Aw shucks!
After all my efforts to spin the Canadian image, along comes
Sandra with her black glasses.
(A brief aside for the moment - Edmonton's murder rate is no
surprise. At least not from one who lived there for a
considerable time. I think it is still accurate to say that
the murder rate increases during the winter months when
little if any outdoor activity is possible).
Noir could indeed be anywhere, but the key is reader
perception. It is easy to believe that horrible things happen
in large American cities. It is dark and mysterious in
London; small village life in England is rife with dark
struggles as Minette Walters shows so well. But Canada's
reputation is contrary to noir in so many ways. Calm, the
"peaceful kingdom", the "conscience of the United States",
peacekeeper, boring, cold - ice and snow year round, polite,
kind and caring. Contrast that with Bangkok and the Thai
cowboy culture. It is not that it does not happen here - and
the examples Sandra cities are valid indeed - but it seems so
in contest to the image the country has around the world.
Let's face it - exotic is not the word you first think of
when thinking of Canada, nor mysterious.
A Canadian noir writer must overcome that when trying to sell
to a foreign publisher or audience. Like the movies - the
script says Seattle (big and bad) but the location shots are
all done in Vancouver. I imagine even Blunt had problems that
way ("Can't you move this to Lake Champlain?")
Add to that the lack of knowledge of the country. Now, with a
country such as Thailand, lack of knowledge gives room to
play. Both Moore and Burnett have great fun emphasising the
sex trade of Thailand, almost to the point of comedy. Take
Bangkok, mix in exotic sex, add some jungle and perhaps a
beach or two. Done deal. But Canada does not have exotic
things like jungles and it looks pretty much like the States,
only cleaner. And any villain would leave his footprints in
the snow, n'est-ce pas?
Late note: Hamilton? I wrote an outline that was based in
Kelowna! Half the first chapter had to explain where it was
and what it was...
Noir? Giles Blunt is one of us. Granted, he spent some time
in the USA, but still...
Willow
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