I had a conversation last evening that I've had several times
before. My acquaintance mentioned that she liked mysteries
and we started comparing notes. Turned out she was definitely
a "cozy" fan and was surprised I was into more hard-boiled
stuff.
That got me thinking about the reasons for my preference.
This may be something you all discussed to death long before
I got to this list, so I won't feel bad if you ignore the
question, but I am curious: what appeals to you about
hard-boiled mysteries? Do you read only hard-boiled or do you
also like some cozies and some medium-boiled? I'm not sure
where the line is drawn, but suspect my preference is along
the medium-boiled lines, with occasional forays into
hard-boiled. (I'll confess here to liking the silly Cat Who
mysteries as well, but then I like most anything with
animals.)
My conclusion was that the "boiled" mysteries move a lot
faster, keeping my attention. On a more psychological level,
I think they come closer to portraying the real world. I also
find it easier to relate to and believe in survivors than in
winners. I'm fascinated by the villains, too, especially when
the author can walk the fine line that has a villain capable
of horrifying evil (as I believe we all are if pressed), but
still somehow likable. Some of the characters in the Scudder
books fill this bill, as well as many of the villains in the
Robichaux books. I am also not alone I know in being
fascinated by the hard-boiled sidekicks of more civilized
detectives, such as Hawk and Mouse.
Other reasons I came up with: the economy with words, which
makes the more literary books fit with my tastes; the
cinematographic (is that a word?) quality; the humor; the
fact that most of such books I've read are very American in
tone, setting and language.
So, how about you? Ever given any thought to why you're on
THIS list and not another?
Teri
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