Scan barcode
A review by thekarpuk
Black Friday and Selected Stories by David Goodis, Adrian Wootton
4.0
There's a certain perception of crime fiction that "Black Friday" didn't at all live up to. Normally these stories either feature a detective, a former detective, or someone with a gritty but righteous outlook who has to get his (and it's always a he) hands dirty in order to combat a world full of corrupt men.
David Goodis sucks the heroism right out of scenario. The main character is on the run right from the get go; cold, starving, desperate, and out of options. He falls in with a group of criminals essentially out of a lack of options.
A number of striking characters emerge in this lean little book, all with an impressive amount of depth and with moments of surprising poeticism. Most of the cast are living out small, sad lives, and the notion of any greater importance is only ever suggested.
There's a since of dread that hangs over the story, and from the first chapter I had the feeling that no matter the outcome, things would not end well.
The slim $4 edition of "Black Friday" suggested an old-timey, salacious crime drama, and while I like those, the discovery of a tragedy centering around a group of low-level hoodlums and their meager lives is a much more rewarding find.
David Goodis sucks the heroism right out of scenario. The main character is on the run right from the get go; cold, starving, desperate, and out of options. He falls in with a group of criminals essentially out of a lack of options.
A number of striking characters emerge in this lean little book, all with an impressive amount of depth and with moments of surprising poeticism. Most of the cast are living out small, sad lives, and the notion of any greater importance is only ever suggested.
There's a since of dread that hangs over the story, and from the first chapter I had the feeling that no matter the outcome, things would not end well.
The slim $4 edition of "Black Friday" suggested an old-timey, salacious crime drama, and while I like those, the discovery of a tragedy centering around a group of low-level hoodlums and their meager lives is a much more rewarding find.