I had a real problem with Arnott's the Long Firm, I actually
quite enjoyed reading it but found the characters were
cardboard cutout types taken straight from The Big Book of
Swinging London rather than real people and eventually their
predictability got right on my wick! His new novel is now out
and is also set in the 60's, again it has been extravagantly
praised and I will attempt to approach it with an open mind.
UK Rara's should look out for the next issue of Crime Time
which is on Britain Vs American crime fiction and should be
interesting. Wasn't Chandler the unfortunate recipient of an
English Public School education? (translates as private
school), perhaps that helped shape his writing and the
"outsider" perspective? I wonder if it's a problem of locale,
or the distance from the locale? I find it hard to read about
places I know well and generally find the London depicted in
English noir/hb unconvincing. Whereas everything I know about
LA has come from films and (mainly fiction) reading yet I
have no trouble finding Elroy, Chandler or Bunker credible.
Anyway enough of my yacking lets boogie Regards Colin
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