Re: RARA-AVIS: Parker's "contribution"

From: Miles Archer ( marcher@bctonline.com)
Date: 05 Dec 2003


on 12/4/03 7:40 PM, Bludis Jack at buildsnburns@yahoo.com wrote:
<<>>
> Hammett didn't and Elmore Leonard sure doesn't
> although he loves to bring back his favorite
> characters. (Hammett did write the same short
> story over and over again.)
<<>>

But I don't recall that he repeated the same 'devices', a la those cited earlier.
<<>>

>
> Hemingway wrote the same romance over and over,
> but without the happy ending. Even "The old man
> and the sea" is a love story on several levels.
> Faulkner wrote the same southern gothic. And
> Fitzgereld did the same slice of life over and
> over.
<<>>

Pretty much agree with this, but again, I find Parker's to be formulaic
(there, that's the word I wanted!), as well as Spillane, et al. And if you want to say that Faulkner's body of work represents one long Southern gothic tale, I wouldn't argue the point. I realize there might be a fine line between 'thematic' and 'formulaic', but I'm pretty sure I know it when I see it (like pornography).

>
> It's not easy to be original every time out.
<<>> Tell me about it.

Miles

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