This is an interesting article on Simenon dealing mostly with
his roman durs:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070507/roth
-GB.
--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, scatalogic@... wrote:
>
> I wasn't really aware of non-Maigret Simenon either
(I don't know
if they
> are available as cds, but BBC radio has done some
cracking
Maigrets over the
> years) and on the what are you reading front, I've
not long since
finished
> Derek Raymond's posthumous Nightmare in the Streets
(Serpant's
Tail), which, I am
> sorry to say was greatly disappointing. It had the
requisite
Raymond style,
> some nice scenes, and lashings and lashings of
existential gloom,
but felt
> very underdeveloped, particularly as a crime novel
and the
Parisian setting was
> pretty much non-existent. The copy I have says the
novel has been
published
> from a typescript, but I see from other websites
that the novel
has been
> published before in France. I gather Raymond was
probably treated
more seriously
> as an 'artist' in France (I'm pretty sure he won a
literary medal
there) and
> I'm wondering if Nightmare perhaps fits better into
a French
tradition/style
> - it was basically one man and his thoughts. If
anyone can
enlighten me I'd
> be most grateful.
>
> On recent reads, I've had something akin to reading
block for
around three
> years now (it's horrible, believe you me), which I'm
sure is
related to
> depression/addiction thangs I've been battling - and
the medication
to treat them.
> I just can't concentrate. So, I'm trying short
strories and
discovered a
> Raymond Chandler collection - Pearls Are A Nuisance.
The title
story is the first
> Chandler I've read and not really cared for - it's
the drunkest
story I've
> ever read with bottles and bottles of the hard stuff
flying around
and features
> a supremely annoying protaganist in Walter Gage - an
amateur
investigating
> the theft of some pearls from his girlfriend's
employer. (the rest
of the
> collection is much, much better).
>
> Oh, and if anyone can cure readers' block, send the
tablets here
please.
>
> All the best,
>
> Colin
>
> Join my Church:
www.myspace.com/thereverendspadgedooley
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
removed]
>
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