- Hardcover: 540 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc; First Edition edition (31 Oct 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195084993
- ISBN-13: 978-0195084993
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 4.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,123,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Review
"Hard-Boiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories, edited by Bill Pronzini and Jack Adrian, present[s] seven decades of grimly realistic tales, each 'so hard-boiled it could break your teeth.'"--The Wall Street Journal
"Editors Bill Pronzini and Jack Adrian clearly know their stuff. "I'll Be Waiting" is Raymond Chandler's most subtly melancholy tale, and "Three-Ten to Yuma" reminds us that even when Elmore Leonard wrote Westerns, he never saw a white hat he didn't want to soil."--Newsweek
"Ranges from Dashiell Hammett and W.R. Burnett in the 1920s, when the hard-boiled style emerged as a recognizable subgenre of crime fiction, to James Ellroy and Lawrence in the '90s....A thoughtful introduction salutes the role of Spillane in revitalizing the genre."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
"No one knows more about the hard-boiled American mystery than Pronzini and Adrian. Here's a book that belongs on every reader's shelf--after they've enjoyed a week or two of pure pleasure sa
Mike Ripley, Daily Telegraph
"One of the best anthologies ever to trace the hard-nosed, amoral school of American short crime fiction."
--This text refers to the
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Where do I begin? I read this book when I was sixteen and as a crime and short story writer wannabe, it has influenced me heavily. For 90% of the time, each story is a good as the last one; a rare occurrence in such books. To be honest, it would be hard to compile a bad anthology which included Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain. It was the previous work of these three authors that sold the book to me and yet I was almost relieved (and certainly surprised) to discover that their contributions weren't my favourites. Hammett's "The Scorched Face" is a cracker and sets the pace and tone for the rest of the anthology. W.R. Burnett includes a follow-up to his "Little Caesar", Chandler's "I'll Be Waiting" just oozes atmosphere while David Goodis explores familiar themes and Jim Thompson gives his best. However, the real treat, the one story that should be re-read is Brett Halliday's "Human Interest Stuff". The twist in the tail is just the icing on the cake and immediately sent me back to the beginning to see how easily I was hoodwinked. The story is so cleverly structured however, that I didn't feel patronised by the author at all and upon re-visiting, I appreciated his technique even more. For a so-called "pulp" story, it had an incredible amount of depth and great characterisation. Paul Cain, the mystery man of the pulps, also contributes a minor masterpiece as do James M. Cain and William Cole. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys not just great crime literature (let's face it: there IS such a thing!) but also to readers who are interested in modern history and literature in general. In fact, if you like reading, then please read this book. It'll make your day and open your eyes.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Top Notch Hard-Boiled Anthology
11 Jan 2002
Format:Paperback
"Hard Boiled" is an absolutely first rate collection of short stories by some of the best AND least known writers of the genre. One of its two editors, Bill Pronzini, is an avid collector of the old Pulp magazines as well as being one of the best hard-boiled writers working today (he's the author of the excellent "Nameless" detective series). He and co-editor Jack Adrian really know their stuff, as they show with an extensive introduction that explains in detail the history of the genre. They also provide good introductions for each individual writer, both the famous and the not-so famous, to give the reader a good perspective of where each author was coming from.
The stories themselves are grouped by the decade in which they were published. The 1930s and 1950s are the most heavily represented because, the editors explain, they were the peak decades for hard-boiled fiction in terms of both poularity and quality. The book covers the 1920s to the 1990s.
Overall, this is an excellent book for anyone who enjoys good crime stories.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Another Good Anthology from Oxford University Press
6 May 2004
Format:Hardcover
Hard-Boiled American crime fiction is Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, John D. MacDonald, Ross Macdonald, Mickey Spillane, and many less familiar authors. The hard-boiled American crime fiction never really took root in Great Britain. Sam Spade was popular on the screen, but less so in the London bookstore. I was surprised to discover that the prestigious Oxford University Press had published this anthology of American crime fiction.
What is hard-boiled crime fiction? According to the editors Bill Pronzini and Jack Adrian, hard-boiled crime stories deal with disorder, disaffection, and dissatisfaction. The reader encounters a jaundiced view of government, power, and the law. The protagonist, sometimes a woman, is a social misfit, a loner. Most stories are reflective of their times, windows into history that offer the perspective of individuals that inhabited a particular, often unsavory locale.
Some of the stories in this remarkable collection appear in other anthologies, but others are rarely encountered. Pronzini and Adrian have arranged these short stories chronologically, beginning with Hammett's The Scorched Face (1926).
Each story is introduced by a thoughtful preface. I gradually developed an understanding and appreciation for this uniquely American genre. Many of these entries qualify as pulp fiction; most are without any literary pedigree. And yet, this collection makes good reading. Entertainment, suspense, riveting characters, and a little cultural history are blended together. I highly recommend this anthology.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
A great anthology
15 Feb 2001
Format:Paperback
Hard Boiled is the greatest crime anthology that I have read. It's full to the brim with great stories and has writers from every decade some well kown some not. Some great stories are Dashiell Hammet's The Scorched Face, Roul Whitfield's Misteral, James M Cain's Brush Fire, Chester Himes Marijuana and a Pistol and Jim Thompson's Forever After. It also has a great introduction. I seriously suggest you buy this book
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