Kevin's Watch

Hi

Has anyone read this guys books - a character who is probably as dispicable as covenant, set in middle america - crime novels.

well worth the read, and i'd be interested in anyone's comments

oh yeah!!! Crumley!!! have read Last Good Kiss and Bordersnakes and i THINK i've read Dancing Bear as well...

great "hard-boiled" writer!!!

Ah, Bordersnakes is great - a bit more mellow than the last good kiss.

Its sorta crime , but its also social comment, amazing stuff. I see that there are more about the characters that I have yet to read...

Haven't read any of his stuff, but after looking him up, sounds pretty good, similar to James Ellroy's work.

Encryptic wrote:Haven't read any of his stuff, but after looking him up, sounds pretty good, similar to James Ellroy's work.

it's been a few years since i read Crumley but i'm not sure i'd compare him with Ellroy. Ellroy is DARK, maybe the darkest of the contemporary "hard-boiled" crime writers. i might not have said that prior to reading his memoir My Dark Places, but let me tell you, when Ellroy says dark places, he really means it. the guy's been "down in the zero" as Andrew Vachss would say.

i went crazy with the dark guys for a while...Vachss, Jim Thompson, David Goodis, Ellroy, Charles Willeford and well...lots of others.

Lucimay wrote:

Encryptic wrote:Haven't read any of his stuff, but after looking him up, sounds pretty good, similar to James Ellroy's work.

it's been a few years since i read Crumley but i'm not sure i'd compare him with Ellroy. Ellroy is DARK, maybe the darkest of the contemporary "hard-boiled" crime writers. i might not have said that prior to reading his memoir My Dark Places, but let me tell you, when Ellroy says dark places, he really means it. the guy's been "down in the zero" as Andrew Vachss would say.

i went crazy with the dark guys for a while...Vachss, Jim Thompson, David Goodis, Ellroy, Charles Willeford and well...lots of others.

You could be right. Don't think I've ever read any fiction that comes close to touching Ellroy (just re-read The Big Nowhere recently, as a matter of fact) in terms of his style. After reading My Dark Places, it's not hard to see where it all comes from. Great writer on a lot of levels.

Crumley does sound pretty good, though.

Crumley IS good, as good as Ellroy, just different, not as dank and well, sleezy-slimey. i can't think how else to say it. he's just not as nasty as Ellroy.

I see my last post in this thread got killed by the big hack, but I just wanted to thank y'alls for bringing Crumley to my attention. Picked up The Right Madness on my last library trip and finally got into it this morning.

Very good so far and I'll definitely be looking for more of his books.

You are right about Crumley not being quite as "over the top" as Ellroy, but I like his style.

yes...me to Encryptic...Crumley has something that Ellroy seems to lack sometimes...tongue in cheek sense of humor!! hahaha!

(i worry about that Ellroy guy! what do you think makes him laugh??)