In a message dated 1/25/00 7:24:12 AM Pacific Standard Time,
tstock@concentric.net writes:
<< (I'll confess here to liking the silly Cat Who
mysteries as well, but then I like most anything with
animals.)>>
I also like stories dealing with animals: the human animal.
One of the fascinating things about Hard-boiled mysteries is
the stripping away of the ego of the criminal, or at least
its subversion to the animal instincts. In a
"cozy" you usually have a criminal mastermind sitting there
and devising his crime very meticulously before executing it.
In the Hard-boiled mystery things just sort of happen and the
criminal (often the protagonist) reacts. This desperation
often leaves some strange and baffling clues, but none of
them are the criminal's "calling card." I also like the
Hard-boiled mystery because it strips away the veneer of
civilization to show the underworld, and peoples' private
hells. I think we need a sense of thriving on instincts, even
if vicariously that's why so many dreams are
disturbing.
PS: Have you read Saki's "Tobermory"?
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