Over at The Rap Sheet, there was a recent poll on what mystery writer readers would like to return. Most nominations went to Jonathan Valin, one of the hardboiled crime writers who emerged in the late eighties. I've read the only translated Valin, Kosto (Book Studio 1996; originally Extenuating circumstances, Delacorte 1989) and while I liked it quite a bit - the atmosphere was nicely gritty and Valin's hero, Harry Stoner, was a likable character - I was also disturbed by the manner in which Valin described the people who are into sadomasochism. It was like they were all potential killers, maniacs on the loose, ready to inflict pain on anyone and enjoy it. I found that quite unlikable in the book and haven't grabbed any other Valins to read, even though I have one whose title escapes me.
Here's what I got to say about the book some years back (in Finnish).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment