Pulp Fiction discussion

Just finished a re-read of one of Goodis’ lesser known novels, _Of Missing Persons_, which had not been reprinted since the Pocket Books paperback in 1951. The next year, a Warners story editor tried to get it produced as a strong vehicle for Bogart or Cagney.

Ballard, head of the Missing Persons Bureau, wants to quit a pressurized job that has him gobbling pills, sleepless, and constantly pissed off at the top brass. “It would be a showdown and it would be thick, black pudding [revenge].” The plot involves a wife being murdered after complaining to Ballard he did a lousy job trying to find her missing husband. A young woman is arrested for the crime, because planted info suggests she was having an affair with the husband. How Ballard finds out she is innocent is interesting. He grills her, telling her she will hang. Panicked, she says, “He attacked me.” It’s an example of how language itself imprisons a person by preventing a “decent woman” from uttering (in 1950) such an indecent word as “rape”—even if her life was in the balance. Justice?!

Now Ballard knows she is innocent. What did the young woman think of being bound by an obligation to be “decent” that could have put her in the electric chair? In this novel developed from an unused screenplay, we don’t find out. The film was to focus on Cagney or Bogart, and, if Cagney was interested, it would have something to do with his wanting to play the hero after playing the mommy-loving psycho in _White Heat_.

Goodis was perfectly frank about rape in Street of the Lost, The Moon in the Gutter, Of Tender Sin, and Night Squad. Those paperbacks were meant to be about sex and violence, which was why they flew off newsstand racks. At the same time, they gave him more latitude to write noir, where Goodis could investigate motivations for revenge, incest, resignation, and frozen desire. Cullen Gallagher shows that in _Of Missing Persons_, Ballard himself had “Sisyphean burdens” to shoulder. As a bookseller once said, “Goodis didn’t choose the pulp novel form; it chose him.”

Just started reading , after finishing . My first book by Budd Schulberg, author of 'On the Waterfront'.

I started reading:


Death of a Citizen by Donald Hamilton

Reading two great short story collections by Chris Offutt.
“Melungeons” in Out of the Woods is the story of the man who asks to be let into the town jail, and the woman who demands revenge. Both are from backwoods feuding families. Yet the deputy wants to return to this area, where he will have to take sides in the feud. "The Leaving One," in Kentucky Straight, is about a mystic exiled by his own family. He has a concept of identity in contrast to conquering with the aid of machines. “Old of the Moon” is Southern Gothic, narrated into a cassette tape by a lonely old man who died soon after. Offutt's skills with language make for vivid, fast-moving action and great poetic insight.

The genre called “Country Noir” has many of the characteristics of pulp crime novels: violence, sense of obligation, loneliness, poverty, sense of community, extreme individuality, and critique of political forces that have caused deterioration in rural America.
The genre thus combines the noir and hard-boiled aspects of 20th century pulp crime narratives. The epigraph to Out of the Woods is “Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going was never there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it.”

Oh, goodness, The Melungeons: the racial/economic trope that will never die.
I must read that story!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melungeon

Jay wrote: "Reading two great short story collections by Chris Offutt.
“Melungeons” in Out of the Woods is the story of the man who asks to be let into the town jail, and the woman who demands revenge. Both a..."

Offutt's an amazing writer. I've often thought about including his work in a poll, but I'm not sure how the members feel about short story collections.

Melki wrote: "Jay wrote: "Reading two great short story collections by Chris Offutt.
“Melungeons” in Out of the Woods is the story of the man who asks to be let into the town jail, and the woman who demands rev..."

I know there has been some Q&A going on with Chris Offutt, although it may be at Southern Trails, not here. Someone should ask Mr. Offutt if he intends to write a novel. Many good writers want to write short stories all their life -- Faulkner was one -- but even Faulkner was persuaded there was a decent living in novels.

BTW I grew up in the Central Appalachians near Bristol VA/TN and am thrilled by the growth of Appalachian Noir. When it started going a few years ago I felt it was long overdue, something geographically between "Deliverance" country in No. Georgia and "Deer Hunter" country in central Penna.

My county was a touristic hang-fire for decades. Now people go there to hike the Virginia Creeper trail, which used to be a railroad route; and the village near where I grew up, so small it isn't even incorporated, has a "locavore" themed restaurant owned by Barbara Kingsolver. Meadowview is now on the map! (Wish it had been when I grew up there.)

I'm re-reading The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I'm hoping to take this leisurely.

