Re: RARA-AVIS: Article in GQ

dspurlock@humana.com
Thu, 4 Jun 1998 08:22:17 -0400 <<These guys succeed because of unusual ingenuity and
talent, but many others who still plow the traditional P.I. territory
often produce pale, tired, cliche-ridden works that only contribute to
sinking the formula further.>>

The same is true, I think, of those writers who seem to rely on the
violence and shock value of the action and/or crimes they depict. Following
this method isn't really plowing new ground; it's a bit of mulching, I
suppose (man, I think this metaphor's gone far enough), by throwing in some
elements from the horror genre or simply camouflaging the old with flashes
and splashes of violence, gore or some combination of the two with some
perversity tossed in.

I think some writers can still use the old methods and devise strong
stories and novels. But it takes special skills to use the old methods and
open up new territory for the PI novel. The writers that Mario mentions (
Mosley, Burke, Ellroy, Sallis, Gores) do that (although I'd argue that
even their efforts can turn stale -- Burke last few novels come to mind).
The trick is taking what works from the old methods and adding something
new -- not just a gimmick, but something that's as much a part of the
narrative as the plot and characters and motivations. When I try out a
novel by a new writer, that's what I'm looking for. -- Duane

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