Reading Log: July 2022

The books I finished reading in July 2022

July 2022 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Loving Day," Mat Johnson

"Perchance to Dream," Robert B. Parker

"Land of Sunshine: An Environmental History of Los Angeles," William Deverell and Greg Hise 

"Double Indemnity," James M. Cain

"One-Shot Harry," Gary Phillips

Cliff's Notes

Double Indemnity: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Loving Day"

We have, through out our lives received countless messages about which categories we belong to, or don’t. This informs how we tend to view the entire social world and our place in it. This book asks the question — "Why are you calling yourself black and not biracial? " 

The novel's title obviously refers to Loving Day, when the U.S. Supreme Court nullified bans on interracial marriage. Baz Dreisinger has described it as "a semi-autobiographical" "extended literary metaphor about race and mixed-race in America." 

Certainly, if any of my friends were to read it they would have a greater insight into my life, which can be viewed as partly truth and partly fiction.

"Perchance to Dream"

This title is a literary reference — to Hamlet's famous soliloquy which begins "To be or not to be",  But, rather than a contemplation of suicide, it is a clever sequel to "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler. 

It is my opinion that Parker does a much better job of emulating Chandler in this volume than he did in "Poodle Springs." I very much enjoyed it.

"Land of Sunshine"

The title of this book also harkens back to a prior publication. As the full title implies, the book is an exhaustive look at the environmental history of greater Los Angeles from ancient times to the very recent past. Which is to say that it provides a framework to examine where the city started and how it got to where it is today.

It drags a bit in parts, but rather than just reading what I thought would be the sections that held the most interest for me going in, I read the entire book.

"Double Indemnity"

First published in 1935, or 1943 depending on your source, this novel is probably the exemplar of noir fiction. One review says that it is  — "Tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful, Double Indemnity gives us an X-ray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches." I can't put it better than that, so I won't try.

The 1944 film of the same name, whose adaption was co-written by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder,  is one of my all time favorites.  The book and the film are both excellent in their own right. I can't recommend them highly enough.

"One-Shot Harry"

Gary Phillips has been a writer for thirty years, but this book is my first exposure to him. I like on several levels. First of all it is about a photographer and is well written, the suspense keeps drawing the reader along. Secondly, it is set in Los Angeles. during the time I was there in my teens. I know well many of the places to which the plot takes us. Phillips also captures the essence of the ubiquitous racism that permeated the LAPD under the leadership of chief William H. Parker. So, not only is it a good crime story, it provides a bit of history that many people are unaware of or have chosen to ignore.