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Roughneck
by
Jim Thompson
The incorrigible Jim Thompson tells the true story of his literary education, as he retraces his wild swath across America during the great Depression and World War II. Whether he's outrunning railroad bulls or getting drunk in a funeral home, shaking down debtors or drafting a manuscript with the help of a bighearted prostitute, Thompson is a mesmerizing guide to hard tim...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
May 26th 1998
by Vintage
(first published 1954)
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Reviewed in conjunction with La Douleur
Sometimes you read a book that makes you feel ashamed of your life, every time you thought you were unlucky or that you deserve more or that you should get more. Whatever you have suffered, however genuine it be, suddenly becomes as nothing, its place clearly fixed in the universe as the measliest dot the world ever has seen. Roughneck does that. It describes a portion of his life in the pared down, straightforward way Thompson tells all his stories. Nothin...more
Sometimes you read a book that makes you feel ashamed of your life, every time you thought you were unlucky or that you deserve more or that you should get more. Whatever you have suffered, however genuine it be, suddenly becomes as nothing, its place clearly fixed in the universe as the measliest dot the world ever has seen. Roughneck does that. It describes a portion of his life in the pared down, straightforward way Thompson tells all his stories. Nothin...more
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One of my weekly enjoyments is book shopping through the local thrift stores. Every now and then, I will find something good. I haven't found much to sell on Ebay; the competition for those finds are fierce. But it can be rewarding to locate some dusty paperback you've always wanted to read, just never had the time, money or inclination. I really need to actually pull the books out of the pile and start reading The Harrad Experiment, The Sterile Cuckoo, or Death Turns A Smile before they disinte...more
Sequel to "Bad Boy" following the author's years as an oilfield worker, among other things.
Part biography, part fiction, but it's tough to tell where he draws the line. This is pulp writer Jim Thompson's sort-of-life story, where he works in a variety of jobs (mortician's assistant, newspaper writer, oil fields, etc.) and trying to keep his and his family's heads above water while continually writing and trying to make it big. Engrossing, although the ending wasn't so much of a conclusion as just a dead stop. I think his out-and-out fiction is much better.
oh Jim Thompson you never seem to let me down. This collection of "semi-autobiographical" stories was a quick read. Thompson has a way of making the insane & absurd seem so normal, believable, and true, that I found myself wondering how much of this was actually embellished and how much of it was understated. It's interesting to see the seeds of other novels in these stories, as well.
You get what you pay for I guess. "Selected Stories from Jim Thompson's life, told by the author". Some are downright hilarious, some are ordinary and borderline miserable. Still, great insight on how a man like this came to revolutionize noir. I appreciated it, but I'm sure his novels are better.
Jim Thompson lays out his life in short terse sentences without apologies and very little moralizing, just trying to make ends meet in very tough times along with a cigarette a drink and a touch of humour here and there.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
The only thing better than his novels, which are universally enjoyable, is reading this autobiography and realizing that his real life was far more interesting.
The 2nd memoir after [ book: bad boy]. Jim Thompson was a hardboiled pulp writer, and these books are the story of him barely surviving during the great depression.
***1/2
So far, this book feels shockingly like John Fante's "Wait Until Spring, Bandini" and "The Road to Los Angeles" in tone. Maybe it's a generational thing.
The incorrigible Jim Thompson tells the true story of his literary education, as he retraces his wild swath across America during the great Depression and World War II. Whether he's outrunning railroad bulls or getting drunk in a funeral home, shaking down debtors or drafting a manuscript with the help of a bighearted prostitute, Thompson is a mesmerizing guide to hard times -- his country's and his own.
It’s a little bit of Chucky B & Hunter S mixed in with some Celine – only this guy had an off button. I liked it.
You read a Jim Thompson novel and wonder why he is so dark, then you read his autobio and say oh, that's why. Incredible story of (barely) surviving the depression as a writer and a ne'er do well. Intense. (and short!)
I just re-read it, which is unusual for me. As good the second time.
I just re-read it, which is unusual for me. As good the second time.
Jul 02, 2008
Andy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
hard working stiffs
Shelves:
pulp-fiction
Kinda sorta the sequel to "Bad Boy" and reminiscent of Bukowski's "Factotum" where he recalls all the crummy jobs he had to toil at before penning his brilliant noir classics. I worked a lot of similar gigs that he did = misery loves company.
It's an autobiography, and surprisingly ho-hum, considering the author's manic way-up, way-down, hardscrabble life.
Read all the fiction, and if you still need the cure, this'll do it.
Read all the fiction, and if you still need the cure, this'll do it.
this is the semi-true semi-passed on autobio bio book. read this after you are done reading thompson books, because it kind of has the seeds for a lot of his other books in it.
The Great Depression sure did suck a lot.
Second autobiography of Jim Thompson.
Jun 18, 2013
Richard Hunter
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James Myers Thompson was a United States writer of novels, short stories and screenplays, largely in the hardboiled style of crime fiction.
Thompson wrote more than thirty novels, the majority of which were original paperback publications by pulp fiction houses, from the lat...more
More about Jim Thompson...
James Myers Thompson was a United States writer of novels, short stories and screenplays, largely in the hardboiled style of crime fiction.
Thompson wrote more than thirty novels, the majority of which were original paperback publications by pulp fiction houses, from the lat...more
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