RARA-AVIS: Re: Small Crimes

From: davezeltserman (Dave.Zeltserman@gmail.com)
Date: 11 Mar 2010

  • Next message: davezeltserman: "RARA-AVIS: Re: Small Crimes"

    Al, you could be right, maybe it was because we had outfits like Gold Medal publishing so much of it in paperback.

    --Dave

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Allan Guthrie" <allan@...> wrote:
    >
    > Do you really think that much has changed, though, Dave? I don't recall any
    > large NY houses publishing Jim Thompson's great noir books back in the 50s
    > either. And James Cain had trouble getting published for most of his career.
    > So much so that several of his novels have never been published. Cain based
    > Double Indemnity on a real life case, which seems to make noir more
    > accessible to the general public (David Peace and Megan Abbott spring
    > immediately to mind).
    >
    > Al
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "davezeltserman" <Dave.Zeltserman@...>
    > To: <rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com>
    > Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 2:09 PM
    > Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Small Crimes
    >
    >
    > > RJR, I'd say this is true for almost all editors. How much true noir is
    > > being published by the large NY houses, not only today but over the last
    > > 25 years? Do you think any of the NY houses would now publish books like
    > > "Double Indemity" or "Dead City" by Shane Stevens, or any of Jim
    > > Thompson's great noir books? I don't want this to sound like I'm putting
    > > down Robert Parker, because that is not my intention, but I think part of
    > > the legacy of the massive success that his Spenser books has had over the
    > > last 25 years is not only do protagonists of crime novels have to be
    > > likable, but they had to be fuckable (or at least cuddable). I mean, how
    > > likable was the protagonist of "Double Indemnity", Walter Huff? The guy
    > > was a heartless sonofabitch, but the book was still one of the most
    > > fascinating and gripping crime novels I've ever read, and I can't imagine
    > > a single NY editor touching it today if it came in as a new manuscript
    > > from a new writer (maybe if it came in from established bestselling writer
    > > it might be able to be published).
    > >
    > > --Dave
    >



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 11 Mar 2010 EST