I just finished reading Kent Anderson's SYMPATHY FOR THE
DEVIL which I'd picked up on the vague recollection that
Anderson had been heavily touted by one or more rare birds. A
big 2 thumbs up to whoever those birds were because this is a
mighty fine book, IMO. Although the novel is almost
exclusively set in the Vietnam War I think of it as being
very definitely as much noir as belonging in the genre of
realistic novels of war - certainly there's enough
criminality in it to make it qualify technically (Which
brings to mind a great noir/war movie I saw many years ago,
ATTACK, directed by Robert Aldrich). Do I recall correctly
that the lead character, Hanson, is the protagonist of NIGHT
DOGS as well? Either way, NIGHT DOGS is high on my list of
books to find & read. I also read Elroy's THE COLD SIX
THOUSAND. All I can say here is that I've already wasted too
much time in reading this book & I won't compound that
waste by talking about it any more than I already have. I've
read the first two novels in a John Franklin Bardin omnibus,
THE DEADLY PERCHERON & THE LAST OF PHILIP BANTER &
I'm just starting DEVIL TAKE THE BLUE TAIL FLY which is
supposed to be his masterpiece. I greatly enjoyed the 1st 2
novels - the nearest writer to compare him to would be
Fredric Brown. If you're familiar with, & like, Brown's
criminous books you should seek the aforementioned. For me an
amusing coincidence is that a character in THE DEADLY
PERCHERON whistles "Pistol Packin' Mama" which, IIRC, was a
hit for Spade Cooley, western swing bandleader &
erstwhile minor Elroy character. (Spade had a bass player who
was a dog lover, in as literal a sense as Elroy could make
it. Just thought I'd throw that in, re: hardboiled
cats'n'dogs threads of the past). Two books staring back at
me from the top of Mt To-Be-Read: GBH by Ted Lewis &
AGREEMENT TO KILL by Peter Rabe. Anyone read either of these
& what did they think?
Rene
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