I'd like to add another question to Shannon's if I could.
I'm reading more westerns these days than I ever have before, and while the best are great stuff, I find that all too often much of what I read just doesn't stick with me.
What I'm looking for in a western are the virtues of classic hardboiled fiction-- swift pacing, abrupt plot twists, sharp dialogue, convincing action, and lean, clear prose.
Noir elements are fine, but I'm actually more hungry for westerns that can bring the hardboiled style convincingly. Maybe my standards are too high or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
John
--- On Sat, 7/11/09, Shannon Clute <clute@noircast.net> wrote:
From: Shannon Clute <clute@noircast.net>
Subject: RARA-AVIS: Best Sheriff Mysteries (was "western vs noir, cowboy vs private eye")
To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2009, 12:09 PM
This thread has made me realize that I haven't read enough fiction
that walks that western/noir tightrope.
I'm especially interested in finding titles written or set between
1940 and 1955, featuring a rural sheriff as the protagonist (such as
Jim Thompson--a personal favorite--but perhaps where the Sheriff has a
few more redeeming qualities).
Suggestions?
Thanks a lot,
Shannon Clute
www.noircast. net
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