ALLEN wrote: "Melki wrote: "Jay wrote: "Reading two great short story collections by Chris Offutt.
“Melungeons” in Out of the Woods is the story of the man who asks to be let into the town jail, and the woman w..."

Melki, I guess you know the excellent stories and novels of Rusty Barnes (there is a sequel to one of them coming out soon), who writes of central PA , the "northern tier" of the state, near Elmira. Country noir is very important, I think due to its radical turning away from what seems to be an increasingly robotized, surveilled, solipsistic culture and all its obligations, formerly sacred but now ineffective. Some of the stories I cited go in this direction. I think of the end of Gatsby: Fitzgerald writes that Gatsy's dream (of peace and connection?) was "already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." He may be thinking of the "old weird America" Griel Marcus cited. Anyway, there is plenty of noir in that phrasing.

Jay wrote: "ALLEN wrote: "Melki wrote: "Jay wrote: "Reading two great short story collections by Chris Offutt.
“Melungeons” in Out of the Woods is the story of the man who asks to be let into the town jail, a..."

Perhaps country-noir could be the subject of one of our monthly group reads.

Jay wrote: "Melki, I guess you know the excellent stories and novels of Rusty Barnes (there is a sequel to one of them coming out soon), who writes of central PA , the "northern tier" of the state, near Elmira."

No - I do not. I'll be adding him to my list immediately.

Lawrence wrote: "Perhaps country-noir could be the subject of one of our monthly group reads."

Sounds like a great idea to me.

Re Lawrence's comment: "Perhaps country-noir could be the subject of one of our monthly group reads.

You know, Lawrence, I think that's a great idea! Then we don't have to confine the genre to one geographic or cultural region -- really it expands the urban Noir to non-urban areas. Really, isn't IN COLD BLOOD a kind of "country noir," since most of it is set in rural Western Kansas? (The more intelligent of the two killers, Dick Hickock, once railed against Western Kansas "Prairiebillies" drawing a direct analogy to "Hillbillies."

Today, everyone reads everything, and I think that's great. Just a couple of years ago at the now-defunct Amazon chat boards, many of us decried the fact that some book discussions attracted only men, and some only women. I think I might, even today, offend some readers here if I employ the obvious riposte to "chick lit," the sub-genre of "d*ck lit," but I wish I could. Not to exclude women or women's concerns, but the kind of writing that does focus on men and their particular concerns and styles of violence.

I just finished


Death of a Citizen by Donald Hamilton
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And now I'm starting


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

all right, diehard pulp fans, I just finished 2 amazing books in one volume, both of which are early pulp mysteries from the early 1900s and 1910s.

2 Detectives: Astro, the Master of Mysteries / Dr. Xavier Wycherley, the Mind-Reader from Coachwhip Publications.

Seriously great fun.

I've spent the entire afternoon reading a book called Portrait in Smoke by an American writer named Bill S. Ballinger, half of a 2-book-in-one thingie by Stark House Portrait in Smoke The Longest Second. I can't put this book down. Has anyone read any of his other work? I may have hunt down more of his stuff.

Nancy wrote: "I've spent the entire afternoon reading a book called Portrait in Smoke by an American writer named Bill S. Ballinger, half of a 2-book-in-one thingie by Stark House Portrait in Smoke The Lo..."

Nancy, I read one Ballinger, The Body in the Bed, a Kindle edition which appears to be out-of-print.

It was OK.



I have some highlights from that edition, but I can't link to them.

I also have The Body Beautiful, but have put off reading it.

Christopher wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I've spent the entire afternoon reading a book called Portrait in Smoke by an American writer named Bill S. Ballinger, half of a 2-book-in-one thingie by Stark House [book:Portrait in..."

Thanks. Evidently Portrait in Smoke (1950) was one of his better books and was made into a film called Wicked As They Come. I appreciate the other titles, Christopher.

Nancy wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I've spent the entire afternoon reading a book called Portrait in Smoke by an American writer named Bill S. Ballinger, half of a 2-book-in-one thingie by Stark Hou..."

Is this perhaps an underappreciated classic? I see only one GR review of the book on file, which means any of you could double the number by filing one review!

I'm starting


Personal Injuries by Scott Turow

ALLEN wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I've spent the entire afternoon reading a book called Portrait in Smoke by an American writer named Bill S. Ballinger, half of a 2-book-in-one thingi..."

I don't know if it's underappreciated, but until I got it in the mail from the publisher some time ago I'd never heard of this guy. Now I'm just sorry I didn't read it earlier. I hope the second book is at least half as good as the first.

