Noir is dead for me because historically, I think it's a simple view. I've taken it as far as it can go. I think I've expanded on it a great deal, taken it further than any other American novelist.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore.
I've been a fan of noir films since I was in high school.
I think a film noir demands a beginning and an end.
Noir focuses on the criminal mind, not a whodunit: more why they did it and will they get away with it. The abnormal psychology is what fascinates me rather than the puzzle-solving aspect.
I think there are specific times where film noir is a natural concomitant of the mood. When there's insecurity, collapse of financial systems - that's where film noir always hits fertile ground.
One definition of noir is where a not-so-good man or woman tries to touch something good - and fails.
I got into reading a lot of noir and a lot of thrillers as well, and I really admired the plotting about those and the way that they can surprise you. And obviously to surprise people and to have twists in the tale, you have to plan quite carefully.
I always had this notion of a noir novel in Galway. The city is exploding, emigration has reversed, and we are fast becoming a cosmopolitan city.
As a genre, the noir of post-World War II was based on characters who were weak or repellent, bound to let down us and themselves.
Yeah, I was always a big fan of noir.