Anyone have some solid true crime recommendations? Looking for something gripping and maybe even obsessive in tone, but also well- researched -- writing that's not going to waste my time w/ unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and/or juvenile writing.
Read some standards like In Cold Blood, Helter Skelter, Homicide, The Corner, Low Life (only partially focused on crime), both Graysmith books on the Zodiac killer.
Urban settings and action taking place post-1900 a plus.
I just started this:
It's not about violent crime as far as I can tell so far, but it seems very well researched, and has some great profiles on some amazing people.
I bought a bunch of Victor Canning paperbacks on Ebay for cheap. I have been curious about his crime novels since I saw The Scorpio Letters, a British TV movie from 1967, starring Shirley Eaton a few months ago
PGunn summed up the Denis Johnson oeuvre very well above, but I wanted to revive this...
Finished 'Tree of Smoke,' last week, and loved it. Loved it. By no means perfect, but a very well written book, that I enjoyed the deeper I got into it. A great war novel, very well written...I recommend it to anyone looking to sit down with a long novel to get lost in.
To tie the experience up, I read Graham Greene's, 'The Quiet American,' which was referenced throughout, specifically regarding Skip Sands, the books CIA agent. Great view of the young, idealistic American male, and if you read Tree of Smoke, you owe it to yourself to read the Quiet American.
Then, I reread 'Jesus' Son,' which is, in my opinion, the closest Denis Johnson has come to writing something perfect. Fuck me, that is a great and unique book.
Martin Amis is a lecturer at my uni, always bits in student paper talking about how overpayed he is, getting paid the equivalent of ??3000 per hour for his work apparently. And also he is being accused of racism by another lecturer after some comments he made about terrorism.
Having said all that I've never read one of his books! So can't add much to the thread in that respect!
I'm on spring break right now and I've had a chance to do some reading. I always enjoy these threads the most, so...
One of my new favorite books. An anti-hero that I can pity. Roy Hobbs is one of American Literature's greatest characters.
Nowhere near as good as Blood Meridian. The writing isn't as unique, the characters aren't as good, it doesn't have a mythic quality that I like -- and liked so much about Blood Meridian. I could go on.
Published the same year as The Stranger according to Wikipedia. I forgot where I read it, but some think it's better than Camus's. I think that the plot is better, but it doesn't have the same oomph as The Stranger.
Has anyone else read these or anything else interesting?
Comments
This is such a fast read. Not sure how much I like it yet.
Anyone else finish this one? No spoilers, please.
I just started this:
It's not about violent crime as far as I can tell so far, but it seems very well researched, and has some great profiles on some amazing people.
You actually liked that?
Finished 'Tree of Smoke,' last week, and loved it. Loved it. By no means perfect, but a very well written book, that I enjoyed the deeper I got into it. A great war novel, very well written...I recommend it to anyone looking to sit down with a long novel to get lost in.
To tie the experience up, I read Graham Greene's, 'The Quiet American,' which was referenced throughout, specifically regarding Skip Sands, the books CIA agent. Great view of the young, idealistic American male, and if you read Tree of Smoke, you owe it to yourself to read the Quiet American.
Then, I reread 'Jesus' Son,' which is, in my opinion, the closest Denis Johnson has come to writing something perfect. Fuck me, that is a great and unique book.
I didn't find the tone didactic. Sounds like you did?
Having said all that I've never read one of his books! So can't add much to the thread in that respect!
Now I'm reading The Natural.
One of my new favorite books. An anti-hero that I can pity. Roy Hobbs is one of American Literature's greatest characters.
Nowhere near as good as Blood Meridian. The writing isn't as unique, the characters aren't as good, it doesn't have a mythic quality that I like -- and liked so much about Blood Meridian. I could go on.
Published the same year as The Stranger according to Wikipedia. I forgot where I read it, but some think it's better than Camus's. I think that the plot is better, but it doesn't have the same oomph as The Stranger.
Has anyone else read these or anything else interesting?