Pulp Fiction discussion

Finished with Clinch -- anyone in this group would find it very much worth reading.

Algernon wrote
It's one of my favorites and it has a pretty good movie adaptation.


Yeah I viewed the movie ages ago so the book's plot wasn't a surprise to me. I enjoyed his style, though, which manages to be understated (for the genre) and lurid at once.

Reading Georges Simenon's The Blue Room now.

Just finished Street Raised . My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just started The Company Man

I finished reading Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson and now im reading for the first re-read one of my alltime fav books in The Hunter by Richard Stark. The first few pages of The Hunter is the leanest, meanest i have read and there cant be a better introduction for a series character as special as Parker.

Hell of a Woman was a huge letdown for me, i expected much better, much more substance like even the decent JT novels....-..

Mohammed wrote: "I finished reading Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson and now im reading for the first re-read one of my alltime fav books in The Hunter by Richard Stark. The first few pages of The Hunter is the lean..."


'The Hunter' is my favorite by Stark. Second fave is 'Slayground'.
Just about finished Two for the Money which is Max Allan Collins' homage to the Parker series, but it falls far short of the original.

I'm reading "Red Iron Nights" by Glen Cook, my return to the Garrett PI stories after almost three years. I almost forgot how much fun these books are, and how well Cook parodies the wild similes and the tough talk of Chandler.

I also went back to Ed Brubaker and started album 2 of his comic "Criminal" with Lawless.

Started David Goodis' Nightfall. Haven't read him before, so I'm interested to see how it develops.

Finished .
Review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Started SoHo Sins

I just started reading In the Heat of the Night: The Original Virgil Tibbs Novel. I've been looking forward to this book for a long, long time.

Tom wrote: "I just started reading In the Heat of the Night: The Original Virgil Tibbs Novel. I've been looking forward to this book for a long, long time.
[bookcover:In the Heat of the Night:..."

I would be interested to read your opinion Tom. Been wanting to read that too & i have a copy. I have seen the movie, so would like to know if it differs from the book.

From what I remember, the movie follows the Virgil Tibbs story from the book very closely. I might enjoy a refreshing course, as it's been many years since I read it.

Paul wrote: "I would be interested to read your opinion Tom. Been wanting to read that too & i have a copy. I have seen the movie, so would like to know if it differs from the book. "

I'd love it you would join in. We're discussing it over at the On the Southern Literary Trail group. Here's the link to the discussion:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I thoroughly recommend SoHo Sins

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

Tom wrote: "Paul wrote: "I would be interested to read your opinion Tom. Been wanting to read that too & i have a copy. I have seen the movie, so would like to know if it differs from the book. "

I'd love it ..."

Thanks Tom. Will check that out.

Algernon wrote: "I'm reading "Red Iron Nights" by Glen Cook, my return to the Garrett PI stories after almost three years. I almost forgot how much fun these books are, and how well Cook parodies the wild similes a..."

Criminal is a great comics crime,noir series, Brubaker and Sean Phillips are perfect for noir fans like us. I own all their series since Criminal vol 1 in collections. Lawless is my fav protoganist of their. Enjoy these great volumes :)

Ed Brubaker is a strong writer, the best crime,noir writers in comics but Sean Phillips style is truly unique in the field, i dont want to read Brubaker without him in their genre books.

Mohammed wrote: "Algernon wrote: "I'm reading "Red Iron Nights" by Glen Cook, my return to the Garrett PI stories after almost three years. I almost forgot how much fun these books are, and how well Cook parodies t..."

I usually prefer a more polished artwork, but Phillips has atmosphere, has darkness and a raw energy that captures very well the major tonalities of the plot. I think Patrick Rothfuss has written a very short and to the point comment about Criminal being just as good if not better than Sin City. For me it is definitely more realistic.

Algernon wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Algernon wrote: "I'm reading "Red Iron Nights" by Glen Cook, my return to the Garrett PI stories after almost three years. I almost forgot how much fun these books are, and how wel..."

Sean Phillips have become special to me because the atmosphere, the perfect storytelling of his art fit to the genre they work in. He is pretty unique, more polished and less noirish art is easier to find than his. Criminal is much better written as stories, characters and yes more realistic than Sin City.

Sin City to me is classic, great only for the highly stylized art of Frank Miller in his prime. The use of black and white is great.

