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A review by onepageleft
The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Hughes interrupts the pleasures of this book with clumsy moralizing against abortions, reminding me strongly of Ed Wood's screeds against the "dirty-picture racket" in The Sinister Urge. Who was it who said that noir is inherently conservative? One feel this observation strongly throughout The Expendable Man.
On the other hand, it would be dishonest to write this book off as a mean attempt to pander to pearl-clutching types. And the shock of the novel's "trick" or "twist" will undoubtedly be one of my stand-out "moments" of my reads this year.
I found myself drawn to its motifs of lateness and waiting as well. The main character, accused of a crime he didn't commit, has precious little autonomy in his own story, but he can arrive punctually and comport himself with dignity afterward. Interestingly, his punctuality and his comportment both crumble at times; he is tested and is in some ways found wanting.The climax, when Hugh pushes through his injuries in order to milk a confession out of the abortionist, was perfunctory. I question how much Hugh participated in his own salvation, in the end.
I thought, given how dismal of a view he took of abortionists, that he would end up framing the fallen doctor as a final twist, as if to say, "You aren't guilty of this murder but you were guilty for others." I could see Hugh doing it if he'd been developed slightly differently. But I'm dreaming of alternate realities; I think it's really best to criticize the novel in front of you, not the one you wish you'd read.
On the other hand, it would be dishonest to write this book off as a mean attempt to pander to pearl-clutching types. And the shock of the novel's "trick" or "twist" will undoubtedly be one of my stand-out "moments" of my reads this year.
I found myself drawn to its motifs of lateness and waiting as well. The main character, accused of a crime he didn't commit, has precious little autonomy in his own story, but he can arrive punctually and comport himself with dignity afterward. Interestingly, his punctuality and his comportment both crumble at times; he is tested and is in some ways found wanting.
I thought, given how dismal of a view he took of abortionists, that he would end up framing the fallen doctor as a final twist, as if to say, "You aren't guilty of this murder but you were guilty for others." I could see Hugh doing it if he'd been developed slightly differently. But I'm dreaming of alternate realities; I think it's really best to criticize the novel in front of you, not the one you wish you'd read.