Just finished watching the film. I don't know if it was down to censors or code, but the film was way toned down compared to the novel.

Nancy wrote: "Just finished watching the film. I don't know if it was down to censors or code, but the film was way toned down compared to the novel."

I agree. But I did like the ending.

ALLEN wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Just finished watching the film. I don't know if it was down to censors or code, but the film was way toned down compared to the novel."

I agree. But I did like the ending."

I can understand that given the rest of the film, but the book's ending sent a true chill down my spine.

There may be some who do not yet know that Scott Turow's "Kindle County" is not-too-loosely based on Cook County and Chicago, IL.

ALLEN wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Just finished watching the film. I don't know if it was down to censors or code, but the film was way toned down compared to the novel."

I agree. But I did like the ending."

So, you have read the Ballinger hook? Or were you referencing Scott Turow? I was talking about the film made from the Ballinger novel. Sorry

Mea culpa! I meant the movie adaptation of the Turow.
When was the Balinger movie adaptation made?

1956

Thanks!

It's on YouTube

Nancy wrote: "It's on YouTube"

Thanks! You da Mod!

Just finished Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel , which was OK, but unsurprisingly perhaps, no competion when compared to Raymond Chandler's creation. Still, quite well done. 3.5* from me.
Half way through Severed . Seems quite good. I enjoyed Kernick's first novel, about an assassin detective.

I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John Banville?

Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John Banville?"

The Black-Eyed Blonde, under Benjamin Black, Banville's alter ego.

Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John Banville?"

[b..."

Ah yes. Thank you. Forgot Banville also wrote under the name Black. I've read this and as i remember it was a bit disappointing.

Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John ..."

I thought Black-Eyed Blonde was a disaster....Osborne's "Only to Sleep" did a good job resurrecting Marlowe. One of the stronger points were the use of metaphors and similes, and they were just sprinkled around and not over done.
There were a few things where I thought Osborne paled in comparison to Chandler...Osborne spent too much time on description of places, and used annoying phrases like "Back in the day" or "in the olden days"...I can't see Marlowe using those phrases

Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John ..."

I didn't think it was too bad, actually -- I didn't at all expect Chandler so I wasn't disappointed.

Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that book by John ..."

On the other hand, his Quirke novels are deliciously dark noir.

I noticed that, especially since I joined this group, I start a lot of series and I don't follow up. So I decided to pick the second book in the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. I liked it very much, but the review will have to wait, as I'm leaving again for the mountains and for Europe for an extended holiday.

Elliot wrote: "Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know the name of that ..."

Yes. I wasn't expecting Chandler, so i wasn't really disappointed it didn't match Chandler. But it's pretty gutsy for a writer to try to wear that mantle. Still, if one is going to attempt such a thing, one must expect comparisons.

Paul wrote: "Elliot wrote: "Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Paul wrote: "I believe John Banville is another author who the Chandler Estate approached or approved to write a Marlowe themed novel.
Does anyone know th..."

very true...Chandler casts such a large shadow, it's almost inescapable and really, not fair haha

Reading another of Lawrence Sanders' Archy McNally series abouy a purloined tabby - and murder

I finished:


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And now I'm starting


The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka

Randy wrote: "I finished:


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/r..."

I love Kafka. Years ago, we had a waterbug fall from the ceiling in my office. I asked if we had a cubicle available for Gregor Samsa. Only one other person got the reference...

Lawrence wrote: "Randy wrote: "I finished:


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.g..."

Cute.

So apparantly I suck at reading in the summer. Especially with hot weather. And it was a hot summer here. A few months it was 28-31 celsius, which is like 87 fahrenheit? To us in the Netherlands that's hot.

It's getting colder again and I'm slightly thinking about reading soon. Ah well, I was just saying Hi and confirming I'm not dead yet. So, Hi!

Hi, Frank! We heard about your beastly hot summer. I supposed 87 F. is not too unusual in the summer in most of the USA, but not in Western or Northern Europe.

Bet you're looking foward to some autumn, eh?

ALLEN wrote: "Hi, Frank! We heard about your beastly hot summer. I supposed 87 F. is not too unusual in the summer in most of the USA, but not in Western or Northern Europe.

Bet you're looking foward to some a..."

For sure. But, lets hope it doesn't tip over in the other extremes. That's Holland for ya, we can be looking at months of rain in autumn.

Ah well, I'll be back with you all soon. Did I miss lots of good picks?

I would say so, but they're all up above.

Fine noir: The Gravediggers' Bread, by Frederic Dard (1956). So craftily put together!!