I've read Algren and I stand by my statement - Scudder captures the quiet melancholy, unstated depression, and aimless lonlieness as well as anything relating to alcoholism that I've ever read - ever been to an AA meeting? - there is some kind of sorry wisdom in alcoholics that Block captures - I always wondered (not that it's any of my damn business) if Block had alcoholism issues in real life and knew whereof he wrote
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I have been to several AA meetings with a friend who goes to them to meet women. I did pick up a woman at one of these things but it was disastrous. I can take a drink when I want to, while her 'religion' is don't drink under any circumstances. It was kind of a one-night-stand with several preachy follow-up conversations. Bars work better for me as meeting places than AA meetings do. I'm confident that Lawrence Block has a first-hand source on this type of mentality... another reason his books bore the hell out of me.
Patrick King
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