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

From: davezeltserman (Dave.Zeltserman@gmail.com)
Date: 19 Aug 2010

  • Next message: Ron Clinton: "RE: RARA-AVIS: Re: Moratorium on serial murderer mysteries?"

    In the Ax the murders are as financially motivated as a hitman's would be. They're done purely for the end result of being financially rewarded (ending up with a job). No difference.

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Ron Clinton" <clinton65@...> wrote:
    >
    > To me, the difference is relatively clear. If the fictious perpetrator does
    > the killing in the performance of his professional duties -- thief, hitman,
    > spy, et al -- then I do not consider it a serial killer novel. If instead
    > the perpetrator does his/her killing for reasons that are instead more
    > personal and intimate -- psychotic/sociopathic deviancy (Thomas Harris'
    > books, Joyce Carol Oates' ZOMBIE, etc.), methodical elimination of
    > obstructionist rivals (THE AX), self-righteous delusions (BLACKBURN), and so
    > on -- then it is a serial killer novel. Obviously, this is a subjective
    > differentiation on my part, but that seems like an appropriate distinction.
    > Since Westlake's protagonist was committing his acts for intimate, personal
    > gain and not because the acts were part and parcel of his occupation, in my
    > mind that makes THE AX a serial killer novel.
    >
    > Ron C.
    >
    >
    > > -----Original Message-----
    > > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "davezeltserman" <Dave.Zeltserman@>
    > > wrote:
    > > >
    > > > How about a Parker novel, like The Hunter, where Parker has to kill a
    > bunch of
    > > > people to get what he wants? Or really any hit man novel? I think of a
    > serial killer
    > > >novel as something where the killer is killing some other purpose than to
    > do a job,
    > > >and really the protagonist in The Axe is killing for the same sort of
    > purpose as a hit
    > > >man, except in the Ax the killer has more remorse than they typical hit
    > man,,
    > > >especially since he finds himself liking the people he needs to kill.
    > > >
    >
    >
    > > From: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com] On
    > > Behalf Of jacquesdebierue
    > > Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 6:55 PM
    > > To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
    > > Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Moratorium on serial murderer mysteries?
    > >
    > >
    > > Good point. I wonder how many people Parker kills in the entire series. It
    > has got to
    > > be a very high number. Somehow the presentation of Parker as a
    > professional
    > > doing a job makes him look more like some type of soldier than a
    > psychopath.
    >



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