--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Patrick King
<abrasax93@...> wrote:
>
> miker wrote:
>
> Complexity of character is not what makes the
reader
> identify with the protagonists in The Postman
Always
> Rings Twice, Killer Inside of Me and a lot of
other
> noirs.
>
> ************
> Oh, yeah? It's certainly what allows me to
identify
> with them. Shallow characters lose me third
chapter,
> tops. What do you think does, then?
>
> Patrick King
>
I guess you could argue Lou Ford and Nick Corey are
complex--although describing them as deeply psychotic would
be more accurate. And the thrill of Killer Inside Me and Pop.
1280 is that it's vicariously invigorating to get inside the
head of crazy man (especially when you're suckered into it).
The protagonists from Double Indemnity, Postman, and several
of Thompsons better books, "After Dark, My Sweet", and I
think you could make the case for some of his borderline
sociopaths: Carl Bigelow and "Dolly" Dillon, are mostly
average joes, somewhat shallow, but what makes these books so
captivating is we can identify with these characters (to some
extent), and dread the bad choices that they keep
making.
--Dave Z.
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