Monday, June 10, 2013

Noir: Not My Style





The Big Sleep is a book my friend Mark had me borrow. I decided to try it, even though this is not a genre I have great interest in. Perhaps this influenced my opinion of the book? I have developed almost an annoyance with how I often encounter noir. When watching a show that runs for over 2 seasons it seems the writers decide they can do a lazy version of noir that does nothing for the storyline of their show. Noir is often badly inserted into the show(people randomly knocked out and dream in noir). As a result, I get frustrated, and have developed a general dislike for noir. I would agree that perhaps this is not real noir, but it is what I'm most often exposed to. I do not like it. Probably the most successful were the writers of the office that used a Michael Scarn movie, a cross between noir and 007. It was presented in a way that was meant to be funny, and actually advanced the plot. I was pleasantly surprised.

Enough ranting about bad noir. Even if my feelings toward noir influenced my opinion, I did not like this book. I thought the book was a little disjointed. This might be the result of the author combining some of his short stories to make a novel. It was also one of his earliest pieces, and my understanding is that some of his later works are better.

The plot follows a P.I. as he investigates a blackmail case for a rich old man and his 2 daughters. There were some amusing lines in the book, but that was not enough for me to like it. Unfortunately, this book didn't hold my attention, and it was more of a chore to read than a joy.

I do appreciate the idea that the author did a lot for this genre, and I think that's great. But, this book was not for me. I would be interested in hearing what people thought about this book that are more familiar with this genre, and with the author.

3 comments:

  1. I enjoy classic noir (par example, The Maltese Falcon) but agree with you re: noir of the small-screen. Disappointing to hear that combining the short stories didn't work out in this case; I find that an intriguing style of writing in general.

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    1. I did enjoy the Maltese Falcon. I only saw the film with Bogart, I haven't read it. The combining of short stories could have gone a lot better. Do you have any particular titles in this genre you would recommend?

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  2. Basically anything by Carroll John Daly or Dashiell Hammett. Chandler is the third really quintessentially hard-boiled noir author, known for having refined the genre in his later works (but I admit I haven't read a full-length novel of his, just stories as included in anthologies).
    Or, if you prefer contemporary pieces, I'd go with the "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" series, although Nordic Noir is a distinct sub-genre.

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