On 11/24/06 9:29 AM, "Kerry J. Schooley" <
gsp.schoo@murderoutthere.com> wrote:
> noir writers also recognize that reform
is
essentially impossible, or its benefits, at best,
fleeting.
It is my opinion that noir writers actually do a better job
of addressing social issues. My apologies if this sounds like
bashing - these comments are generalizations not universal
absolutes - but humourous mysteries, cozies... they don¹t
have a realistic feel to me. There¹s a fundamental optimism
that runs through some of them that I don¹t find believable.
You know that the hero is always going to save the day,
nothing too bad will ever happen to the main characters and
the crimes are often treated lightly. They¹re bloodless, and
a lot of times the pain is glossed over.
And how can you advocate for social reform, for change, if
you never actually confront the issues?
Simon Kernick¹s The Business of Dying and A Good Day To Die
are examples of books that made me think about situational
ethics. About what it would be like, as a cop, to work day in
and day out seeing criminals walk free. About the crimes the
cops don¹t seem able to stop. Turn it to TV and think about
The Shield. It¹s bad for a cop to beat information out of
suspects, right? But episode 1 season 1 Vic beats information
out of a guy who¹s got a young child stashed somewhere and
times running out. This raises issues in my mind. Do we give
criminals too many rights? Do we curtail the job the police
can do by protecting the accused and guarding their rights,
even at the potential expense of more victims? And if you
want to talk about combining noir, hardboiled and issues
regarding social reform there¹s The Wire.
A lot of the noir I read asks questions. It doesn¹t provide
answers, or if it does, it shows all the reasons why the
solutions will never be implemented. That¹s realistic, and
ultimately necessary.
Personally, I think the only way to really spark social
change is to change the way people think. If reading a book
like Rankin¹s Fleshmarket Close makes me think about the way
immigrants are treated, or reading Billingham¹s Lifeless
makes me think about the discrimination against the homeless,
and the result is that I adjust my behaviour, then that¹s
where it begins. The author may or may not have an agenda,
but it is my opinion that the best social commentary is
coming out of crime fiction, in particular books that fall
under the noir spectrum.
Sandra, who shall now return to lurking
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