Mystery Review: Of Tender Sin isn't a mystery about crime, at least not at first. Here the mystery is about what is causing Al Darby's visions, transforming them into an obsession that tears his life apart. (n.b., "Darby" is also a township in Delaware County adjacent to Philadelphia.) My second novel by David Goodis, this is worlds apart from the chaste struggle against fate that was Dark Passage (1946). More sensual (almost erotic), than the former novel, but all in service to a plot that takes it to the edge. Goodis does not fall into the typical "madonna or whore" cliche; instead each female character is a lot of one and a bit of the other, making the roles more credible. Of Tender Sin is a psychological mystery, consisting of one man's struggle with repressed memories and taboo passions. These pressures lead our protagonist to go for "a walk on the wild side" in the seamy districts of Philadelphia. Goodis paints Philly street by street as carefully as Joyce did Dublin. Wherever the plot might momentarily unravel, Goodis quickly saves it with his stunning skills -- he can write suspense with the best of them. A quick entertaining read with just enough grimy verisimilitude to make it a genuine noir novel, Of Tender Sin is an odd book out, but no less enjoyable for that. [3½★]
No comments:
Post a Comment