<<James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux has Clete (is that
right? It's been
a couple of years since I read my last Burke), the
uninhibited "let's
get drunk and get even" ex-cop former partner of Dave. Seems
like
there's a number of times in the series in which Dave gets
caught in
indecision or between a rock and a hard place -- then Clete
turns up
unexpectedly, usually already in the midst of doing the dirty
work.>>
I find Clete an even more interesting character than
Robicheaux, and the
relationship between the two is a fascinating one (with a
high point in
Black Cherry Blues, I would say). Unlike Robicheaux, Purcel
is
completely cynical and acts on instinct in almost every
instance. He is
also completely fearless. From reading the series, I get the
impression
that Clete is who Robicheaux would like to be but doesn't
dare to. The
scene where Clete shows up in a boat and saves Dave from a
sure death at
sea is a close parallel to God coming down to help.
All of this without consulting the works of Freud, which in
the case of
these two could provide material for a good master's thesis
at the very
least.
Mosley's Mouse is harder to understand - he seems to be a
psychopath.
Regards,
Mario Taboada
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