|
|
 
|
Newsletter sign-up: 
Get Breaking News on your cell|
About This Blog
Michael Merschel: Michael Merschel edits books coverage for The Dallas Morning News. November 2010
Recent Posts
George W. Bush to sign Decision Points in Dallas Late-breaking author event: Lori Ann Stephens at SMU B&N Bookstore Brandon Sanderson visits Dallas on Thursday Want to write for a literary journal? "The First Line" wants you Going to the World Series with Dave Eggers Rick Riordan's lastest novels take on new myths Audio review: Ian Frazier's "Travels in Siberia" Jimmy Carter to visit Grapevine on Friday Next week in books: Noteworthy new releases Local writers in the news: From Maud Hart Lovelace to "extreme" space Categories
GuideLive.com
Entertainment Blogs |
"I was sitting on the side of my bed in my pajamas, thinking about getting up, but not yet committed. I didn't feel very well, but I didn't feel as sick as I ought to, not as sick as I would feel if I had a salaried job. My head hurt and felt large and hot and my tongue was dry and had gravel on it and my throat was stiff and my jaw was not untender. But I had had worse mornings." I'm on a noir kick, and that quote from Farewell, My Lovely (by Raymond Chandler) seemed approrpriate to kick-start the week. Marlowe has just been nearly choked to death by a con man's thug, brained by a corrupt cop, shot up with drugs and ticked off the beautiful, brilliant woman who loves him. Yeah, I know -- it sounds just like my weekend, too.
You can actually read Farewell, My Lovely online. I prefered the fine Library of America version from my local library. The dated, racist language is painful. But from what I recall, I've read worse in other, celebrated writers, such as Ian Fleming. And the language is sharp, and sometimes stunning. I don't know what's driving this sudden interest in noir. Maybe it's the weather. It's been hotter than a $3 radio at an all-night pawnshop around here. Or maybe it's the economy. A newspaperman's career prospects these days seem to be streaming downhill faster than a call girl's mascara in a thunderstorm. OK, maybe I need to take a break. But I did finally just complete The Yiddish Policemen's Union in paperback, then a pair of Chandler novels. Now I can't decide between more Chandler or dipping into this Dashiell Hammett collection that's been on my reading table for a few months. Noir fans -- any suggestions? |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bio
E-mail
News tips|
THINGS TO DO
|
|
|
| |
