>I don't understand why it's considered one of the top
100 English
>language novels of the 20th Century. Chandler's Big
Sleep was way more
>compelling than this, yet no Chandler book made that
list. Why was this
>on it? The writing style? The plot? The influence on
later writers?
>Hopefully you people will help answer these
questions.
Some folks have suggested inclusion on the best books list
was the result
of a combination of 1. the subjective judgement of literary
merit, 2.
prejudice, and 3. an acute awareness of which books were on a
given
publisher's backlist.
Of course, I'm sure no person on RARA-AVIS would stoop to
such cynicism.
It would be very interesting to see a list of various
eminences picks for
the top 100 hard-boiled books.
Sight unseen, my sentimental pick for number one would be
Willeford's
Grimhaven. (Not that I have read it. I just admire the
gesture.)
Most of the top 100 lists I saw were rather stingy about
recommendations
for books written in the last 25-30 years. I don't feel that
way about
hard-boiled at all. I think with authors like Ellroy and
others, there are
contemporary books that would have a claim to be on such a
list.
Fred
-- ----------------------------------------------------------- Down on Ponce by Fred Willard fwillard@mindspring.com http://fwillard.home.mindspring.com/ -----------------------------------------------------------
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