Mickey Spillane

[Tom]

Hi

I would like you to discuss Mickey Spillane's style of writing with me--of course if you have read him. I find him very DIFFERENT from some of the writers I have read, say Sidney Sheldon, Herold Robbins, Danielle Steel , Jackie Collins etc. Aren't they all from the US?

Tom

[Jamie (K)]

Keep in mind that Mickey Spillane did most of his writing in the 1940s and 1950s, so his language is bound to be different from that of those later authors you mentioned. In addition to that, when Spillane was writing, America was more puritanical, so the sexual content of books was much less explicit. Even though his writing is considered tame today, people 50 years ago thought his books were very immoral.

You'll notice the same language difference if you watch a 1940s film noir detective movie and one from the 1960s or later.

In addition, Spillane used to write comic books, so there may be some influence from that genre in his writing.

[Tom]

[Jamie (K)]