Do You like book Street Of No Return (2007)?
David Goodis's star is ascending in the noir writers' skies. He had a Library of America volume of his five novels appear this year. Goodis is an ace on several fronts. For instance, I like his breezy dialogue that sounds authentic to my ear. I like his characters, especially the protagonist Whitey in STREET OF NO RETURN. Once a promising golden-throated crooner (did his career remind you of a young Sinatra?), Whitey's life has wrecked, but the Skid Row lush still rises to the occasion to do one more heroic act. I like Goodis's social commentary underpinning the story. Yeah, life sucks a lot more for some us. His secondary characters are unforgettable, especially Bertha and Chop, the pair of muscle goons. The three-hundred-pound Bertha is as hardboiled a "dame" as they get in noir. Great stuff. Loved it.
—Ed
Gossenpoesie und Slumromantik Drei Clochards an eine Häuserwand gelehnt überlegen, woher sie noch einen Tropfen Alkohol bekommen können. Einer von ihnen - Whitey - sieht eine Frau aus seiner Vergangenheit und nimmt fast wie in Trance die Verfolgung auf. Diese Nacht wird für ihn zu einer Reise in die Vergangenheit, in der er sich schmerzhaften Erinnerungen stellen muss. David Goodis schreibt in "Street of No Return" ("Straße ohne Wiederkehr") über die Verlierer und die Verlorenen. Sie haben nichts, als den Alkohol und ihre Träume. Und mit dem Mut der Ausgestoßenen hängen sie an ihrem Leben, ihrer Menschlichkeit.Eine Reise ins Herz der Finsternis. Tiefschwarz und melancholisch...
—Esme
What a great piece of 'noir' writing. We start off with three drunks sitting around scheming for their next drink. Suddenly, the quiet and wistful of the three, Whitey, sees something, stands up, and walks off. His sudden, mysterious departure takes him on a wild ride through his anonymous present and unexpected past. I'd been meaning to read more David Goodis since I read Down There in a Library of America Crime Noir collection. I read this book in two sittings. It was completely captivating. Highly recommended.
—Brad