Never Live Twice by Dan J. Marlowe is riveting. The hero is not a nice guy, but no one else seems to be either.

Jim wrote: "Never Live Twice by Dan J. Marlowe is riveting. The hero is not a nice guy, but no one else seems to be either."

I am planning to read more from Marlowe myself, after last month's pick.

Just be really careful about the book(s) you buy. I found that out with Janie which I reviewed here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It was basically a short story, read like a gutted novel, in a "Fast Back Mystery", a little 4"x6" hardback book. I wound up buying 3 of them for about $4 each. Not a good deal. They're cute, but not what I wanted or expected.

Woah! I just finished Never Live Twice & it was fantastic. I gave it 4 stars in my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm going to start on Strongarm next. Warning, if you like your main characters heroic & pure, this author is NOT for you.

I finished Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh yesterday. Very strange but good, reminiscent of Highsmith in many ways.

I just finished In the Heat of the Night: The Original Virgil Tibbs Novel. I enjoyed it but this is one of those rare cases where the movie is better. Here is my review.
★★★½ stars.

Wasn't enthralled with Nightfall. The set-up was promising, and the atmosphere intriguing, but the plot and even the writing became more hackneyed as it progressed.

Next up is The Big Caper by Lionel White, which is apparently more serious than the title suggests.

Currently reading Nightmare Alley ; The Inquisitor ; & Operation Breakthrough . The latter is the 5th in the 'Earl Drake' series. I have read & enjoyed the previous 4 'Earl Drake' novels, not so much because they are great literature, just quick, entertaining reading. These are the type of 'quickies' i enjoy, whilst deciding what to read next. Typical late 60's, early 70's crime fiction; a bit of 70's smut (but nothing particularly overt). Entertaining, as i said & not particularly taxing to one's brain (but not insultingly so either).

Damnotion wrote: "Wasn't enthralled with Nightfall. The set-up was promising, and the atmosphere intriguing, but the plot and even the writing became more hackneyed as it progressed.

Next up is The Big Caper by Li..."

I have several books by Lionel White Damnotion, though i've not read him yet. His books look interesting.

I have finished today by Alfred Bester - a classic science-fiction built around a criminal investigation. The policeman in this case has some special abilities that help him along : he's a 'peeper' or telepath..

Now I've started a series that has been on my radar for at least ten years : James Ellroy - . So far in, everything seems familiar from the movie adaptation (two cops fighting a boxing match in Los Angeles in 1946 or 47). I like the style, although Ellroy uses a lot of slang for local colour.

Just started The City & the City . I've not read anything by CM previously, but thought his stuff looked like it might be interesting.

@Algernon - I loved The LA Quartet, but Ellroy's hipster slang can be annoying. Not so much in this quartet, but in some of his later work, it can become an irritant.
I have that book by AB. Did you enjoy it? I haven't read his work.

Paul wrote: "Just started The City & the City. I've not read anything by CM previously, but thought his stuff looked like it might be interesting.

@Algerno..."

Yes - Demolished Man is a mastyerpiece of its time (1950), and I liked "The Stars My Destination" even better (a re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo). That said, Bester has a slighlty dated style (I would compare him with Asimov), where his P.I. stuff has more of a supporting role for building up his science-fiction ideas, and some of the psychological insights rely heavily on Freudian mythos (Oedipian)m another 50's fad.

The Big Nowhere is still my favorite of the Quartet, but I love them all!

Richard wrote: "The Big Nowhere is still my favorite of the Quartet, but I love them all!"

I'm about halfway through the first part of the quartet, and judging by the style so far, I believe I will read all four. It's really good.

Paul wrote: "Currently reading Nightmare Alley; The Inquisitor; & Operation Breakthrough[bookc..."

Paul wrote: "Currently reading [book:Nightmare Alley|7140096]; The Inquisitor; & Operation Breakthrough[bookc..."

I love [book:Nightmare Alley|7140096]. Movie not as much as book.

Okay, I'm looking for some help here. I'm half way through reading The End of Everthing by Megan Abbott and I don't think I can go on. I've recently finished Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress, Dan J. Marlowe's The Name of the Game is Death, Dasheill Hammett's Red Harvest, and James Lee Burke's The Neon Rain. Compared to these books, nothing is happening in The End of Everything. This is my first domestic noir book and I am really bored. Is it going to get better? Is The End of Everything worth finishing?

