I wanted to scream

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I went to the library yesterday, and was 'lucky' to find a re-print of an old Robert B. Parker book. My joy lasted about 3 pages.

In a nutshell, its the story of a kind and wise pimp who helps a rich girl repudiate her materialistic world. Her parents are evil because, well, theyre rich and dad is fat. Its a liberal wet dream.

 

[mikoli5763]

If after only 3 pages,

you knew you weren't going to like it, why did you keep reading it?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

you knew you weren't going to like it, why did you keep reading it?

I didn't.

 

[StrangeLife]

Her parents are evil because, well, theyre rich and dad is fat.

The audacity!

I hope they died horribly...


Seriously though, in my experience the works of classic mystery writers rarely age well. A few are able to stand the passing of time - A.C Doyle, Agatha Christie and Dashiel Hammett come to mind - but most of them aren't worth reading today. Take Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels for instance... the main antagonist is named Hamilton "Ham" Burger and all characters are acting as if they're trying their best to help Perry Mason build his case - even the killer. Those books had their time, but you can't go back...

 

[patientlee]

I reread Ten Little Indians this summer. (Of course it was called And Then There Were None.) Through the whole book, I just kept thinking that if they just had one cell phone, there wouldn't have been a story.

The audacity!

I hope they died horribly...


Seriously though, in my experience the works of classic mystery writers rarely age well. A few are able to stand the passing of time - A.C Doyle, Agatha Christie and Dashiel Hammett come to mind - but most of them aren't worth reading today. Take Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels for instance... the main antagonist is named Hamilton "Ham" Burger and all characters are acting as if they're trying their best to help Perry Mason build his case - even the killer. Those books had their time, but you can't go back...

 

[StrangeLife]

I reread Ten Little Indians this summer. (Of course it was called And Then There Were None.) Through the whole book, I just kept thinking that if they just had one cell phone, there wouldn't have been a story.

Yeah, what exactly is a "phone booth" again?

But the story itself still stands today, I think. Many of Christies books do, if you remember that you're visiting industrial age Britain with no wireless phones and computers and where having a "man servant" didn't always imply anything racy...

 

[patientlee]

Yeah, what exactly is a "phone booth" again?

But the story itself still stands today, I think. Many of Christies books do, if you remember that you're visiting industrial age Britain with no wireless phones and computers and where having a "man servant" didn't always imply anything racy...

Phone booths are for Clark Kent to put on his tights.

It's a great story, with or without cell phones.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I reread Ten Little Indians this summer. (Of course it was called And Then There Were None.) Through the whole book, I just kept thinking that if they just had one cell phone, there wouldn't have been a story.

Sabotage the island's only transmission tower. Or switch plans to Vodafone.

(Speaking of things that didn't age well, that book got renamed twice - TLI is the middle of the three titles.

 

[sr71plt]

(Speaking of things that didn't age well, that book got renamed twice - TLI is the middle of the three titles.

Yep, the original title would really bring the PC knives out of the drawer.

 

[StrangeLife]

Phone booths are for Clark Kent to put on his tights...

"Lois, could you please get rid of that friggin iPhone and get a Samsung Galaxy Note III instead? People can see my ass when I change behind it..."

 

[patientlee]

Sabotage the island's only transmission tower. Or switch plans to Vodafone.

(Speaking of things that didn't age well, that book got renamed twice - TLI is the middle of the three titles.

It was Indians when I read it in junior high. I knew about the other title though.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

At least you have a mouth.