Pulp Fiction discussion

Kipp wrote: "I also listen to the Old Radio Shows when I sleep audible has the Dragnet collection plenty of listening time with that one."

I was going to download those tonight... same scripts as the tv series?

I have the box set of the early Dragnets on DVD from Brentwood.

Lee Marvin appears in the 1st season in one extremely memorable episode - a guy who beats another guy to death in a drunken rage.

They are the old radio shows that came before the tv show but many of them ended up as tv episodes

Sorry you have insomnia, Still. That's a drag. I've got a lot of those OTR shows & love them, too. Ray Bradbury's Theater was on the radio in the 70's I think, so not are super old. Lux & Mercury Theater did some great takes on the classics, too.

A lot of the ones I have are of poor quality (8 bit), so hard to listen to in the car, though. That was originally my best time for listening to them, on my commute which is about an hour each way. I've taken to listening to audio books almost more than I read regular books, though. I find they're great for mindless chores like mowing the lawn/fields, vacuuming or even turning bowls out in the shop.

I get most of my books from one of my public libraries online, so they're free. Pretty good selection, too. Check out archive.org for a lot of free old movies, audio, & text files.

Just finished for the second time. Put down whatever you are doing & read it now. Love it. Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Galveston, by Nic Pizzolatto...it's a keeper.

Gabriel wrote: "I'm reading Little Girl Lost, a hard case novel."

I have that Gabriel. It's on my TBR list. So many books, ah, so little time.

Jerry wrote: "Galveston, by Nic Pizzolatto...it's a keeper."

Loved this one!

Paul wrote: "Just finished for the second time. Put down whatever you are doing & read it now. Love it. Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Really enjoyed The Big Sleep. One of the best classic Noirs I have read thus far.

Just finished The Pigskin Bag by Bruno Fischer. He's at his best in this book. I really enjoyed it. Here is my review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Paul wrote: "Just finished for the second time. Put down whatever you are doing & read it now. Love it. Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

My protag, Mike Angel, likes The Big Sleep so much he reads it repeatedly in 2 episodes, and relates his events to scenes in the movie. For example, the one with Bogie and Malone in the bookstore.
https://www.facebook.com/MikeAngelPI?...

Michael wrote: "What pulp/crime novel are you currently reading or just finished"

Currently, I'm halfway through 'American Tabloid' by James Ellroy. A great book by a great writer.

The Money Lovers was a great read. I must follow up on Timothy Watts.
Currently reading The Black Eyed Blonde, and enjoying every minute of it.

Currently reading Murder In The Madhouse

Originally published in 1935, this is a zany hardboiled novel by the brilliant Jonathan Latimer best known for his astonishing Solomon's Vineyard.

The 1st person narrative is by the private investigator William Crane ...an alkie. The more he drinks, the quicker he solves a mystery.

Really wonderful, genuinely funny stuff.

It's technically speaking not crime fiction, but I am right now reading A Universal History of Iniquity by Jorge Luis Borges. The unifying theme of the stories found within is man's inhumanity to man, often treated with a satirical perspective, and Borges does mention G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories as a source of inspiration in the prologue.

Next book on my list is by Ken Bruen. Haven't read any of Bruen's books before but this is the first in his 'Jack Taylor' Series & looks promising.

I'm reading The Abominable Man in the Inspector Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo (I think it's the seventh). It's actually chilling how 1972 novel about a cop killer describes events that actually happened a couple of years ago in Los Angeles: abuses of authority, enforced silence and misguided loyalty to the force.

Just finished Shoot the Piano Player for the group and loved it, so much so that I just bought Nightfall.

I just finished Nightfall I enjoyed it I watched the trailer for the movie they based on the book but the strange thing the whole time I was reading it I felt like I saw a tv show based on the story.

I can't recall what show it was I watch way to many shows on DVD from the 50s and 60s could of been Naked City or Highway Patrol, wish I could figure it out

Paul wrote: "Next book on my list is by Ken Bruen. Haven't read any of Bruen's books before but this is the first in his 'Jack Taylor' Series & looks promising."

