George,
Good points. When I said "out of Boston," I meant "out of
Massachusetts." (My mistake.) In the later books' trend I
mentioned, it feels as if Spenser doesn't take the time to
center himself in Mass. Having not picked up on Spenser's
travels as early as you did, I felt the sense of place
slipping away. My Superman reference was only to say that *I*
find the portrayal of Spenser more powerful in Massachusetts
and less powerful out.
When he taught fiction, Parker would tell his students to set
their stories in places they'd been, allowing for more
accurate description. He believed stories suffered when
students imagined places they hadn't been. In the same way, I
believe his recent string of books in fictional places like
Proctor, Port City, and Potshot, AZ is very weak and Spenser
needs to return home. Whether Parker will bring him home is
another question.
Gerald
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