Re: RARA-AVIS:Camus/postman/horses

ziggy nix (ziggy@wilmington.net)
Tue, 28 Jul 1998 08:54:50 -0400 --------------A855E5C293DB49D814DDBBF3
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if you haven't read "postman" please don't read any further.
don't want to screw up the ending for ya ;)

> Brian Long wrote:
> >
> >To switch topics again, I was looking at the Black Lizard copy of _The
> >Postman Always Rings Twice_ and on the back it said that "[_Postman_] was
> >acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for _The Stranger_." I hadn't
> >heard this before and was curious just where he said this.
> >
> SNIPPED
> >
> >

> Etienne Borgers wrote:
>
> CAMUS 'THE STRANGER'
> I personally cannot understand why "The Postman..." by Cain should be the
> model for Camus' novel!
> If you remember, The Stranger is about gratuitous (purposeless) act - a
> murder here- and I do not see any parallel with Cain for writing,
> intentions or plot.
> On the contrary it is a recognized fact that some techniques of writing and
> ambiance was taken from the masterpiece by Horace Mc Coy: "They Shoot
> Horses, don't They?"- the set-up for the trial of the central male
> character (very effective piece of writing and style) that was really taken
> by Camus for his own "The Stranger", is a clear example.
>

i would say that the "postman" and "stranger" are closer than "stranger" and
"horses". "horses" and "stranger" do involve a trial setting, but the story
(main narrative sequence) in "horses" takes place during the trial sentencing
and "stranger" ends with waiting the main character already in jail getting
ready to walk out and be executed, which is the same case with the postman.
the drifter in "postman" writes his narrative down while waiting to be executed,
which parallels the "stranger". even the 'hope' of the narrators at the end of
"postman" and "stranger" are bleak, one to just be with his love, either in
heaven
or hell, and the other wanting a large crowd with hate in their eyes.
"horses" seems to take place in the narrator's
head, where the reader is privy to his thoughts in about 10 seconds of real
time we get the whole story through flashbacks. as for stylistic concerns
i think "stranger" has more short coarse sentence structure than "horses" and
the writing is closed to "postman". as far as ambiance, both stories, "horses
and "postman" are undeniablely fatalistic. i find it hard to draw a line in that
respect.

in another sortof realted arena, has anyone on the list read either John
Banville's "The Book of Evidence" or Patrick McCabe's "The Butcher Boy"?
i'm slowly piecing together a paper and just looking for opinions and people
to bounce ideas with.
ciao,
ziggy nix

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if you haven't read "postman" please don't read any further.
don't want to screw up the ending for ya ;)

Brian Long wrote:
>
>To switch topics again, I was looking at the Black Lizard copy of _The
>Postman Always Rings Twice_ and on the back it said that "[_Postman_] was
>acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for _The Stranger_."  I hadn't
>heard this before and was curious just where he said this.
>
SNIPPED
>
>
 

Etienne Borgers wrote:

CAMUS 'THE STRANGER'
I personally cannot understand why  "The Postman..." by Cain should be the
model for Camus' novel!
If you remember, The Stranger is about gratuitous (purposeless) act - a
murder here-  and I do not see any parallel with Cain for writing,
intentions or plot.
On the contrary it is a recognized fact that some techniques of writing and
ambiance was taken from the masterpiece by Horace Mc Coy: "They Shoot
Horses, don't  They?"- the set-up for the trial of the central male
character (very effective piece of writing and style) that was really taken
by Camus for his own "The Stranger", is a clear example.
 

i would say that the "postman" and "stranger" are closer than "stranger" and
"horses".  "horses" and "stranger" do involve a trial setting, but the story
(main narrative sequence) in "horses" takes place during the trial sentencing
and "stranger" ends with waiting the main character already in jail getting
ready to walk out and be executed, which is the same case with the postman.
the drifter in "postman" writes his narrative down while waiting to be executed,
which parallels the "stranger".  even the 'hope' of the narrators at the end of
"postman" and "stranger" are bleak, one to just be with his love, either in heaven
or hell, and the other wanting a large crowd with hate in their eyes.
"horses" seems to take place in the narrator's
head, where the reader is privy to his thoughts in about 10 seconds of real
time we get the whole story through flashbacks. as for stylistic concerns
i think "stranger" has more short coarse sentence structure than "horses" and
the writing is closed to "postman". as far as ambiance, both stories, "horses
and "postman" are undeniablely fatalistic. i find it hard to draw a line in that
respect.

in another sortof realted arena, has anyone on the list read either John
Banville's "The Book of Evidence" or Patrick McCabe's "The Butcher Boy"?
i'm slowly piecing together a paper and just looking for opinions and people
to bounce ideas with.
ciao,
ziggy nix

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