--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Allan Guthrie"
<allan@...> wrote:
>
> Himes was one of a kind. I forget how good he is
sometimes, then I
dip back into one of his books and he stuns me again with
what he was doing. I don't see him being at all like
Spillane, though. Certainly he was encouraged to write like
Hammett, who's at the other end of the hardboiled
spectrum.
>
Brilliant writer, one of the best hardboiled novelists. I
think I have read most of his books and his intelligence and
intuitive genius for the phrase still shock me sometimes when
I reread him (mostly the Harlem novels), most recently Blind
Man with a Pistol, a real masterpiece.
I don't see any connection with Spillane. Himes was a way
better writer than Spillane, also a truly imaginative writer.
I would go so far as to say that Himes surpassed Chandler as
a stylist. I know this is probably heresy, but I'm saying
it.
Best,
MrT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 15 Jul 2007 EDT