MrT wrote: Miker: That list contains a lot of good material.
The early books by Ross Macdonald are excellent, as are the
two Nelson Algren titles. Vera Caspary's _Laura_ is a gothic
noir classic, worth reading even if you've seen the
movie.
If you like P.I. novels, I would also recommend Howard
Browne's Paul Pine novels and the eccentric divertimentos of
Norbert Davis, especially _The Mouse in the Mountain_.
Gault's _Don't Cry for Me_ is another fine book from the era,
as is Norman Mailer's ultrahardboiled novel _The Naked and
the Dead_.
********* Thanks, Mario. I'm nervous about it but I bought
Craig Rice's TRIAL BY FURY. I've read conflicting reports
about the quality of her writing. I'll look for Caspary's
LAURA. And thanks also for the Howard Browne and Norbert
Davis suggestions. I've seen Davis's name a few times on the
list, I think.
I read some reviews of Mailer's THE NAKED AND THE DEAD, and
it looks impressive. I've read one or two things by him but
its been too long and I can't name them. One thing that
amuses me is a recent phobia that I've somehow seemed to pick
up. After going thru a lot of old hardboiled and noir that
are thin volumes, I've developed a fear of anything over 400
pages long. I was in Borders bookstore here recently and I
picked up John Connolly's new paperback, and when I seen it
was 500 pages (600?), my hands started shaking and I
developed shortness of breath. I put the book down and moved
on. I have to laugh about that because a couple years ago I
had no qualms about reading siege-style science fiction epics
or James Ellroy novels.
What about Dorothy B. Hughes? Is the SO BLUE MARBLE a good
one? I've heard that RIDE A PINK HORSE is her best effort but
that it's a bit surrealistic, and I'm not hot on that at all.
Are her novels hardboiled or not?
Thanks again, miker
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