The other day, I ignorantly slurred Mickey Spillaine for writing crummy fiction. I was set straight, and promised to make it up, to the degree of reading one of his books.
What one Spillaine book should I read, to get the best angle, the best impression, of his work?
(Many years ago I blindly picked up an Agatha Christie book…which turned out to be one of her absolute worst stinkers! I don’t want to make that mistake again!)
Hell, I’m so ignorant, I’m not even sure how to spell his name! I Googled, and find both “Spillane” and “Spillaine.” Which is preferred?
It’s Spillane. You could probably go with I, the Jury. It was his first book, it introduced his main character of Mike Hammer, and it was a best seller.
My Gun Is Quick is my favorite, but they are all the same.
If you are expecting great literature, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting entertainingly self-parodying dreck with lashings of violence and sex, you will be delighted.
I keep The Snake on the shelf just to catch the unwary and occasionally remind myself what real potboilers are like. But I, The Jury is probably your best bet.
You can read any of his first seven novels, from I, the Jury in 1947 to Kiss Me, Deadly in 1952 and get pretty much the same effect. Don’t read anything after that. And don’t read them one after another; they’re too similar. And don’t…
Look, just read I, the Jury to say you have and then drop the whole matter.
As long as you are sure you can stop after just one.
Literature can ennoble, and enlighten, and challenge the soul. But sometimes you want to read about knocking the bad guy’s teeth down his throat with the end of your .45, and bedding every woman in sight while still pining for your allegedly virginal secretary.
Haute cuisine is nice, but sometimes it’s fun to stop by the Waffle House at 2am.
Heck, I read all seven and The Girl Hunters too. But I was in high school at the time. I also read the entire shelf of Perry Mason mysteries that our library had, about 40 paperbacks. I call the like popcorn novels.
Still, there’s gourmet popcorn and then there’s the stale stuff with rancid butter and lots of unpopped kernels. Even with popcorn you can be a bit choosy.
Well, it all came about because I foolishly spoke of what I expected, and was told to go out and damn well read it before I judged it. So, yeah, I’m expecting sexy violent dreck…but that’s what got me in trouble in the first place.
“I never read a book before reviewing it. It prejudices a man so.” Sydney Smith (1771–1845)
I was operating on that principle…and have to say, while it’s funny, it really is a bad policy. So this is my penance. If I end up enjoying it, so much the better!
Thank you all! I, the Jury, shall render a verdict on I, the Jury!
Shodan and Exapno Mapcase: I love movie-theater popcorn and a nice waffle-house breakfast!