RARA-AVIS: "Pretentious" metaphors

From: Ed Lynskey ( e_lynskey@yahoo.com)
Date: 17 Jan 2003


I don't remember RM using the "graffiti" word in MOVING TARGET, but I'll go back and skim some of it. Now, I'm curious. This edition has 6 or so b/w pix from the Paul Newman ("Harper") movie of the book. A comment, IIRC, was made Newman played sort of a clutz/oafish Lew Archer. I see a some humor in early Archer but nobody comes out of this novel sitting pretty.

Ed Lynskey

--- Rene Ribic < rribic@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ed Lynskey" < e_lynskey@yahoo.com>
> To: < rara-avis@icomm.ca>
> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 10:59 AM
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: EPITAPH FOR A TRAMP
>
>
> > miker:
> >
> > Interesting post.
> >
> > I just finished reading Ross Macdonald's A MOVING
> > TARGET (1949) and thought about the metaphors/similes
> > you write about here. RM's prose here is liberally
> > sprinkled with them. Most are restrained enough so
> > it was more the volume of them that jarred the
> > narrative's smoothness.
> >
> > For instance, at one place he writes about the "acne
> > of rust" on an automobile. That's short and vivid.
> >
> > Still, reading RM is always a real treat.
> >
> > Ed Lynskey
>
> It's interesting that you should pick that exact phrase - it's
> one of
> the quotes that Raymond Chandler used as an example of
> Macdonald's
> "pretentious" literary style in a brief and curmudgeonly
> dismissal of
> his disciple's style. Chandler also quotes Macdonald's use of
> the word
> "graffiti" (or was it "graffito"? same diff -presumably
> graffito is
> singular. Not sure if I have correct spelling here) in the
> same context,
> i.e. Macdonald's "pretentious" style. It leads me to wonder
> whether
> "graffiti" was really such a rare word in the 1950's (?) or if
> grouchy
> old Ray was completely out of touch with the modern world (of
> that
> time).

=====

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