As a crime fiction period piece, it shows the author to be
easily the equal
of such noir contemporaries as Cain and Woolrich.
As a study in what I guess you'd call criminal
psychopathology, it is
unmatched. Paul (or Ralph, or whatever the hell his real name
is) is
arguably the first INTERESTING out-and-out psychopath in
American crime
fiction. And the way his downfall comes is perhaps the most
interesting and
successful blend of hard boiled writing and Freudianism ever
attempted.
Paul/Ralph is one very diseased puppy. That his destruction
comes as a
result of looking into a metaphorical mirror is artistry
cubed. P/R is one
tough punk. It's simple fact that the only one equipped to
take him down is
himself.
The book can also be read as a social satire. Bitter, dark
and not very
funny, but the thread is there.
HORSES is a much better-known and more-read book, but I think
that's because
it's easier. It doesn't make the demands upon the reader that
KISS does.
It's a little like hanging an Andy Warhol instead of a
Francis Bacon. Andy's
a lot easier to get along with. By any objective standard,
though, KISS is a
friggin' masterpiece.
PB
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