I don't know how well-known Vian is among Rara-Avians ... but anyone who likes Jim Thompson should check him out. His surrealist novels -- Foam on the Daze and Heartsnatcher -- are absolutely astounding. His noir work is tough as nails and his surrealist pieces are achingly poignant.
________________________________
From: Ron Clinton <clinton65@comcast.net>
To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 7:17:59 AM
Subject: RE: RARA-AVIS: Re: Favorite 2008 Books?
Thanks for the alert r.e. THE DEAD ALL HAVE THE SAME SKIN. I enjoyed I SPIT
ON YOUR GRAVES, and didn't think to check to see if he had any others
reprinted. I might have to pick up DEAD ALL... .
Ron C.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com] On
> Behalf Of Sean Shapiro
> Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 6:16 AM
> To: rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com
> Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Favorite 2008 Books?
>
> Two favourites that haven't been mentioned:
>
> The Past Is Another Country -- Giovanni Carafiglio
>
> A noir tale of complicity and misguided friendship. The emotions and
behaviour of
> the characters ring true -- especially the darker compulsions. Hardback
was out last
> year but PB is due out in 08/09.
>
> The Dead All Have The Same Skin - Boris Vian
>
> Written in the 40's but translated and published recently by Tam Tam
Books.
>
> Here is a review by James Sallis:
> http://www.latimes. com/features/ printedition/ books/la- bk-sallis4-
> 2008may04,0, 7707022.story
>
> He says it better than I could.
>
> Oh and, though it's been mentioned a lot -- Small Crimes gets my nod.
>
> Sean Shapiro
>
>
>
> ____________ _________ _________ __
> From: Jack Quick <jquick5342@yahoo. com>
> To: rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com
> Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2008 12:35:29 PM
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Favorite 2008 Books?
>
>
> --- In rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com, "Mark D. Nevins" <nevins_mark@ ...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the great mini-reviews, Jack.
> >
> > Quick question: Is HIT AND RUN a novel or a collection?
> >
> HIT AND RUN is a novel. Here is the full writeup I did for
> www.bookbitch. com
>
> HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block: Keller is like most of us. He has a
> job that he works at in order to pay his bills, feed his hobby (stamp
> collecting) and hopefully prepare for his eventual retirement. The
> major difference is Keller's a hit man. After all these years and
> many successful assignments he is now ready to begin that retirement,
> but there is just one more job. Keller really doesn't want to go to
> Des Moines for the job but it has been paid for so what else can he
> do? After all, there are no refunds in this business. While he is in
> Des Moines looking at additions to his stamp collection, someone kills
> the charismatic governor of Ohio. Normally this would have little
> impact on Keller - except the police have released a picture of the
> alleged killer. Guess who? Now Keller is stranded in Des Moines, cut
> off from his associate Dot in White Plains, New York, every cop in
> America's just seen his picture, his ID and credit cards are no longer
> good, and he just spent almost all of his cash on the stamps. The
> best Keller yet.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> ------------ --------- --------- ------
>
> RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskaton ic.org/rara- avis/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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