Fast One by Paul Cain

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Our August group read was originally published as a series of five stories in The Black Mask magazine throughout 1932. This was the third year of The Great Depression and perhaps the hardest. Roosevelt wasn't elected until November of that year and before then there was little hope of things improving. The Republican administration in power was only making things worse through bad economic policies and inactivity. This book matches the times in its grim hopelessness. Judging from reviews of the book I have read, some readers find it uncomfortably depressing and too dark. Raymond Chandler though was a big fan of the book.

Paul Cain was a pseudonym for George Carrol Sims. This was Sims' only novel to see print. He did write another in the 1950s titled Truce, but Doubleday rejected it for being too "uncompromisingly sexual," whatever that means. That manuscript is considered lost. By my count Sims wrote sixteen other short stories (counting this fix-up novel as five), one of which is science fiction ("The Tasting Machine" appeared in Gourmet, 1949), and ten screenplays for Hollywood.

I've linked only to the novel, because it's quick and easy to acquire via Kindle. But if you think you might like Sims' other writing, there are paperbacks that purport to collect it, most notably The Complete Slayers: Fast One and the Complete Short Stories of Paul Cain. This is not the only print book with his stories, just, I think, the most complete one. If I like this novel, I may go on.

Edit: I think I'm wrong about "The Tasting Machine" being SF. It might just be about food. If anyone knows for sure, please set the record straight.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Rather amazingly (to me) there is a graphic novel adaptation of this book done by Geoff Grandfield (isbn 9780948353840). Someone merged it in to the Cain novel we're reading, which it shouldn't be; they're completely separate works, but I don't know how to separate it. I just wanted to let any graphic novel fan out there know about this.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

A good introduction to George Caryl Sims may be found here: https://blackmaskmagazine.com/blog/pa...

My big takeaways:
1) He only wrote 19 stories from 1932 through 1936.
2) Five of the 1932 stories, the ones featuring Gary Kells, were put together to form the novel we're reading this month. It was published by Doubleday in 1933.
3) 17 of the 19 stories were originally published in Black Mask. Sims stopped writing when his favorite editor at Black Mask departed. That editor liked Sims' ultra-hardboiled style of writing.
4) Not everyone likes Sims' style. Chandler did. But it's been described as lacking in moral fiber. It's violent, brutal, stripped down, and matter of fact.

The book is not a huge investment. I got mine off Kindle for $5.

I also picked up the weird looking graphic novel version by British author/illustrator Geoff Grandfield. It's thirty years old (1991) and surprisingly thick: 288 pages! It's all black and white with very heavy lines, The lettering of the prose, which is sparse, is typed, and not handwritten as is customary. That all said, it looks like an excellent read, very faithful to the book, at least at the start. (I haven't read it all yet so can't say for sure about the entire work.) I like Grandfield's aesthetics. The cover of the graphic novel describes the novel as follows: "Probably the toughest tough-guy novel ever written -- so hard it hurts!" So who's up for some pain this month?

[Zain]

Thanks for the link and info, Dan.


Zain

[Zain]

Hello, Dan.

Just purchased my book.


Zain

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Wow! I started this last night, got maybe 15% of the way into the novel, and I don't know if it's because I was reading late at night or if it was the writing style, but I have no idea what's going on! It didn't seem like it should be that difficult to follow. I mean, the sentences were simple enough. I have to start over and try to pay more attention, I think.

This is one very strange writing style Paul Cain has. When I was getting my M.A. in Creative Writing--writing for the entertainment industry, not prose--one thing the instructors kept stressing was to show not describe. Especially for script writing. Anything a camera could not "see" could not be in the text. This is extremely hard to do. I found it would take me three or four thorough, painstaking edits to get it all out of my text, and even then someone in my class would invariably find more authorial interjections a camera wouldn't show.

This bare bones writing is Paul Cain's style. He is a camera in the room just telling you what's on the lense. Not one iota more. No one actually writes this way. I'm not even sure it's truly a good idea to try. It sure is extreme, what people are calling "hard" perhaps. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. Going to have to give it more thought.

[[deleted user]]

Paul is a great writer, he doesn't waste words and his style is fast flowing. If you have read Black Wings has My Angel for example, another classic of the Genre you will see the same style in action. If somewhat slower in presentation.

It has been a while since I read this so my memories are somewhat faded. Will need to read it again I suspect before discussing in any depth.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

I really do like Cain's style, though it takes some getting used to. It's almost like sitting down to a movie to read one of his books. You have to read his prose as though you were watching what's coming through a movie camera. I'd break out the popcorn if it wouldn't make my book all greasy.

Your Black Wings Has My Angel is completely new to me. Another possible future nomination?

[[deleted user]]

Dan wrote: "I really do like Cain's style, though it takes some getting used to. It's almost like sitting down to a movie to read one of his books. You have to read his prose as though you were watching what's..."

He also wrote Seven Slayers which is a great collection. An inspirational read for me when I started reading books like this.

