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40th out of 52 books
—
1 voter
Pittsburgh Noir (Akashic Noir)
"Despite Pittsburgh being labeled the country's most livable city, the fictional citizens populating the 14 high quality stories in Akashic's noir anthology centered on the Steel City have the same dreams, frustrations, passions, and vices as anyone else."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Pittsburgh hasn't inspired many crime novelists to use its haunts for settings in the way that Bos...more
-- Publishers Weekly
"Pittsburgh hasn't inspired many crime novelists to use its haunts for settings in the way that Bos...more
Paperback, 280 pages
Published
May 17th 2011
by Akashic Books
(first published April 18th 2011)
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First impressions before I start reading:
Christmas Eve exchange book from my brother. I've read only the Introduction (by Kathleen George) so far, but it's a nice love-letter to the city of Pittsburgh and our sports teams - because apparently one can't really write about Pittsburgh without talking about the Pens, the Pirates, or the Steelers.
Also excited that there is a map in the front of the different neighborhoods that (I assume) will be covered in the various stories. They're marked with whi...more
Christmas Eve exchange book from my brother. I've read only the Introduction (by Kathleen George) so far, but it's a nice love-letter to the city of Pittsburgh and our sports teams - because apparently one can't really write about Pittsburgh without talking about the Pens, the Pirates, or the Steelers.
Also excited that there is a map in the front of the different neighborhoods that (I assume) will be covered in the various stories. They're marked with whi...more
I picked this up sort of half-heartedly-- I am a lover of Pittsburgh but wasn't too excited about the premise of this series. However, the remarkable talent from this collection of authors kept me reading well past my bedtime on at least a few exhausted nights. Using a dark and often disturbing platform, this collection paradoxically captures the positively fascinating character of a town with a generous exmination of its diverse populations.
While I am not a seasoned mystery reader, these stori...more
While I am not a seasoned mystery reader, these stori...more
Mostly hits and a few misses. The Mexican War streets story was highly disappointing (including a typo on the first page? - shameful) But most were enjoyable, especially for Pittsburghers.
They didn't seem to fit the noir genre so much. My favorite may have been the Squirrel Hill story, which had zero suspense or mystery. Just funny and well-written.
They didn't seem to fit the noir genre so much. My favorite may have been the Squirrel Hill story, which had zero suspense or mystery. Just funny and well-written.
I only read three of these stories. They were more straightforward (less mysterious) than I expected. But I learned some vocabulary--in one story, a man returns home from fighting during World War II and recalls "humping" with fellow soldiers.
It's kinda cool to recongnize nearly all the places the stories in this collection take place, and so many of them mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers, if you ever lived in South Western Pennsylvania or any Rust Belt City you would know how big a deal Football is,but most these stories were average at best, and some weren't even noir one was a about a young women that picks up random dudes at bars, while wearing wedding ring, even though she isn't married, just for the thrill how is that noir? Aut...more
Dec 13, 2011
Kathy
added it
None of these stories was bad. Most were okay or good and a few were excellent. My favorite was "A Minor Extinction" by Paul Lee. It had everything I like in a story: an actual plot (Yay!), interesting characters, a sense of place and culture, and good descriptions but not overdone.
Not exactly noir or pulp; but fine overview of some yinzer writers.
Good addition to your library if you like noir fiction & Pittsburgh
Some stories were good, others not so hot.
Well done fiction focussing on Pittsburgh's neighborhoods and quirky people. Worth the read.
Meh...I lose interest in short stories quickly. But the few I read were decent...
A few hits and definitely some misses in this collection.
I enjoyed several of the stories, but I'm not sure it would be that exciting to folks that haven't lived in Pittsburgh.
This recent review in the Pittsburgh City Paper sums it up nicely: http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyr...
I enjoyed several of the stories, but I'm not sure it would be that exciting to folks that haven't lived in Pittsburgh.
This recent review in the Pittsburgh City Paper sums it up nicely: http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyr...
While I could appreciate much of the good writing, I was not really in the mood for these types of stories. They were too dark - tales of murder, sexual and drug abuse. I guess that is what I should have expected from "Pittsburgh Noir." I did enjoy the references to local places, though no stories were set in my areas - the South Hills and the West End. Some of the dialogue could have come from the mouths of people I know.
The stories are pretty whatever but the Pittsburgh references are great.
I could go into how some of the stories are better than others, or how some of the major neighborhoods are missing, but really... if you live in or love Pittsburgh, just get the book.
A little too gritty for me, but then what did I expect from a noir read? The best part is knowing the streets and sites the characters mention. Gives some warmth to the homesick soul.
Not what I expected. Some entries were not as well written as I would have hoped, given the talent involved.
Uneven, but there are a few very good stories in here. Definitely for Pittsburghers only, though.
May 21, 2013
Amy
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May 16, 2013
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May 04, 2013
Jenn M
marked it as f-contemporary-literary
May 01, 2013
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Kathleen Elizabeth George (born July 7, 1943) is an American professor and writer best known for her series of crime novels set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
She was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and educated at the University of Pittsburgh: B.A. (summa cum laude), 1964, M.A. (theatre), 1966, Ph.D. (theatre), 1975, M.F.A. (creative writing), 1988. She teaches theatre arts at the University of Pitt...more
More about Kathleen George...
She was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and educated at the University of Pittsburgh: B.A. (summa cum laude), 1964, M.A. (theatre), 1966, Ph.D. (theatre), 1975, M.F.A. (creative writing), 1988. She teaches theatre arts at the University of Pitt...more
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