plots
often lack drive or focus. Then again, given Milo and C.W.'s
taste for
pills, booze, coke, and other goodies, maybe this is
intentional.
I think part of this is the genre's desparate need for a new
poster boy,
one that will appeal to the "literary" establishment, and
therefore
validate our particular literary choice. Look what's happened
in the last
few years, with the critical huzzahs bestowed on people like
Robert Parker,
Walter Mosely,Elmore Leonard (or Quentin Tarantino, for that
matter).
Nobody could ever live up to the hype. No wonder the backlash
sets in.
Meanwhile, "genre" writers are routinely ignored by the
critical
establishment. Which, in the end, may be their saving grace.
They may not
move as many books off the paperback racks in the drugstores
and bus
stations, but they aren't constantly vilified and attacked,
not for their
work, but often for their success or their perceived
pretensions.
I'm sorry. Am I making sense?
But I digress...
Kevin Smith
Web Guy for The Thrilling Detective Web Site
For info, mailto:kvnsmith@total.net
"Everybody loves a loser,
They wanna see him pay his dues,
Everybody loves a loser,
But they don't wanna stand in his shoes."
-Murray McLauchlan
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