RARA-AVIS: Re: JIM THOMPSON

From: davezeltserman (Dave.Zeltserman@gmail.com)
Date: 06 Nov 2009

  • Next message: sonny: "Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: JIM THOMPSON"

    You can Cain's influence pretty clearly in Nothing More Than Murder in which Thompson seemed to be using Cain almost as a blueprint (and this is one of my least favorite Thompson's), but I don't see Cain's influence in much else of Thompson's work. I do see Steinbeck's influence in Now and On Earth and Heed the Thunder.

    Cain certainly has had his influence, but you see so many writers today mentioning Thompson as one of their primary influences, so that's why I put Thompson ahead of Cain. For the record, Thompson was clearly an influence for Fast Lane (as was Ross MacDonald), and for some of my early short stories, but I don't see his influence in any of my other books.

    --Dave

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Mark Sullivan <DJ-Anonyme@...> wrote:
    >
    >
    > In no way diminishing Thompson's impact, you wouldn't put Cain's influence slightly higher, up with Hammett and Chandler? In fact, I see a bit of his influence on some of the Thompson I've read.
    >
    > > To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
    > > From: Dave.Zeltserman@...
    > > Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:15:53 +0000
    > > Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: JIM THOMPSON
    > >
    > > Agreed. One of the most unique voices in crime fiction, and after Hammett and Chandler, one of the most influential. His prose at times can be absolutely stunning. And while I may not think all his books are great, many of them are, and even his weakest books can be fascinating reads.
    > >
    > >
    > > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "jsbuturn" <ishantriv@> wrote:
    > > >
    > > > To call Jim the most over rated writer would be a harsh look at someone who never gave up trying something 'different' all throughout his writing. He was a writer who could have come up with real bad stuff if he had only tried plot driven stories as many writers did and if he had only worked only on charchter driven stories like Chandler. What Jim achieved was 'never-done-before-kinda-stuff' and we must look at him from that angle.
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