I don't remember RM using the "graffiti" word in MOVING
TARGET, but I'll go back and skim some of it. Now, I'm
curious. This edition has 6 or so b/w pix from the Paul
Newman ("Harper") movie of the book. A comment, IIRC, was
made Newman played sort of a clutz/oafish Lew Archer. I see a
some humor in early Archer but nobody comes out of this novel
sitting pretty.
Ed Lynskey
--- Rene Ribic <
rribic@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ed Lynskey" <
e_lynskey@yahoo.com>
> To: <
rara-avis@icomm.ca>
> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 10:59 AM
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: EPITAPH FOR A TRAMP
>
>
> > miker:
> >
> > Interesting post.
> >
> > I just finished reading Ross Macdonald's A
MOVING
> > TARGET (1949) and thought about the
metaphors/similes
> > you write about here. RM's prose here is
liberally
> > sprinkled with them. Most are restrained enough
so
> > it was more the volume of them that jarred
the
> > narrative's smoothness.
> >
> > For instance, at one place he writes about the
"acne
> > of rust" on an automobile. That's short and
vivid.
> >
> > Still, reading RM is always a real
treat.
> >
> > Ed Lynskey
>
> It's interesting that you should pick that exact
phrase - it's
> one of
> the quotes that Raymond Chandler used as an example
of
> Macdonald's
> "pretentious" literary style in a brief and
curmudgeonly
> dismissal of
> his disciple's style. Chandler also quotes
Macdonald's use of
> the word
> "graffiti" (or was it "graffito"? same diff
-presumably
> graffito is
> singular. Not sure if I have correct spelling here)
in the
> same context,
> i.e. Macdonald's "pretentious" style. It leads me to
wonder
> whether
> "graffiti" was really such a rare word in the 1950's
(?) or if
> grouchy
> old Ray was completely out of touch with the modern
world (of
> that
> time).
=====
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