--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "foxbrick" <foxbrick@...> wrote:
>
> The first Dortmunder novel, of course, by Donald Westlake...and what surprises me most is how broad the comedy is, at least in the early chapters that Westlake apparently set aside for a while. (I've read a number of Dortmunder stories, out of order, but the latter-day works are somewhat subtler.) Haven't seen the film version yet, either, as I was consciously putting that off till after reading the book.
>
That is a favorite of mine, it makes me laugh out loud. And yes, Dortmunder and his world are timeless, except for technology and everything else. I know that some hardboilers don't value the Dortmunder series as much as other things that Westlake has done, but this is a series of comic masterpieces that will likely endure. I read several of them recently (not The Hot Rock) and marvelled once again at his skill for comedy. Drowned Hopes, what a riot!
Best,
mrt
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