Juniper Green wrote: "Algernon wrote: "Now I've started a series that has been on my radar for at least ten years : James Ellroy - The Black Dahlia (L.A. Quartet, #1) by James Ellroy . So far in, everything seems famili..."

The Black Dahlia was my introduction to Ellroy. Gritty and wonderful. Still my favorite. Loved LA Confidential, but couldn't get the film out of my head. Great writing in both.

Knocked for a Loop
A few chapters in and enjoying it enough that I already ordered another of Rice's John J. Malone books.

David wrote: "Okay, I'm looking for some help here. I'm half way through reading The End of Everthing by Megan Abbott and I don't think I can go on. I've recently finished Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress, ..."

Haven't read that one David, so i can't help you. I found the same with Bury Me Deep however. Couldn't finish it. Put me off Abbott somewhat, after hearing such good things about her work.

Over the weekend i read The Crazy Kill . Very enjoyable & a quick read. The first in the Harlem Cycle is still my favorite though.
I'm about half way through The Power of the Dog Really enjoying this so far.

Algernon wrote: "I have finished today by Alfred Bester - a classic science-fiction built around a criminal investigation. The policeman in this case has some special abilities ..."

Ellroy is an original, a true great. But his cynicism can be hard to take. I love his punchy, staccato, masculine writing style, but meshed with his characters' constant stream of really awful worldviews and Ellroy's taste for really twisted crimes, the journey is as disturbing as it is engrossing.

Bill wrote: "Knocked for a Loop
A few chapters in and enjoying it enough that I already ordered another of Rice's John J. Malone books."

Thanks. I plodded through The End of Everything last night and this morning. I definitely wasn't worth it. It has a Goodreads rating of 3.37. And with the typical rating inflation that is quite bad.

David wrote: "Bill wrote: "Knocked for a Loop
A few chapters in and enjoying it enough that I already ordered another of Rice's John J. Malone books."

Thanks. I plodded through The End of Everyth..."

She (Abbott) is an author I have no desire to read.

Nancy wrote: "She (Abbott) is an author I have no desire to read. "

The one book of hers that I read was remarkably unimpressive.

On to Michael Connelly's Nine Dragons after finshing Megan Abbott's disappointing The End of Everything. I need to cleanse my palate, so to speak. If you're interested you can read my review of Abbott's book here at Goodreads or on my blog.

Kind of amazed about the dislike for Abbott's writing - I totally agree -, though I thought someone might have stepped up to let me know why I should like it or maybe recommend a good book by her.

Well, it's only been two of us who aren't impressed so far, so maybe other people will weigh in in favor. I did read The Girl on the Train and decided that the whole "domestic noir" thing as you call it (although I personally wouldn't) is just not for me.

David wrote: "Kind of amazed about the dislike for Abbott's writing - I totally agree -, though I thought someone might have stepped up to let me know why I should like it or maybe recommend a good book by her."

I read The Fever in 2014, back in my pre-GR days, and didn't add a review. Mainly it was just 'Meh,' which isn't all that useful.

Not to be the bearer of bad tidings or anything, but Nine Dragons is my least favorite Harry Bosch book. I think the fact that much of it took place overseas where Bosch/Connelly was out of his element was the problem. The good news is that I strongly believe that the next Bosch book you read will be better.

Paul wrote: "I have several books by Lionel White Damnotion, though i've not read him yet. His books look interesting.
."

The Big Caper was entertaining enough, but the pat ending kind of sunk it. Still curious to read Clean Break (I believe that is the title), from which Kubrick's cruel little gem The Killing was adapted.

Reading Farewell, My Lovely at present.

Tried James Elroy once, found him unreadable. MIght revisit him someday.

Damnotion wrote: "Tried James Elroy once, found him unreadable. Might revisit him someday. .."

I get that. Some of his books are out there but L.A. Confidential and The Black Dahlia make up for a lot.

Currently reading (or at least I will be when my company leaves Tuesday): His Bloody Project, by Graeme Macrae Burnet, and I Was Jack Mortimer, by Alexander Lernet-Holnia, another Pushkin Vertigo reprint.

Now reading Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep for the first time. It's quite cool that the narrator is speaking to me in Humphrey Bogart's voice. Wonderful.

David wrote: "Now reading Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep for the first time. It's quite cool that the narrator is speaking to me in Humphrey Bogart's voice. Wonderful."

Funny how that happens, isn't it?