Tag: noir

  • The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

    I get the significance of this, and I can see why it was a big deal. I am sure that if you’re a devotee of the genre, this would be fascinating. To unsophisticated me though, it was a decent way to kill a few hours. I’ll be more likely to pick up other Raymond Chandler…

  • The Black Dalhia by James Ellroy

    Very good, very long. One of those books whose long shadow makes it less striking. It has influenced so many modern crime thrillers (Se7en is the first that comes to mind) that the gruesome and graphic details seem less shocking than they likely would have when this was new. Still worth the time, though. It…

  • Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

    There are so many quotable lines in this book. It’s no wonder that Chandler’s writing helped set the template for an entire genre: I was sitting on the side of my bed in my pyjamas, thinking about getting up, but not yet committed. I didn’t feel very well, but I didn’t feel as sick as…