The Goodis revival goes on--many of his titles are back in print including The Blond on the Street Corner from Serpent's Tail.
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From Library Journal
Another piece of pulp fiction, Goodis's 1953 noirish novel portrays the story of protagonist Bill Kerrigan, a poor street-hardened man who marries wealthy Loretta Channing. Kerrigan, however, soon learns that class is something you can't buy and once a street punk, always a street punk.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Cort McMeel
Format:Paperback
This guy is the Knut Hamsun of Noir. Grit, realism served up filthy-delphia style. His characters speak in the harsh dialect of wasted lives, guts, soul and all other essentials of the True Predecessor of Bukow, Selby, Fante, and Leonard Gardner...the beauty of ugliness is the religion of Goodis and his brash honesty and no-holds barred grappling prose style make him one of the greats.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By lazza
Format:Paperback
David Goodis is the champion of the down-and-outs, druggies, boozers and misfits. In 'The Moon in the Gutter' we have an interesting story about a stevedore (dock worker) and his utterly miserable existence. He has difficulty in coming to grips with the grisly death of his sister, his home life is a disaster, and his future looks bleak. But then he meets a blonde from the other side of the tracks and ....
While I won't give any spoilers here let me just say I felt very let down by the ending of this novel. David Goodis brings the reader into the life of this poor soul and shows us his world without compassion. Towards the end the tension builds (..again no spoilers) but the author fails miserably in tying it all together at the end. Very disappointing.
Bottom line: a missed opportunity by Goodis. Intriguing, but best left to Goodis fans only.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Seven months ago, Bill Kerrigan's beloved sister committed suicide rather than lives with the memory of the assault on her body by an unknown assailant. Bill remains in shock, visiting the alley off of Philadelphia's Vernon Street where his sibling died.
After spending some time in the alley, for some reason known only to him, Bill decides he needs a beer so he goes to the nearby Dugan's Den bar. At the dive, Bill meets Newton Channing, a slumming wealthy uptowner. When Newton's classy sister Loretta comes to take him home, an immediate bond forms between her and Bill. However, he is a stevedore, residing in the slums while she is class personified. Even if Bill can put aside his ghastly obsession of finding the culprit behind his sister's death, this couple has no chance of making it.
THE MOON IN THE GUTTER is a reprint of a great urban Noir. The characterization is deep and very intriguing because of David Goodis' insight into the Vernon Street dwellers. The story line is haunting as its serves up to prove that the author was exceptionally good at his craft. Readers who give this novel a chance will search the second hhandbook stores for more works by Mr. Goodis.
Harriet Klausner
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stifling
Goodis is an underrated master of American fiction. While this book isn't his best -- I prefer "The Burglar" above all -- this very realistically captures the gritty poverty of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Smallridge
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vernon Street
David Goodis (1917 -- 1967) lived and worked in Hollywood before returning to his hometown of Philadelphia in 1950. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Robin Friedman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Uptown girl.
Now this is the David Goodis we've all come to know and love. Not only is there no happy ending, Goodis doesn't even acknowledge the possibility that anything approaching... Read more
Published on May 17, 2010 by Michael G.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Moving
A very moving story of characters caught in the grip of their pasts and surroundings, particularly the main character, William Kerrigan. Unforgettable.
Published on March 5, 2010 by Albert Soletsky
3.0 out of 5 stars
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars
David Goodis has written some very good hardboiled fiction, particularly "Down There," which was adapted into the classic French film, "Shoot the Piano Player. Read more
Published on April 19, 2008 by Westley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Philly Noir
This is was my second Goodis novel (see Blonde on Street Corner). I'm really attracted to this genre (which I don't consider noir as much as working class fiction). Read more
Published on August 23, 2005 by Christophe Peditto
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