I meant to mention Bill Pronzini's "A Wasteland of Strangers"
as a multiple first-person book (and at least arguably
hard-boiled). Pronzini does use chapter headings to
differentiate the speakers and there are vast differences in
the characters' voice/intelligence/sanity etc that just
wouldn't come across the same in 3rd person. Another
interesting aspect is that the central/pivotal character in
the book does not narrate his own section at all. Instead you
get these many different views of him. I compared the effect
of reading the book to a group of people sitting around a
campfire, passing the flashlight and continuing the story in
their own words. In this case it was very effective (another
book, not a crime novel, that uses the same approach
extremely well is Tom Perrotta's "Election" - an effect that
was duplicated surprisingly well in the film through
voiceover, and I'm saying this as someone who generally
despises voiceover). But it's definitely something that can
seem gimmicky if it's not well done.
carrie
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