As an Aussie cultural icon known as Big Kev likes to say,
"I'm excited!
... and I'll tell you why...". Just got back from a little
Sun morn jaunt to get some breakfast & while walking
through a local outdoor shopping mall with my scone in hand I
found a copy of "The John Franklin Bardin Omnibus", which
contains "Devil Take the Blue-Tail Fly", "The Deadly
Percheron" & "The Last of Philip Banter", at a little
stand selling 2nd hand books. I've been wanting to read these
books, which have quite a rep in certain circles, for a long
time. My impression is that this guy inhabits territory
somewhere between Fredric Brown & Cornell Woolrich, not
your standard HB, more psychological suspense, etc. List
member Paul Duncan talks about him in his little
booklet,
"Noir Fiction", put out as part of the "Pocket Essentials"
line (& a nice companion to his "Film Noir" volume). I
don't know what distribution is like in the US & UK but
here in Sydney I have found them to be quite easily available
and the price is excellent, it cost me approx US$4.50 &
nothing is that cheap any more! It's an excellent little read
& even discusses some authors I hadn't previously heard
of . I can't say I agree with roping in Dostoeyevsky &
Conrad as noir authors although I see his point & the
influence on & thematic similarities to, noir authors is
undeniable - & seeing how noir is a "genre" that was
basically invented by critics & readers long after many
of the authors were already gone, who can say, and prove,
that he's wrong? Anyone out there read these books & have
any comments (sans spoilers, please)?
Rene
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