Well, I just seem to be Mr. Chatty today. But I believe
strongly that the
old books must be read with a different sensibility than a
contemporary
work. When Chandler says it was a shine killing, or Hammer
does something
to a dame that is not tolerated today, we need to remember
that these are
historical works we are reading (not historical novels). I
recently led a
classic mystery book discussion at my library where after the
first few
books it became painfully obvious that the people in the
class were not
willing to play the game with the old authors, but rather
criticized weak
characters, unbelievable plots, etc. Well, no shit, a lot of
people are
not stabbed to death with an icicle so that there is no
weapon at the crime
scene, but that was the nature of the Golden Age. Older
hardboiled novels
have to be read with a different attitude. However, if
Spillane writes a
book today he must take his lumps from modern readers.
Perhaps it is
better that we just have the old titles to fondly
re-read.
P.I.E.S. (Private Investigator Entertainment Service)
Catalogs of new and used private eye fiction
Gary Warren Niebuhr, Owner
P. O. Box 341218
Milwaukee, WI 53234
piesbook@execpc.com
<http://www.execpc.com/~piesbook/piescatalog.html>
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