OscarWildebeest
03-13-2014, 08:20 AM
To a greater extent the value of any writing, for me, resides here-in: how well has it weathered the test of time? And yes, many a great book, many great writings, favourites of mine fared dismally in this regard.
The best known of these "failures" must be Joseph Heller's "Catch 22." Not only has it sold millions, but also had its title immortalized in The Oxford dictionary as a word. One of my favourites it is: a well written book, but unfortunately not in a style that finds favour with the modern reader. More is the pity, but let not pity interfere with facts.
Thus, for comparrison's sake, last week Wednesday and Thursday, I read 4 detective novels: Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" (1930), Rex Stout's “The League of Frightened Men " (1935), George Simenon's “Maigret And The Headless Corpse” (1955), and Erle Stanley Gardner's “The Case Of The Crying Swallow” (1947). Four different writers, four different styles.
Verily interesting it was to read “…he did a short hitch in Joliet for pistol-whipping a twist that had given him the needle…” and "having Miles knocked off bothered me, and then you birds cracking foxy.” Also: “Wolfe once asked me why the devil I ever pretended to read a book, and I told him for cultural reasons, and he said I might as well forgo the pains, that culture was like money, it comes easiest to those who need it least”
Anyway, for me it was the 1935 detective, Nero Wolfe who weathered time the best! An overweight , fairly modern Sherlock Holmes, who loves orchids and hardly ever leaves his residence! Depending on others whom he instructs regarding the physical gathering of facts, Nero Wolfe consumes their verbal reports in a nonchalant manner. Where after he processes same in his brain, and like a slot machine spits out the correct coinage (identity of the perpetrator). Pity though that Mr Stout's development of the final denouement is not of the same intensity as that which precedes it. Still, in all probability, his manner of writing is the one which will go down best with today's reader.
However, George Simenon's "Maigret And The Headless Corpse" deserves a special mention, albeit for a different reason! I found him somewhat boring, coming across as steadily moving around in circles! However, for Mr Simenon the characterization of Chief Inspector Maigret is apparently the reason d'etre of his novel. And in this regard the book is outstanding, enough reason to read it. What John Irving did with his "A prayer for Owen Meany" (where the last 10 pages is a brilliant conclusion of every preceding page), Simenon does so much better: every preceding word is a mere support act fot the last sentence!
"Did she have anything else to say?"
"No. She just asked me, as she was leaving, whether you had seen to her cat."
"What did you say?"
"That you had better things to do."
Maigret could never forgive Judge Comeliau for that."
________________________________________
The best known of these "failures" must be Joseph Heller's "Catch 22." Not only has it sold millions, but also had its title immortalized in The Oxford dictionary as a word. One of my favourites it is: a well written book, but unfortunately not in a style that finds favour with the modern reader. More is the pity, but let not pity interfere with facts.
Thus, for comparrison's sake, last week Wednesday and Thursday, I read 4 detective novels: Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" (1930), Rex Stout's “The League of Frightened Men " (1935), George Simenon's “Maigret And The Headless Corpse” (1955), and Erle Stanley Gardner's “The Case Of The Crying Swallow” (1947). Four different writers, four different styles.
Verily interesting it was to read “…he did a short hitch in Joliet for pistol-whipping a twist that had given him the needle…” and "having Miles knocked off bothered me, and then you birds cracking foxy.” Also: “Wolfe once asked me why the devil I ever pretended to read a book, and I told him for cultural reasons, and he said I might as well forgo the pains, that culture was like money, it comes easiest to those who need it least”
Anyway, for me it was the 1935 detective, Nero Wolfe who weathered time the best! An overweight , fairly modern Sherlock Holmes, who loves orchids and hardly ever leaves his residence! Depending on others whom he instructs regarding the physical gathering of facts, Nero Wolfe consumes their verbal reports in a nonchalant manner. Where after he processes same in his brain, and like a slot machine spits out the correct coinage (identity of the perpetrator). Pity though that Mr Stout's development of the final denouement is not of the same intensity as that which precedes it. Still, in all probability, his manner of writing is the one which will go down best with today's reader.
However, George Simenon's "Maigret And The Headless Corpse" deserves a special mention, albeit for a different reason! I found him somewhat boring, coming across as steadily moving around in circles! However, for Mr Simenon the characterization of Chief Inspector Maigret is apparently the reason d'etre of his novel. And in this regard the book is outstanding, enough reason to read it. What John Irving did with his "A prayer for Owen Meany" (where the last 10 pages is a brilliant conclusion of every preceding page), Simenon does so much better: every preceding word is a mere support act fot the last sentence!
"Did she have anything else to say?"
"No. She just asked me, as she was leaving, whether you had seen to her cat."
"What did you say?"
"That you had better things to do."
Maigret could never forgive Judge Comeliau for that."
________________________________________