On 12 May 2003, Bludis Jack wrote:
: Do we care about the childhood of Phillp Marlowe,
: Sam Spade, Lew Archer, Travis McGee or even Mike
: Hammer?
If it meant more Chandler or Hammett, I would be. But usually
I don't care on whit. The flashbacks in Dan J. Marlowe's THE
NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH (or was is the second Earl Drake
book?) were a real drag. I wished he'd handled the criminal
anti-hero's background the way Donald Westlake did with
Parker, who has none. Old heists may be mentioned, but
nothing about how his pappy put down his favourite dog.
George Pelecanos does a lengthy background in SHOEDOG, too,
which was the first time a Pelecanos book has let me
down.
Bill
-- William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/ : Caveat lector.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 12 May 2003 EDT