> Since we are talking about Chandler anyway, it
occurred to me that
> Chandler's work was too personal, too dependent on
his enormous
> writing ability, to allow for successful
imitation.
I don't know if I'd call it "imitation", more like
inspiration, but James Crumley has acknowledged his debt to
Chandler. "Last Good Kiss" is essentially a re-working of the
plot of "The Long Goodbye." He's got the humor, explosions of
violence, cynical tough talking private eye. Crumley's trick
was to move his private eye out of the city into Montana,
grizzle him up some more and give him a bulldog that drinks
beer.
The later Crumley books aren't in the same league but "Last
Good Kiss" is certainly Chandler-fied noir.
--Chan
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