Friday, 8 August 2014

The Long-Legged Fly by James Sallis - A Review (4 Star)

Now here is a work that leaves you wondering "what was that about?" - but in a good way I think. It's like an episode of The Wire in that you get to the end and think "what actually happened?" seems like not a lot but I was sucked in nonetheless.

It plays out like a series of episodes marking the defining moments in Lew Griffin's career as a Private Eye. Each miniature story has its own arc and momentum whilst contributing collectively to a very real portrait of a man whose life seems to be slipping by.

James Sallis' debut work is a severely self-deprecating piece of literature and you get the real vibe that the struggle of life has got hold of both author and protagonist and both have responded with a "If I'm going down..." kind of answer: criticising and undermining the very genre they enjoy. It casts off many of the cliches that make the PI genre so comforting and sometimes monotonous.

"Maybe the best parts of our lives are always over. Maybe happiness, contentment, are things we only recollect through the filters of time, elusive ghosts forever behind us."

A very, very accomplished debut novel with wonderful literary qualities, deep and meaningful characters and an existential note that passes a lot of Sallis' cohorts by.

Now to purchase the rest of his catalogue....

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