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Library of America Noir Collection #1–2
American Noir: 11 Classic Crime Novels of the 1930s, 40s, & 50s: A Library of America Boxed Set
The Library of America’s acclaimed two-volume edition Crime Novels, now in a collector’s boxed set.
Includes the following novels:
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy
Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson
The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing
Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Pick-Up by Charles Willeford
Down There by David Goodis
The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
Includes the following novels:
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy
Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson
The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing
Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Pick-Up by Charles Willeford
Down There by David Goodis
The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
- GenresFiction
1882 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2012
5 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Robert Polito
35 books19 followersRobert Polito (born 1951) is an American academic, critic and poet. He has been Director of the Writing Program at The New School since 1992. He received the National Book Critics Circle Award and an Edgar Award for Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2022
Noir In The Library Of America
The Library of America has been making available many byways of American writing together with the works of writers such as, for example, Melville, Whitman, and Henry James. Among the writing the series presents is American noir, frequently denigrated as "pulp" fiction or "trash". The term "noir" is difficult to define. Noir writing is similar to hardboiled, terse detective fiction. But its focus tends to be on lonely, isolated, alienated characters, on criminals or those accused of crime as opposed to detectives. Settings can be formulaic such as bars and cheap apartments. The characters are often tough, down-and-out with a past, and addicted to femme fatales. Sexuality is always a strong theme. Noir writing is atmospheric with a strong sense of place. It frequently is surprisingly introspective with moral themes not far below the surface.
This two-volume LOA set, which includes eleven novels by as many writers offers a broad introduction to noir. The first volume includes six novels from the 1930's and 1940's Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / ... a Dead Man (Library of America) (Vol 1) while the second volume includes five novels from the 1950's Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2). Noir literature is intertwined closely with noir movies, and each of the eleven books in this anthology has been filmed. I have been working from reading the novels to viewing some of the films, but most people take the reverse path. The noted noir scholar Robert Polito edited both volumes and prepared short biographies of each of the authors. I have reviewed each of the LOA volumes separately here on Amazon, but it may be worthwhile to take a birds-eye view of the set.
The six novels in the 1930-1940 volume each have a setting in the Depression or immediate post-Depression Era. They thus generally involve economic struggle. One of the works, Kenneth Fearing's "The Big Clock" involves upper-middle class characters in New York City while several other books feature the class conflicts between poor and wealthy people. The grittiest, most desperate work in the collection is "Nightmare Alley" by William Gresham which explores the sleazy world of the carnivals which once travelled throughout the United States.
The five novels in the 1950 volume each are set in the years following WW II, and they reflect this setting in their themes and characters. They also show some of the United States growing social issues. Two of the novels, Chester Himes' "The Real Cool Killers", set in Harlem and "Pick-Up" by Charles Willeford, set in San Francisco have racial themes. Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is set largely in Italy and features idle and spoiled young Americans wandering through Europe. The collection includes works by women, African American and Jewish writers.
I want to mention a work or two from each volume that stands out. James Cain's 1934 novel "The Postman always Rings Twice" which opens the first volume is one of the first distinctively noir novels, and it has become part of the American literary mainstream. It is a seamy, tense story of physical passion, murder, and class told from the perspective of its main character, a drifter named Frank Chambers.
The highlight of the second volume is David Goodis' 1956 novel "Down There" which became the basis for the famous 1960 film, "Shoot the Piano Player". Goodis' novel is set in a Philadelphia bar and in the cold Philadelphia streets. Telling the story of a bar pianist, Eddie Lynn, Goodis' lyrically introspective story captures something of the nature of love, loneliness, loyalty, and music. Following this volume, the Library of America and Polito have issued a new volume devoted entirely to five additional noir novels by Goodis. David Goodis: Five Noir Novels of the 1940s and 50s (Library of America) In addition to the Goodis novel, James Thompson's 1952 book, "The Killer Inside Me" deserves mention for its portrayal of a psychotic killer in a Texas small town.
These two LOA volumes have helped me develop interest and appreciation for American noir literature. Readers interested in American literature in all its variety and forms will enjoy exploring this set.
Robin Friedman
The Library of America has been making available many byways of American writing together with the works of writers such as, for example, Melville, Whitman, and Henry James. Among the writing the series presents is American noir, frequently denigrated as "pulp" fiction or "trash". The term "noir" is difficult to define. Noir writing is similar to hardboiled, terse detective fiction. But its focus tends to be on lonely, isolated, alienated characters, on criminals or those accused of crime as opposed to detectives. Settings can be formulaic such as bars and cheap apartments. The characters are often tough, down-and-out with a past, and addicted to femme fatales. Sexuality is always a strong theme. Noir writing is atmospheric with a strong sense of place. It frequently is surprisingly introspective with moral themes not far below the surface.
