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Takipsilim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories
by Otto Penzler (Goodreads Author)

read in November, 2010

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Black Mask was the most important and influential pulp magazine of the detective fiction genre during the first half of the 20th-Century. Publishing the major authors of the literary field, some of whom would be among the most talented and seminal au...more Black Mask was the most important and influential pulp magazine of the detective fiction genre during the first half of the 20th-Century. Publishing the major authors of the literary field, some of whom would be among the most talented and seminal authors in American literature, it was the cornerstone of a then emerging style of writing termed the "hardboiled" school of fiction which highlighted a world of tough, wisecracking private eyes, sultry and troubled dames, and criminals of varying degrees of nefariousness.

The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories is the most comprehensive anthology of the landmark magazine published and it's a wide-ranging sweep on the mag's 1920-1951 run. Stories from each decade chart a timeline that's in some way a chronicle of American history: Ku Klux Klan and Flapper tales from the Roaring Twenties; narratives of jobless woe from the Depression-era; wartime-influenced adventures in the '40s; and other stories all unified in the cohesive theme of law vs. society's bad men with the former saving the day.

There are no classics here like it's predecessor The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps: The Best Crime Stories from the Pulps During Their Golden Age--The '20s, '30s & '40s which this book serves somewhat as a sequel to, but it's a more consistent read. Some notable tales stand out though, memorable stories like Raymond Chandler's "Try the Girl"; Frederick Nebel's "Doors in the Dark"; Frederick C. Davis' "Flaming Angel"; and Hugh B. Cave's "Smoke in Your Eyes". Some interesting features included in this massive collection are Lester Dent's "Luck", published in book form for the first time; same as Ramon Decolta's ( pseudonym of Raoul Whitfield ) "Rainbow Diamonds"; and the complete "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett in it's original serialized form. The illustrations which originally accompanied the tales appear here, and they're quite a delight.

My only qualms on the book are: the work could have been divided by the decades the magazine existed, with the first page of the section containing an artwork of the mag from the decade featured, and an introduction on how the magazine was during the particular time. It would have given the book a more important, somewhat monumental feel, rather than the mish-mash of stories mixed together with no order, leaving it a little bit haphazard and formless. Carroll John Daly's "Three-Gun Terry" should have been included, as it's considered the first hardboiled detective story. Regardless of it's literary quality, it deserves a place in this collection for it's historical importance. There are pages in the book where alone, a small image of a dead man's hand appears near a gun beside a pool of blood. Nice look, and most fitting for the subject, yet it appears sporadically throughout the tome instead of uniform, making it look like poor and sloppy editing on the part of the publisher. Finally, some stories appear from the same issue, giving the impression that the editor probably got lazy in his research hence probably missing out on other good stories which he could have included in the book had he been more patient in his research.

A huge part of the appeal of reading these fictive snapshots of a bygone age is not only the literary and historical aspects but also a romantic one: reading these tales one could almost see a white man in a buttoned shirt and slacks with a cigar/cigarette in mouth and a bottle of liquor at the side of the table, pounding at the typewriter way into the night.

An important document of and an important contribution to American and world literature, The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories is a lavish tribute to the foremost pulp mag of it's genre and it's authors, many forgotten and brought back to life after decades of neglect in these generous pages.(less)

Nov 21, 2010 11:23am · see review

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Nov 16, 2010 11:10am · like · beat his score

Takipsilim liked David's review of The Story of My Life:

The Story of My Life by Giacomo Casanova

" Casanova famously replied to a woman who asked him what he sought, ‘A moment that lasts a lifetime.’

Although she flew past him she left an impression, an imprint, like no other. When he was writing his memoirs in old age, impoverished financially... " Read more of this review »

Nov 16, 2010 10:57am · see review

Takipsilim made a comment on David's review of The Story of My Life

"Very nice review."

Nov 16, 2010 10:57am · see review

Takipsilim is now a fan of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nov 14, 2010 09:13pm · like · see all of Takipsilim's favorite authors

Takipsilim made a comment in the group The Book Addicts! — Favorite Books you have read so far in 2010 topic

"The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories is one published this year that I like. Good tribute to the legendary mag and it's ( many forgotten )...more "

Nov 12, 2010 08:34pm

Takipsilim made a comment in the group The Book Addicts! — What is Your Favorite Classics Book? topic

"Don Quixote. The Nobel Prize and the world's most renowned authors agree."

Nov 12, 2010 08:24pm

Takipsilim made a comment in the group ¡ POETRY ! — The Links between Poetry and Mental Illness topic

"I think mental illness contributes to creativity. Though not all artists are mentally unhinged, chemical imbalances distort a person's worldview creat...more "

Nov 12, 2010 08:01pm

Takipsilim made a comment in the group ¡ POETRY ! — What makes for a good FREE VERSE poem? topic

"I guess it's the honesty in expressing oneself free of restriction. William Blake and Friedrich Hölderlin were the pioneers of the form and whose lega...more "

Nov 12, 2010 07:50pm

Takipsilim rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Bad Seed
by William March

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Together with The Killer Inside Me the best fictional account of the psychopath I've read in literature. March touched on a then unknown topic which time and science seem to verify - in Political Ponerology Andrzej Lobaczewski in his study found that...more

Nov 09, 2010 11:30am · see review

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