RARA-AVIS: Re: McBain / John D. MacDonald and Ross MacDonald. Also a question f

From: Jack Bludis (buildsnburns@yahoo.com)
Date: 24 Jul 2010

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    I said:

    > I had John D. ranked with Hammett and Chandler for years until I reread some of John D. MacDonald. Nope, not even close, but my opinion is that John D. is as good as, if not better than Ross MacDonald, who never passed up a metaphor or simile, no matter how awful, complex, or unnecessary.
    >
    > Chandler got in, got out, and got on with it.

    Todd Mason replied:

    >Chandler was consistently on the edge of purple. Usually, I don't mind, but to damn Ross Macdonald as you do an then turn around and praise Chandler for concision rather varies, I have to say, from my experience of the work in question.

    Chandlers figures of speech were so on target that I never missed their meaning. There was nothing flowery about either Chandler or Ross MacDonald. In my opinion, Ross MacDonald's figures of speech were more clunky than flowery.

    Jack

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