RE: RARA-AVIS: Re: Moratorium on serial murderer mysteries?

From: Mark Sullivan (DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net)
Date: 19 Aug 2010

  • Next message: jacquesdebierue: "RARA-AVIS: Re: Moratorium on serial murderer mysteries?"

    Is The Ax a revenge novel? Whom was he avenging? I saw it as a very practical means to an end, coldly pursued. Mark

    > To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
    > From: jacquesdebierue@yahoo.com
    > Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:07:32 +0000
    > Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Moratorium on serial murderer mysteries?
    >
    >
    >
    > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Ron Clinton" <clinton65@...> wrote:
    > >
    > > > From: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com] On
    > > > Behalf Of jacquesdebierue
    > > > > I found Red Dragon far superior to Silence of the Lambs in this respect.
    > > > >
    > > >
    > > > Me, too. With Silence of the Lambs, I was conscious of reading some sort
    > > of
    > > > concocted story with a super villain. Red Dragon felt more real.
    > >
    > >
    > > I've heard that a number of times, and while I still believe SILENCE is the
    > > better of the two for a number of reasons, I would agree that RED DRAGON is
    > > itself a remarkable work and would probably immediately follow the three top
    > > serial killer works I mentioned earlier (THE COLLECTOR, SILENCE OF... and BY
    > > REASON OF INSANITY). Ellroy's KILLER ON THE ROAD (aka SILENT TERROR) might
    > > take up the fifth spot...but I haven't yet reconciled if it's as good as I
    > > think it is or not.
    > >
    >
    > The problem is that somebody like Hannibal Lecter cannot exist. He's a fantasy. Perfectly acceptable as a fantasy story, but not as a realistic one. Dave Zeltserman, in his novel Bad Thoughts, went Harris one further and achieved what I suspect is a comic sendup of the entire genre.
    >
    > > Actually, I take that back...Ellroy can have the sixth spot. I just
    > > remembered a terrific serial killer book: Bradley Denton's BLACKBURN. Loved
    > > that book. Since BLACKBURN stretches the thematic confines of the serial
    > > killer novel, I'll throw out another one that does as well and, like
    > > BLACKBURN, is highly recommended: Westlake's THE AX. Like Jimmy Blackburn,
    > > Westlake's protagonist kills for reasons that he sees as perfectly
    > > legitimate...reasons that also become all too comprehensible for the reader.
    > > For that reason, these latter two might be the most frightening books of the
    > > bunch.
    > >
    >
    > I agree that The Ax is frightening because it is realistic. No fantasy there, just a pretty sensational revenge, you might say...
    >
    > Best,
    >
    > mrt
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > ------------------------------------
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