I was planning to read The Guards as well. I didn't like the stand alone book Once Were Cops. I'm sure The Guards was much better.

Kipp wrote: "I just finished Nightfall I enjoyed it I watched the trailer for the movie they based on the book but the strange thing the whole time I was reading it I felt like I saw a tv show based on the stor..."

Interesting. Didn't even know there was a film for the book. I'll have to check that out.

Dietrich wrote: "Michael wrote: "What pulp/crime novel are you currently reading or just finished"

Currently, I'm halfway through 'American Tabloid' by James Ellroy. A great book by a great writer."

James Ellroy is one of my top 5 authors, although his staccato style of 50's hipster dialogue can get a bit tiresome. More so in his later novels. The 'Underworld USA' trilogy, of which 'American Tabloid' is the first installment is great.
The 'L.A. Quartet' of novels were also brilliant, in my opinion.

Kipp wrote: "I just finished Nightfall I enjoyed it I watched the trailer for the movie they based on the book but the strange thing the whole time I was reading it I felt like I saw a tv show based on the stor..."

Could it have been an episode of "The Fugitive" with David Jannsen?

Currently reading Black Friday by David Goodis.

I spent much of the early evening reading & re-reading Geoffrey O'Brien's introduction to the Black Lizard edition published in 1987 trying to choose which novel to read.

Wound up being a toss-up between Black Friday and Nightfall.
Don't know why but I settled for Black Friday.

Came across the following beautiful passage this morning:

She came out of the chair, toward Hart.
The pale blue light rolled over her head and showed her face. In a frail sort of way it was an out-of-the-ordinary face. The eyes were ninety-nine percent of her.

Jay wrote: "Could it have been an episode of "The Fugitive" with David Jannsen? "

According to Wiki:

Writer David Goodis claimed the series was inspired by his 1946 novel Dark Passage, about a man who escapes from prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing his wife. Goodis' litigation over the issue continued for some time after his 1967 death. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fugi...

I've never known for certain which of his novels he spent the last 1/3rd of his life claiming had been used as the basis for that series.

Still wrote: "Currently reading Black Friday by David Goodis.

I spent much of the early evening reading & re-reading Geoffrey O'Brien's introduction to the Black Lizard edition published in 1987 tr..."

I have both Nightfall & Black Friday Still. Look forward to your review.

Paul wrote: "Still wrote: "Currently reading Black Friday by David Goodis.

I spent much of the early evening reading & re-reading Geoffrey O'Brien's introduction to the Black Lizard edition publis..."

I couldn't review Black Friday. I loved it too much. I loved it even more than "Shoot the Piano Fellow/Down There".


Currently reading Ed Lynskey's The Blue Cheer about a private investigator living in West Virginia engaging in some tomfoolery involving a murderous cult of militant type White Supremacists.
It's not Goodis material but it's a fun change of pace.

Still wrote: "Paul wrote: "Still wrote: "Currently reading Black Friday by David Goodis.

I spent much of the early evening reading & re-reading Geoffrey O'Brien's introduction to the Black Lizard e..."

Man, i love your taste in books. Write a review... pretty please!!

I'm reading Erle Stanley Gardner The Case of the Velvet Claws

Right now on Amazon they have seven books from the Perry Mason series only for .99 cents each on Kindle not a bad deal but ends May 11th I think

Kipp wrote: "I'm reading Erle Stanley Gardner The Case of the Velvet Claws

Right now on Amazon they have seven books from the Perry Mason series only for .99 cents each on Kindle not a bad deal but ends May 1..."

I finished this book recently and plan to read the rest of the series (I already read some of the books).

Review of Benjamin Black's, 'The Black-Eyed Blonde'

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Starting "So Young, So Wicked" (1957) by Jonathan Craig from munseys.com.

If there was one writer that brought me back to the days of pulp fiction and great writers like Frank Kane and Brett Halliday, it would be Sean Chercover.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Edwin wrote: "Starting "So Young, So Wicked" (1957) by Jonathan Craig from munseys.com."

