Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America)

Seller described this used book as "like new" and in fact it is more like 100% New. Very nice.

I admit, I haven't gotten through all of the stories yet. I bought it after seeing the film version of "The Killer Inside Me", which I found disturbing and creepy. After reading the paper version, to which the film is very faithful, I read Highsmith's novel - and then watched the film version of that (not quite as faithful to the novel. Both of these stories were good, but "Pick-Up" is the standout so far. Beyond depressing, nihilistic, existential - if you've ever felt wayyy down, the depiction of hopelessness in Willeford's novel will feel eerie and almost embarrassingly on-target, exposing the raw, pulpy edges of self pity and sheer, undiluted despondence so thick and dark there is no remedy for it. And, no matter how clever the plots or characters in the first two novels, there are no "wow" plot twist moments as there is at the end of "Pick-Up" - what many see as a gimmick, but which was one of the few really surprising (and though the novel works without it, enlightening) turns in anything I've read in many a moon.

The Library of America has several interesting compilations of Noir novels. I had read Himes' Real Cool Killers separately and also have just watched his "Cotton Comes to Harlem" from the novel, with the same lead detectives. Himes is almost a forgotten author, typical of the bigotry of the Jim Crow era, in that he wasn't appreciated in the US, but received major prizes in France, where he lived out his life.The Killer Inside Me is about a despicable deputy in a small TX town, a character one detests but nevertheless can't ignore. The Talented Mr. Ripley was a movie, and, again, presents an evil young man in his downward spiral. I'm reading it now, having seen a film of it years ago. Two other novels in the volume I've yet to start.These are well bound books with a huge amount of good content for the money. I bought another volume of similar works from the 1930's and 1940's, and one of Dashiell Hammett works at the sme time. Many of these tales have become classic films. I look forward to much pleasant reading from the group.

Great book, great price. Thanks!

Classic crime novels...not much more needs to be said.

In this area of noir, I suggest starting with Raymond Chandler. If you've whipped through his books, like me recently, as well as those of Micky Spillane and Dashiell Hammett, then you are definitely ready for this collection and its partner volume of crime novels from the '30s and '40s. I need to mention, in particular, a real treasure in this collection, which is The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes.At this point, allow me a brief political comment. These days, when I see an anthology of five books, and one of the authors is a woman and one is an African-American, perhaps you will forgive me if I guess that something other than storytelling merit went into the selection process. Too harsh? Keep in mind that we are talking about a genre (in this case, hard-boiled crime stories from the 1950s) where you don't exactly expect to see a rainbow coalition of gender and ethnicity. What's more, my suspicion was initially confirmed by reading The Talented Mr. Ripley, which is clearly the weakest story in the collection, and only then observing that this was the first novel in the field I had seen written by a female author.That introduction brings me to the Real Cool Killers, by Chester Himes. I have since learned that he was an African-American author who wrote many books. But I will fight it out with anyone who claims that Real Cool Killers was selected because of Himes' race. This story is the best of the lot, and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. In fact, our era of political correctness in literature and academia probably means that Himes does not get nearly the attention he deserves. He is wonderfully impartial when it comes to skin hue in his presentation of nasty characters and their evil deeds. He is equally impartial in his socio-economics. The poor are not automatic angels; the police and the wealthy are not cardboard oppressors. Himes is just a great writer. His novel, which is the last in the book, was a surprising treat.

These are great crime novels!

Enjoyed all five novels - although The Killer Inside was a little nasty in parts