Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Macdonald, Hammet, Chandler, Compassion, et al

From: Doug Bassett ( dj_bassett@yahoo.com)
Date: 03 Dec 2004


--- JIM DOHERTY < jimdohertyjr@yahoo.com> wrote:

> The influence I thought he'd show has been smaller
> than I believed would be the case, but if you want a
> writer who's REALLY taken the PI novel in new
> directions, look no farther than Joe Gores,
> replacing
> the "lone wolf" with a team, the fantasy hero who
> does
> nothing but solve murders and other serious crimes
> with operatives who repossess cars and do corporate
> security work, and the over-written angst-ridden
> first
> person narration with diamond hard third-person
> prose.
>
> Inluence has not been as far-reaching as I thought
> it
> would be, but you can see it in the Devlin Kirk
> books
> of Rex Burns or the later Leo Haggerty books of
> Benjamin Schutz.
>
> You can also see it in the large number of real-life
> PI's who've entered the PI writing field in the wake
> of Gores.

The DKA novels remind me rather strongly of the 87th Precinct novels -- just substituting a detective agency instead. That is not meant as a compliment, and these are not my cup of tea, although they are undeniably innovative. People with a higher tolerance for police procedurals may like them more -- although I frankly would simply recommend McBain.

I am not an admirer of Gores, so take that for what it's worth.

doug

===== Doug Bassett dj_bassett@yahoo.com

                
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