Re: RARA-AVIS: Blown Away

From: james.doherty@gsa.gov
Date: 03 Jan 2000


One author I failed to mentioned, because I rarely read him any more, is Erle Stanely Gardner. I used to watch reruns of the old *Perry Mason* TV series after school when I was a kid, and when I found a several Mason novels cached in a drawer at my Grandparents' house, I began to devour them. Over time, the plots began to seem mechanically formulaic, but to my 13-year-old self found Mason to be the perfect way to transition from the Hardy Boys to adult mysteries. Given the specific definition of "blown away," I guess I'd have to say Uncle Erle blew me away more than anyone else. Though the charm was not lingering and long-lasting, as it was with Hammett, Chandler, or McBain, I still admire the craftsmanship with which Gardner constructed his books.

JIM DOHERTY

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