Thanks to Al, I've got several good Fifties books now. But
before getting the ones he suggested, I had a few already on
the shelf.
I read Fleming's first James Bond novel, CASINO ROYALE. I
read for assorted reasons. Some books make me think, and I
like that. Some books are just pure fun and I like that too.
Fleming has always been in the second category for me. But
CASINO ROYALE wasn't a whole lot of fun. There's very little
action. Bond doesn't kick any butt or fire a shot. The plot
involves him foiling a Russian agent's attempt to recoup
money he's squandered.
Ed Lacy's ROOM TO SWING is a good novel. Growing up during
the civil rights movement wore me out on race issues, and
rereading Baldwin's FIRE NEXT TIME or even Wright's NATIVE
SON isn't high on my list. But Lacy does a good job of subtly
weaving race issues into ROOM TO SWING. It's well-written,
the plot is good, and the characters are interesting.
Evidently, Lacy is a well- established hardboiled writer.
This seems a bit sur- prising. Although I don't deny his
writing skills, he doesn't seem comfortable in this book with
the elements of the hardboiled genre. At lunchtime I'm going
to read Lachman's essay on him in MURDER OFF THE RACK.
I read Williams's RIVER GIRL about a year ago. I just
finished THE HOT SPOT (HELL HATH NO FURY). Great book. Great
writer. Hardboiled noir at it's best. He's got the Chandler
flair for simile and metaphor. I've got DEAD CALM waiting on
me, and I need to find SCORPION REEF. I hear that his sea
novels are some of his best.
I read WILD WIVES. Cynical humor and irony. It was a good and
entertaining book, but not as good as the spectacular BURNT
ORANGE HERESY. I still haven't read a Hoke Moseley though.
MIAMI HEAT sits on the shelf waiting on me.
Speaking of Willeford, can anybody tell me anything about the
publishing history of a paper (thesis?) he wrote called THE
IMMOBILISED MAN? I read something about a limited run of 350.
I'd like to read it, but it's big-dollar at Abebooks. Has it
been published under another name? Maybe Betsy can send us
all com- plimentary copies. ;-)
miker
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