Re Kevin's comment below:
"Definitions of something that has more to do with style
than plot or
character elements will always be tricky, and both noir
and
hardboiled, I feel, have more to do with feel and attitude,
than, say,
setting or plot."
That's why I don't think the definition has to be that
complicated.
There's three things everyone seems to agree on. 1) An H/B
story is a
mystery (crime, suspense, call it what you will) 2) An H/B
story is
tough 3) An H/B story is colloquial.
Why do we need more than that? If a mystery is tough and
colloquial,
it's hard-boiled. If it isn't, it's not. We don't have to
get into
whether or not it's urban, whether or not the protagonist is
a PI, a
cop, a secret agent, or a professional criminal. We don;t
have to get
into a whole bunch of other stuff that just seem to cloud
the issue.
Let's keep it simple. - Jim Doherty
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