Recommend me some good noir reading

[life_interrupts]

Originally Posted by NorCal

The complete works of Dashiell Hammett. Start with Red Harvest
+1, considered the original noir novel. Basically Kurosawa's Yojimbo is based on this novel, which spawned A Fist Full of Dollars and Last Man Standing. Assuming no one else has mentioned these, The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye (Raymond Chandler), A Rage in Harlem (Chester Himes), and The Thin Man (Hammett) will give all you a good read.

 

[Crooow]

Subscribed to the Thread.

I've read many of these, but am always interested to hear new recommendations.

In addition to the books, I've enjoyed the Akashic Noir anthologies of different cities. Some of the short stories make a wonderful impact in few words, as well as provide a great introduction to the works of authors I've never known.

 

[gamelan]

not fiction but Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

-Jeff

 

[PITAronin]

Surprised no one has mentioned James Crumley. Noir with a western flavor

 

[javyn]

James Ellroy's "Nowhere" Trilogy. Don't let that train wreck of a movie fool ya, Black Dahlia was a great book.

 

[jesask]

I am with you on the James Ellroy recommendation. It's really great stuff.

Allan Furst's spy novels are wonderful. They are set in WWII and the years prior.

 

[Station]

Thomas Pynchon's new book Inherent Vice is a return to form, apparently. Full-on noir, too.

 

[Sigmatic]

modern noir will christopher baer: Kiss me, Judas, Penny Dreadful, Hell's Half Acre craig clevenger: The Contortionists Handbook, Dermaphoria