Re: RARA-AVIS: Willeford
Mario Taboada (matrxtech@sprintmail.com)
Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:02:08 +0000
It's not for me to tell anyone how to read Willeford (or
anything) - but
if you do read him expecting realism and logical continuity you
are
setting yourself up for an almost sure disappointment. As
someone
pointed out (James Rogers?) he has more in common with the
"magical
realists" (Rulfo, Garcia Marquez) and even with certain
absurdists
(Queneau, Bioy Casares, Peter Handke) than with the hardboiled
school of
action that is the nominal subject of this list. His very
special modus
operandi doesn't fit any established mold of crime
writing.
By the way, _The Shark-Infested Custard_ is one of my
favorite
Willefords. His use of dialogue in this novel could serve as
a textbook
on the subject - it's perfectly nuanced and placed in each
and every
instance.
Regards,
MT
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