Point Blank discussion

So...this is the next novel we are planning on covering...but so far it isn’t doing a whole lot for me.
Have you read this one? What do you think? What are your favorite MacDonald titles?
I’ve finished a few Travis McGee novels and I’ve enjoyed them but for me there seems to be something missing from MacDonald’s work. BTW, we selected this one because I was led to believe this was the first crime novel where an environmental issue was key to the plot. I also wanted to avoid the McGhee novels for now.

I'm not really a fan of JD MacDonald. I do read him, and am working my way through the McGee books because so many people I respect like him so much. But - I don't get it. McGee's attitude towards women just rankles today. I do find MacDonald's non-McGee books to be more palatable, but some still display a Neanderthal attitude. IIRC, there's a sexual encounter in Flash of Green which I would call rape. Maybe I'd be more of a fan if I had read him back in the day - maybe not. I did like The Executioners, bka Cape Fear, and I'm also working my way through his non-McGee books. I'm curious how MacDonald's style and McGee's attitude evolve over his career. I would recommend any Ross MacDonald (I think I've read them all) over the JD MacDonalds I've read so far.

I've only read two John D. MacDonald novels (The Executioners and Soft Touch), as well as one collection of stories (Tiger by the Tail), and all were good. I'm given to understand, though, that they are among his best.
I was going to join in the reading of A Flash of Green this month, but I don't know about that now, what with it sounding underwhelming; perhaps I'll read a different stand-alone MacDonald in its stead. Any particular recommendations?

Wait a minute: Tiger by the Tail is a James Hadley Chase novel. I meant End of the Tiger.

I had my eye on The Brass Cupcake, but only because of the title.

The Beach Girls sounds good, too.

For the record, I can put up with a lot of 'neanderthal' behavior in "mantasy" novels. (The whole pbo industry was, basically, romances for men), but the attitudes in Travis McGee strike me as hypocritcal. He wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to look down on slutty women, and yet have an affair and a hook-up per book.-- the only difference being something vague and boozy called 'love.'

Blech.

I’ve finished “Flash” and I’m prepping for recording the next episode in the next couple of weeks. I’m glad to see some of my thoughts on the book and JDM echoed by your comments here. Other than this particular novel I’ve only read a couple of the McGee books. I though that those were just ok...I am not a fan of this novel. This will be the first book we’ve looked at as a main topic that I won’t be recommending to the listeners. Read a plot summary and that’s good enough. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have some good things to talk about during the show.

JDM certainly was influential and I see the roots of the Florida Noir/crime genre in this novel. We’ll certainly talk about that. I think we’re also going to spend less time on the characters/plot and maybe try to “fix” this thing. What troubles me about reading any further JDM is that “Flash” falls onto a number of “10 best” lists for JDM and MacDonald considered “Flash” one of his personal favorites. I find his writing problematic and dated in a way we haven’t run into yet on the show.

Am I wrong about that?

A Flash of Green was a pain to get through. Kurt and I will have plenty to say on it, though I don't expect much gushing. It was the hardest read since we read Cornell Woolrich for Episode 9.

Kurt wrote: "I’ve finished “Flash” and I’m prepping for recording the next episode in the next couple of weeks. I’m glad to see some of my thoughts on the book and JDM echoed by your comments here. Other than t..."

I get the impression that "Flash" (published in 1962) fell between JDM's pulp days and his McGee days. It's an odd duck. Simon & Schuster put it out and I think he was going for a mainstream audience, not the typical pulp readers, but I don't know for sure.

Last call for comments. We will be recording in the next day or 2.

I haven't read this one. But I'll definitely be in for The Devil in the Blue Dress. Can't wait to hear about the Flash though.

Tom wrote: "I’m currently reading it and I have to admit that I’m struggling to get into it. I’ll persevere with it because I will be interested to hear what you think of it in the show, and the copy I got cos..."

I agree with you completely. I think MacDonald was shooting for the mainstream here, and not quite hitting his target.

The first part of our episode on A Flash of Green is now available! We introduce the book, talk about MacDonald’s life, give an overview of Florida crime fiction and do a featured review of Junkie Love by Joe Clifford. I hope you enjoy!

What Kurt said!