Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.
The discussion kicked off with a brief definition of "noir" fiction as offered by Wikipedia:
"Noir fiction is the name sometimes given to a mode of crime fiction regarded as a subset of the hardboiled style. Per noir aficionado George Tuttle:[citation needed]
In this sub-genre, the protagonist is usually not a detective, but instead either a victim, a suspect, or a perpetrator. He is someone tied directly to the crime, not an outsider called to solve or fix the situation. Other common characteristics ... are the emphasis on sexual relationships and the use of sex to advance the plot and the self-destructive qualities of the lead characters. This type of fiction also has the lean, direct writing style and the gritty realism commonly associated with hardboiled fiction."
The group discussed why the book might have been banned in Boston when it was first published in 1934, the irony of the drifter Frank's ultimate fate, whether or not Cora fit the profile of a femme fatale, and what would have been the appeal of the book during the Great Depression.
Most of the group felt that the work would not have much appeal if were released today. Some said they would not recommend the work to anyone while others thought they would recommend it only to men they thought would appreciate the leanness and brevity of the writing.
"Noir fiction is the name sometimes given to a mode of crime fiction regarded as a subset of the hardboiled style. Per noir aficionado George Tuttle:[citation needed]
In this sub-genre, the protagonist is usually not a detective, but instead either a victim, a suspect, or a perpetrator. He is someone tied directly to the crime, not an outsider called to solve or fix the situation. Other common characteristics ... are the emphasis on sexual relationships and the use of sex to advance the plot and the self-destructive qualities of the lead characters. This type of fiction also has the lean, direct writing style and the gritty realism commonly associated with hardboiled fiction."
The group discussed why the book might have been banned in Boston when it was first published in 1934, the irony of the drifter Frank's ultimate fate, whether or not Cora fit the profile of a femme fatale, and what would have been the appeal of the book during the Great Depression.
Most of the group felt that the work would not have much appeal if were released today. Some said they would not recommend the work to anyone while others thought they would recommend it only to men they thought would appreciate the leanness and brevity of the writing.
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