In fact, I found his two books I own in a charity shop in the vintage book collection and bought them for the titles and covers without realising what the books were about.

The four I suggest as reads all run in different areas of the style but each are brilliantly presented.

As for Black Wings, words do not describe how perfect this book is. I would say of all my choices that is the most obviously stand out although all are classics of the genre.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

I have started and re-started Fast One so many times. But I am simply getting nowhere with it. It is for me one of the hardest (meaning most difficult) novels in certain respects I have ever tried to read. I refuse to rate it DNF and give it one or two stars because of my limitations, rather than the writer's, causing the problems.

I think this novel is probably a masterpiece, perhaps the masterpiece, of its style of writing (aptly called ultra-hardboiled by Chandler), fully deserving five stars. There is no doubt a great story of more than a thousand pages here being told in almost two hundred. If I were a better reader, I could fill in the extraneous details the author refuses to provide because they are irrelevant to his core plot.

But I find I want or need (not sure which) those details in order to anchor scenes down in my mind's eye. I find myself unable, or unwilling, to sustain the effort required to constantly make them up (or forgive their absence) for the author before we advance to the next plot point.

So, for now, I give up.

[[deleted user]]

Dan wrote: "I have started and re-started Fast One so many times. But I am simply getting nowhere with it. It is for me one of the hardest (meaning most difficult) novels in certain respects I have ever tried ..."

I am saddened to hear that. I found it a thoroughly invigorating read.

In my youth I boxed and really enjoyed the lightning fast trading of blows. This book felt like that, sparse words but the space were filled with energy.

The constant high of ideas and themes rushes by you and if you take a breath you feel that you will spoil it.

The ending, even though it wasn't pleasant I felt fitted the scene, where as for example, Black Wings ending saddened me. I wanted better for them.

Has anyone else read it?

[[deleted user]]

Dan wrote: "I have started and re-started Fast One so many times. But I am simply getting nowhere with it. It is for me one of the hardest (meaning most difficult) novels in certain respects I have ever tried ..."

As a follow on though, I find that reading Kafka and Nietzsche (as examples) have the effect you described on me. They fill your senses with so much more than mere words and you find yourself needing more, more more!

Be it details, a breakdown or even just a sit down to discuss it man to man?

But it was both a pain and pleasure reading their work, and even though it was years ago for both I still remember the feelings and experience of it all.

So it was worth the effort.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Okay, I won't give up. But I am calling in a lifeline. I have the graphic novel version by Geoff Grandfield. Its cover is depicted as the left-most picture on our masthead. I'm going to read that at the same time as I read the novel. That should help me anchor those scenes down in my mind. Grandfield's graphic novel is 283 pages by the way. I love Grandfield's depiction of the opening scene. Being a graphic novel it in some ways is more limited even than Cain's text, but the picture it draws of what is taking place is of immense help.

I love the way blowing up the Monte Carlo, a gambling ship, is expressed: "left a box of candy on...."

[[deleted user]]

Dan wrote: "Okay, I won't give up. But I am calling in a lifeline. I have the graphic novel version by Geoff Grandfield. Its cover is depicted as the left-most picture on our masthead. I'm going to read that a..."

I need to get that graphic novel now!

And I didn't reply to push you to finish, although reading it back it comes across like that. Their is more than a few books everyone likes and I am not a fan off.

Harry Potter is a prime example of that. So do get your point, it doesn't fit your nature more than anything?

Maybe Joseph Hansen next time, he is a master of setting scenes and descriptions?

[Dan, Hardboiled]

The challenge for me is how in the text new names arise constantly and suddenly with no context, description, or introduction to the person. We have to stop, re-read, and figure out from the dialogue how people relate to one another and who is trying to persuade who to do what and for what motive, all without being told this by any narrator. I don't find that easy or pleasant to do, at least not so far. On the other hand, it's quite an exciting story that's being related.

[[deleted user]]

Yes, he relies on your excitement and your imagination to push it, explain it and so forth. He offers you up a delicious set of snap shots and then says tuck into the feast!

It depends on how your brain works I suppose, I find it impossible to read training manuals for example as my brain needs some sort of hook or visceral excitement for the explanation to make sense.

Otherwise the words end up floating away from the page as I look down in horror.

Dan put the book down and read something else seems like a better option? I often abandon books that don't work for me, neither myself or the offending book fall out over it! :)

Oddly for me, one of the most exciting things about reading is what other individuals take from it? How they felt it went and how much it fitted their world. The differences and clashes are always fascinating.

To return to my most used example. Harry Potter? I don't get it, its like a badly written comedy for seven year old is what I get when I read it and yet others enjoy it immensely which shows we can all be right?

[Dan, Hardboiled]

But I have read every other book on our group bookshelf. How can I not read this one too?