This two-volume LOA set, which includes eleven novels by as many writers offers a broad introduction to noir. The first volume includes six novels from the 1930's and 1940's Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / ... a Dead Man (Library of America) (Vol 1) while the second volume includes five novels from the 1950's Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2). Noir literature is intertwined closely with noir movies, and each of the eleven books in this anthology has been filmed. I have been working from reading the novels to viewing some of the films, but most people take the reverse path. The noted noir scholar Robert Polito edited both volumes and prepared short biographies of each of the authors. I have reviewed each of the LOA volumes separately here on Amazon, but it may be worthwhile to take a birds-eye view of the set.
The six novels in the 1930-1940 volume each have a setting in the Depression or immediate post-Depression Era. They thus generally involve economic struggle. One of the works, Kenneth Fearing's "The Big Clock" involves upper-middle class characters in New York City while several other books feature the class conflicts between poor and wealthy people. The grittiest, most desperate work in the collection is "Nightmare Alley" by William Gresham which explores the sleazy world of the carnivals which once travelled throughout the United States.
The five novels in the 1950 volume each are set in the years following WW II, and they reflect this setting in their themes and characters. They also show some of the United States growing social issues. Two of the novels, Chester Himes' "The Real Cool Killers", set in Harlem and "Pick-Up" by Charles Willeford, set in San Francisco have racial themes. Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is set largely in Italy and features idle and spoiled young Americans wandering through Europe. The collection includes works by women, African American and Jewish writers.
I want to mention a work or two from each volume that stands out. James Cain's 1934 novel "The Postman always Rings Twice" which opens the first volume is one of the first distinctively noir novels, and it has become part of the American literary mainstream. It is a seamy, tense story of physical passion, murder, and class told from the perspective of its main character, a drifter named Frank Chambers.
The highlight of the second volume is David Goodis' 1956 novel "Down There" which became the basis for the famous 1960 film, "Shoot the Piano Player". Goodis' novel is set in a Philadelphia bar and in the cold Philadelphia streets. Telling the story of a bar pianist, Eddie Lynn, Goodis' lyrically introspective story captures something of the nature of love, loneliness, loyalty, and music. Following this volume, the Library of America and Polito have issued a new volume devoted entirely to five additional noir novels by Goodis. David Goodis: Five Noir Novels of the 1940s and 50s (Library of America) In addition to the Goodis novel, James Thompson's 1952 book, "The Killer Inside Me" deserves mention for its portrayal of a psychotic killer in a Texas small town.
These two LOA volumes have helped me develop interest and appreciation for American noir literature. Readers interested in American literature in all its variety and forms will enjoy exploring this set.
Robin Friedman
March 21, 2023
The first volume in the boxed set is the best — 1930’s & 40’s — five star brilliance! The second — the 50’s — is getting dangerously close to the 60’s; three stars.
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April 29, 2025VOLUME 1
1. The Postman Always Rings Twice----January 21-23, 2022
2. They Shoot Horses, Don't They?-----December 6-8,2022
3. Thieves Like Us------------------March 20-23, 2023
4. The Big Clock------------------August 12-22, 2023
5. Nightmare Alley-----------------January 12-21, 2022
6. I Married a Dead Man-------------September 11-14, 2023
VOLUME 2
7.The Killer Inside Me--------------April3-5, 2024
8.The Talented Mr. Ripley-----------June 1-12,2024
9. Pick-Up-----------------------January 22-24, 2025
10. Down There-------------------February 24-27, 2025
11. The Real Cool Killers------------April 28-29, 2025
1. The Postman Always Rings Twice----January 21-23, 2022
2. They Shoot Horses, Don't They?-----December 6-8,2022
3. Thieves Like Us------------------March 20-23, 2023
4. The Big Clock------------------August 12-22, 2023
5. Nightmare Alley-----------------January 12-21, 2022
6. I Married a Dead Man-------------September 11-14, 2023
VOLUME 2
7.The Killer Inside Me--------------April3-5, 2024
8.The Talented Mr. Ripley-----------June 1-12,2024
9. Pick-Up-----------------------January 22-24, 2025
10. Down There-------------------February 24-27, 2025
11. The Real Cool Killers------------April 28-29, 2025
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews