I don't post very often, but I can't resist speaking up in
defense of the Spenser books. Although I agree the quality
has deteriorated over the years, I still find them thoroughly
enjoyable romp. I feel as if I'm sitting with old friends I
don't see very often and smiling at their ongoing
riffs.
When I first joined this list, I was surprised to see Parker
listed among the hard-boiled authors. Of course, I've never
understood the argument that p.i.'s are intrinsically
hard-boiled. I think of hard-boiled as describing the
attitude of the protagonist, not his job.
I will go so far as to defend Susan, as I can easily see a
man like Spenser being permanently enamored of her, eating
disorders and all. In fact, I will even defend Pearl, the
Wonder Dog. As a dog-lover myself, I've had reason to meet
many hard-edged, macho guys who become completely silly over
their pets. One tattooed and leather-jacketed friend of mine
talks baby talk to his miniature poodle. Whether or not I
find Susan and Pearl appealing is rather beside the point; I
find them very believable as a part of Spenser's life,
especially the aging Spenser.
I also would like to take a minute to thank the folks on this
list for pointing me toward George Pelecanos (and how nice to
see you on the list!). I've tried many of the authors
recommended here and to be honest, many of them don't appeal
to me, but the ones that do are literary treasures. Pelecanos
was one of my two "finds of the year," thanks to you, and I'm
anxiously awaiting that next book. (The other find was
Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn, in case you were
curious.)
Teri
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