The author argues persuasively that Marlowe, far from being a standard super-confident loner private eye, is connected to a larger society and is given to introspection and self-doubt in contrast to the rugged-individualist vigilantes of Daly, Hammett, and Spillane. He believes film versions of Marlowe in the 1940s distorted the character as a result of Production Code constraints and the inability of film to depict interior life. Chandler is defended against the supposed misreadings by his follower Ross Macdonald.
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Naomi Hirahara’s powerful new book, Clark and Division, follows the Ito family in 1944.
Thursday, 18 October 2018
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
Saturday, 16 June 2018
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Monday, 30 April 2018
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
Thursday, 12 April 2018
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Sunday, 01 April 2018
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
Thursday, 15 February 2018
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.
