Father Figure (was Re: RARA-AVIS: Positions still open)

From: decastro3 (decastro3@yahoo.com)
Date: 20 Aug 2008

  • Next message: decastro3: "Father Figure (was Re: RARA-AVIS: Positions still open)"

     
    > >
    >
    > The problem is not that Burke repeats the stories (he doesn't) but
    > that his series is very protagonist-centered. If you get sick of
    > Robicheaux and his shtick, that's it.

    Actually, I think there's quite a bit of repetition. The themes are almost always the same. The criminals come in only a few flavors... corrupt person of power/wealth...street hood, often painted as not having much choice in the matter...and the psychopaths. The repetition of those psychopaths is what I find tiresome. The guy in Tin Roofblowdown I've been reading about for 20 years.

     I like Robicheaux but whenever I
    > read a Burke novel, I wait a long time before reading another.

    I've read them all, so this means it's always a year until I read another. Usually by the time the new book is released I'm ready for Dave/Burke. That doesn't seem to be the case this time.

    In my experience, Burke tells
    > the South like it is. His knowledge is very intimate.

    For the most part I agree, though I think he's writing more of a romanticized view of it from his youth. And he often writes as though the Confederate War just happened decades ago. Robicheaux's Louisiana is metaphorically correct in my opinion. It's just received a lot of embellishment. Not a criticism, in fact, I like it.

    Tony



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 20 Aug 2008 EDT