Re: RARA-AVIS: On The Left Coast

Anthony Smith (ansmith@netdoor.com)
Tue, 3 Mar 1998 14:50:00 -0600 Hi. I'm a new one here...

> That's interesting. I don't see much of that in Connelly's books, he
> seems to draw mostly on his experience as a reporter. The Bosch books
> are all in the third person, and it's rare the reader is told in much
> detail what he's thinking, unless he says it. He seems to draw more
> from Ellroy than from Chandler.
Being a tremendous Ellroy admirer, I have to say I don't quite see the
connection, but I understand the point. Connelly's closest counterpoints
in the 3rd person point of view seem to be (to me, anyway) Ian Rankin and
John Harvey in England. Didn't all three begin publsihing at about the
same time? I am thankful for 3rd person, which is something I'm always
working at learning to do better in my own work.

> He really seems to have exploded right up there lately. I've read
> _The Poet_ and the first three Bosch books, and I think _The Poet_ and
> _The Black Echo_ (the first Bosch) were the best, even though there
> are quite a few similarities between them that might make you wonder
> if he's stealing from himself.
I agree that the first was the best. Since then, the only one I've
finished is _The Last Coyote_. Skipped _Poet_ altogether. But I usually
keep going back to try the next one.

On another subject, since I'm really new and want to start feeling around,
I am also a big admirer of George P. Pelecanos, who deserves much more
attention that he has gotten. He seems to have matured in the last two
books, pulling off something literary and hardbolied at the same time.
Excellent stuff. Shame that it's hard enough to find his new work, and
impossible to find his backlist (except one or two from that British
publisher.)

Anthony Smith

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