On Harry Potter, that's the first novel you're describing. They get progressively more sophisticated the further you go. At least, that's my understanding. My Children's Literature class required a reading of the second book, meaning, of course, I read the first book first. It would be impossible for a person of my temperament to read the second book only of anything. But I didn't go further than that second book either. I get the appeal. It's just not for me either. Point a stick, spout some pseudo-Latin, and make something go poof only interests me so much. Can I interest anyone in a game of quidditch now? If so, you can ditch your quid(s) in my bank account, thank you.

[[deleted user]]

LOL!, I am not the only one! I feel vindicated :)

[Zain]

For the record, I enjoyed reading Fast One more than I enjoyed the characters of the book.

Violence level extremely high and this is coming from a zombie and werewolf lover. 😎


Zain

[[deleted user]]

Zain wrote: "For the record, I enjoyed reading Fast One more than I enjoyed the characters of the book.

Violence level extremely high and this is coming from a zombie and werewolf lover. 😎


Zain"

Hi Zain,

That is probably a compliment given the time of writing. There were so many rules and limitations unlike now.

So you enjoyed the plot more than the cast?

Next, up, Black Wings has a lot of Violence in it and my choice selection Get Carter is filled with Taboo and brutal violence. Personally, I consider them both stars of the genre.

[Carla Remy]

It is unimportant, but I do not want to read Paul Cain. I disliked his Laughter Came Screaming, probably didn't even finish it. Someone told me they don't like his writing, and others share that opinion. I guess I would try it, but I don't want to pay for it. Just pointing out, apparently disliking Paul Cain's writing might not be uncommon.

[[deleted user]]

Boom and Crash!!

Sorry, Carla that is the sound of you being shot down, LOL! :)

Henry Kane wrote Laughter came Screaming. Paul Cain wrote Seven Slayers and Fast One.

Although they are not nec easy reads as Dan will tell you they are classic series hardcore hardboiled and other words with hard in it I presume?

Personally, I enjoyed them a lot but have never read Kane`s work so cannot compare.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Laughter Came Screaming is Henry Kane. Batman is Bob Kane. The book we are reading now is Fast One by Paul Cain. Paul Cain is actually a pseudonym for George Caryl Sims. He wrote only one novel during his life. The hardboiled Cain writer I like best is James M. Cain. We read James's first book in this group last year. He's written many more, some of them probably better than his first.

So many canes. So little walking. And we haven't even mentioned one of my favorite artists, Gil Kane.

I have resumed reading Fast One and am one third the way through and enjoying it more. If there is a lot of violence, I've yet to see that much. Maybe the last two thirds? Violence often happens in a hardboiled novel, just like it does in most noir movies. One of the staples of the genre seems to be that the protagonist has to show he believes in what he's doing so much that he happily takes a beating for it. At least the violence is only black and white on dead, crushed wood. You don't even see any red.

[Carla Remy]

I have bought Fast One for Kindle.

[[deleted user]]

Carla Remy wrote: "I have bought Fast One for Kindle."

Excellent, then do keep us updated on what you feel about it :)

This is one of my favourite books, but Dan is not so much convinced.

[Carla Remy]

I read Fast One. It is well written and well plotted. But it is entirely external: what is happening but only from the outside. No character thinks or has emotions. I believe this is why it can be hard to get into. Too hardboiled for feelings.

[[deleted user]]

Carla Remy wrote: "I read Fast One. It is well written and well plotted. But it is entirely external: what is happening but only from the outside. No character thinks or has emotions. I believe this is why it can be ..."

You could well be right Carla, I haven't read it in a while. At the time I remember thinking this was so different and yet catchy!

For me it made me think about how many different ways you can present a book.

Did you enjoy it?

[Dan, Hardboiled]

I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more reading it as the five separate stories it was originally published as.

[Carla Remy]

Fast One (as per the title?) is a smooth, fast, easy read. Which I love. But i would have enjoyed it more if there was a little more... depth. And, good point, Dan, it would probably feel better as separate stories.

[Carla Remy]

And, totally, Douglas, it does make you think of the ingredients of fiction. It does stand out.

[Dan, Hardboiled]

Even though I will probably only give this book two stars ultimately, I do recommend it for writers and would-be writers. Paul Cain does everything writers are told to do in Creative Writing classes in terms of showing not telling. He does this to an extreme I've never seen before, to an extent I never knew was possible, while still telling a story, proving the truth in the concept of too much of a good thing. The book is a highly instructive and unique (to the best of my knowledge) failure.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Dan

You dont need to enjoy this book, misliking it is as relevant as liking it.

Remember I am one of the few that dont like Harry Potter books, we are a small but proud minority! :)

[Carmen]

I'm thinking I'll probably pick this book up at some stage, there are times where I enjoy reading and studying an author's style - I suspect that might be the case for this book. : )

[Dan, Hardboiled]

I finally finished the book this morning. My review, if anyone is interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[[deleted user]]

Just read your review.

Interesting and now I wanna read mine again once I get some time. I remember at the time loving the concept of it.