I've started Case of the Laughing Virgin by Jonathan Craig.

Finally started A Firing Offense. Not sure what to make of it yet.

Finished The Case Of The Laughing Virgin By Jonathan Craig. It's a real gem. I really enjoyed it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished A Firing Offense and Florida Roadkill. I liked the second one much better.

Think it was yesterday I started Headed For A Hearse by Jonathan Latimer.
The 2nd entry in the "Bill Crane" series -from 1935.
Hot, fast, & breezy fun.

This is the 1990 reprint edition from Library Of Crime Classics with an introduction by Max Allan Collins.

Did not read the intro in order to avoid potential spoilers but will probably read after I've finished the novel.

After a fairly depressing fantasy book I just finished I decided I need a noir classic, so The Big Sleep is my current read. It is still as fun as my first two reads of it.

I thought that the story of the assistant of Geiger, the pornographer, was a sympathetic treatment of a gay young man, despite or maybe because of his violent anger. This guy, it seems, comes back to Geiger's place, where the dead Geiger's body is, in order to provide a dignified display of the corpse (possibly because of the way the media would photograph it). But perhaps there was more of a practical, or venal motive. What do you think. (I love the way the book ends, as opposed to the cliched ending of the movie [bad guy must be killed].

I did not have an impression he was a bad guy. The casino owner IS a bad guy with all his goons and bought law enforcement.

That is true. Eddie Mars is a bad guy. As the patrician DA says to Marlow, he is in business because "that is the way cities are run."

*spoiler*:

So Marlow goes to talk with him at the end of the book (so crazy Carmen can be allowed to be put in the bughouse instead of facing trial--I think). The Bogart/Bacall film had a Hollywood ending.

So many people judge the book by the inferior movie, sadly. Bogart is a very good actor - no doubt about it, but Philip Marlowe he is not.

Evgeny wrote: "After a fairly depressing fantasy book I just finished I decided I need a noir classic, so The Big Sleep is my current read. It is still as fun as my first two reads of it."

A shameless plug: If you liked the Big Sleep you'll love Dark Quarry, free on Amazon & Smashwords.

Half way through by Raymond Chandler . Needed to read something i was fairly sure would jolt me out of an book-less couple of weeks.
I also have the 1971 movie starring Robert Mitchum & Charlotte Rampling which i am very much looking forward to.

Chasing The Black Dahlia with the second volume of James Ellroy's The Big Nowhere. Wunnerful stuff. Literate noir, who could ask for more?

Greatly enjoyed Dahlia's personal resonance to the author, but also his ability to expand it into an expression that can be shared with a reading audience. Like Cormac McCarthy, he sees the world through a dark lens as a place populated by outliers struggling to define themselves on the fringes.

The Big Nowhere strikes me as being about two ends simultaneously playing the middle, reminiscent of Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49.

James Ellroy

I'm reading (or trying to read)

by Charlie Huston.

Only on page 44 after a tiring slow haul through the prologue. Big Charlie Huston fan so maybe reading Norbert Davis and Jonathan Latimer softened up my brain a bit.

The Huston book is getting better and becoming a faster read at this point. Too many character introductions, though. I need the story to commence about now.

Martin wrote: "Chasing The Black Dahlia with the second volume of James Ellroy's The Big Nowhere. Wunnerful stuff. Literate noir, who could ask for more?

Greatly enjoyed Dahlia's personal resonance to the author..."

Have you read 'My Dark Places' by Ellroy, Martin? It's about Ellroy's efforts to reopen the coldcase of his own Mother's unsolved murder.

The L.A. Quartet is brilliant.

I've found some of Ellroy's later novels, especially when he lays his 'hip-talk' from the 40-50's on his readers, can get a bit tedious after awhile.

finished a re-read of a childhood favorite : Dames Don't Care . Peter Cheney was quite popular in Romania in the 1970's and n France in the 60's. Now he's almost forgotten.

I`m gonna chase that up.
Ta ;-O

Just finished: , by Raymond Chandler. Another classic from the master.

Review to follow.