RARA-AVIS: Re: Favorite 2008 Books?

From: davezeltserman (davezelt@rcn.com)
Date: 03 Dec 2008

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    I'm a big fan of Block, but the Keller books struck me cold from the beginning. I'm guessing these started off as kind a weird homage to Hammett's Continental Op, at least it seemed that way to me--complete
    (at least in the first book) with old man at the home office running the show (until he starts showing senility). Anyway, these might be the only thing from Block over the last 20 years or so that I don't care for.

    --Dave

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "jacquesdebierue"
    <jacquesdebierue@...> wrote:
    >
    > I regret to say this, but after reading three Keller books, he has
    > become tedious. Block throws every stylistic trick he knows (and he
    > knows practically all of them) at the writing, but for me, the
    > character is flat, not a guy I care about. And the lady who gets him
    > the jobs is utterly unbelievable. What I am trying to say is that
    > Block is applying his wizardry to a subject with no teeth.
    >
    > I do agree that the episodic nature of Keller's assignments makes a
    > novel harder to bring off. It would have to be one big, difficult
    > assignment where lots of things go wrong.
    >
    > Best,
    >
    > mrt
    >



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