"Uphill," Mary Miller and "Cheap Suitcase and a New Town," Chris Offutt
These are two beautifully written stories. I enjoyed them both but reading them in succession is probably a mistake. Especially with noir stories whose characters and settings tend to be much alike. Both stories had a female protagonist who was a match for anyone who went up against her.
I have read other work by the authors. BILOXI by Mary Miller and MY FATHER, THE PORNOGRAPHER by Chris Offutt.
The NOIR books is such an extensive series now. Clearly a lot of people have a yearning for these dark stories. I have dipped into these books over the years but have never read an entire volume. How about you guys?Are you fans of this series or noir in general?
6 comments:
I was just posting on someone else's blog, Patti, that there seems to be more Southern Gothic fiction coming out right now - Southern noir, too. I don't know whether it'll last, but it's an interesting development.
Yes, like Noir in general and have enjoyed those of the series I've read - Brooklyn, Manhattan, etc. Don't have a complete list of those I've read, but usually I will look at the list of authors and if there are more than a handful I know, I will give it a try. I also look at the setting. If it is one I know (New Orleans, San Francisco, London), it is more likely I will try it. I haven't read one of these in a while, though.
By coincidence, I'm currently reading Chris Offutt's first book, and first short story collection, KENTUCKY STRAUGHT. It's good, and worth a try, but I'd say his writing has grown by magnitudes over the last 30 years, judging by THE KILLING HILLS and SHIFTY'S BOYS.
I finished the two collections I was reading last week and started the second Jean Rhys collectiojn, as well as the Offutt. I have two more of his books on hold.
Man, you read up a story, Jeff.
MS NOIR was a while ago now. They have collections from parts of cities now.
Mine's up! Early for me, sigh.
https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2022/09/ssw-1958-fantasy-magazine-fiction-part.html
I want to like the Ashkazic NOIR series more than I do, but they tagged Carlin Romano to edit PHILADELPHIA NOIR just after he said yes to my reviewing A. A. Attanasio's new novel for the INQUIRER and then claimed he had no memory of doing so. Aside from that lapse in judgment (I didn't much like Romano's reviews before then, either), they aren't all they could be, but what is.
Tracy's link still takes us to George's entry.
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