Re: RARA-AVIS: Definitions

From: Allan Guthrie (allan@allanguthrie.co.uk)
Date: 18 Nov 2009

  • Next message: phred deVecca: "RARA-AVIS: other noir- HB discussion places?"

    Has anyone mentioned Patricia Melo? I only recently discovered her and while the two books of hers that I've read aren't noir by Jim's definition, not having a sinister atmosphere, they're utterly dripping with it by mine. The two I've read are THE KILLER and LOST WORLD, set in a Brazil that's amazingly corrupt at every turn, and narrated by the most realistically drawn contract killer I can think of. The books are superbly non-judgemental. Stylistically, she's got that John McFetridge thing going on, where dialogue and narrative blend together. Outstanding stuff.

    Another great recent read is DECOMPOSITION by J. Eric Miller. This comes from one of those recently maligned POD presses, and was recommended to me by my French editor, who bought it for French translation. It's only 100 pages long. And there are quite a number of typos, which no doubt would annoy some people to the point of not being able to read it. But the narrative voice is terrific. The story's a simple one about a girl on a long drive to see her ex-boyfriend with the corpse of her current boyfriend in the trunk of her car.

    Hope you folks will indulge me a brief moment of BSP. Today's the US release date of my new novel, SLAMMER. For anyone who might want to hear some more about it, here's a link to a review by Ed Gorman, posted at Bookgasm today. http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/thrillers/slammer/

    Al

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Juri Nummelin" <juri.nummelin@pp.inet.fi> To: <rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:09 PM Subject: RARA-AVIS: Definitions

    >I said a while back that the importance of Rara-Avis might have diminished
    >a
    > little bit in the last few years. It of course may have something to do
    > with
    > blogs and other forums in which you can discuss new and vintage hardboiled
    > and noir writing, but I'd really like to say that arguing over and over
    > again what noir is and what isn't may have contributed to the feeling of
    > the
    > lesser importance. Get on with your lives, goddammit! (Insert smiley
    > here.)
    >
    > Juri
    >
    > PS. I was pleased to note some discussion over a new hardboiled book, THE
    > LITTLE SLEEP. More of that, please! And discussion of older books as well.



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