RARA-AVIS: Re: The Age-Old Question asked once again...

From: jacquesdebierue (jacquesdebierue@yahoo.com)
Date: 09 Nov 2008

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    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Eighinger"
    <geoffeighinger@...> wrote:
    >
    > When it comes to crime fiction...
    >
    > What does "noir" mean to you?
    >
    > What does "hard-boiled" mean to you?
    >
    > I ask this because at my blog I am reviewing all sorts of crime
    fiction that is noir or hard-
    > boiled to me but maybe borderline to some.
    >

    Many of us have given thoughtful and carefully considered answers to these existential questions. Unfortunately, I have no idea which thoughtful and carefully considered answers I may have offered over the years. Therefore, my contributions are likely to be bullshit (be warned).

    What is clear and has never caused argument is that hardboiled and noir are not the same, though they can be both ingredients in different literary alloys.

    On the other hand, the one that wasn't included in the previous two paragraphs: surely we don't expect that every word has a well-defined thing corresponding to it, do we? If it were so, we could's speak of
    "around New York", for example, or "people like me", etc.

    I think it's perfectly fine if people declare a story or film to be noir or noirish. It is evocative and can even be stirring without necessarily suggesting a known model. Like party platforms or romantic getaways.

    Best,

    mrt



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