> > It got me wondering how many hard-boiled
writers
> had been in
> >combat. Of course, in the fifties, nine out of
ten
> males over maybe
> >thirty had been in the army. I was just curious
if
> it
> >was known of how many, specifically, wrote as a
way
> of adjusting to civilian
> >life.
>
There is something of value in that statement... but I think
that (from my memory, because I've no time to make a search
now) more than with WW2, Korea already and certainly Vietnam
were two wars from which some HB writers kept a haunting
memory. And it was passed into some of their novels. Besides
some evidence in their works it is difficult to say for the
others if the same reasons pushed them to start writing
novels after they return from the war (unless asking them, of
course).
But... there was a fair share of HB/Noir writers who
participated to WW2, some very actively. One of the main
examples was John D Mc Donald who served in the OSS,
collecting intelligence in the Far East (WW2), and I remember
I came across many other examples, but did not keep track
systematically of this factor. Do not forget, that already
after WW2 GIs coming back to civil life were entitled to
loans at very favorable rates to start activities or access
to higher education. It seems that a great number of future
writers took this opportunity to study for journalism,
lit..etc.
But even with all this I'm not sure that participating to
combat in WW2 was necessary a major factor to decide to write
HB novels for a would be writer... It could have resulted in
other lit genres as well (and did...): mainstream, epic,
patriotic, existential...
Somebody said here that being in the army certainly sharpens
your perception of the absurd. I second this... any normal
being would feel it from day one in the "Grande Muette". I
was never in combat, but drafted in Europe and sent abroad
with occupation troops in an Infantry assault battalion...
Absurd it is. Deadly absurd.
E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries
htp://wwww.geocities.com/Athens/6384
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