In Pursuit of Spenser
Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
When Robert B. Parker passed in early 2010, the world lost two great men: Parker himself, iconic American crime writer whose books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and his best-known creation, Spenser. Parker's Spenser series not only influenced the work of countless of today's writers, but is also credited with reviving and forever changing the genre.
In Pursuit of Spenser offers a look at Parker and to Spenser through the eyes of the writers he influenced. Editor Otto Penzler-- proprietor of one of the oldest and largest mystery specialist bookstores in the country, New York's The Mysterious Bookshop, and renowned mystery fiction editor whose credits include series editor for the Best American Crime Writing and Best American Mystery Stories, among many others (and about whom Parker himself once wrote, "Otto Penzler knows more about crime fiction than most people know about anything")-- collects some of today's bestselling mystery authors to discuss Parker, his characters, the series, and their impact on the world.
From Hawk to Susan Silverman to Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, from the series' Boston milieu to Parker's own take on his character, In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Robert B. Parker, the man widely credited with reviving the hardboiled PI genre, gets the respect he amply deserves in this anthology of 15 essays. Editor Penzler, founder of The Mysterious Press, provides a thoughtful introduction that sets the stage for insights into a wide range of topics, including the role of food in the Spenser books, TV adaptations, and the series' Boston setting. Every piece is worthwhile, but four stand out: In "Songs Spenser Taught Me," Ace Atkins, tapped by the Parker estate to continue the Spenser franchise, movingly conveys how the character changed his life following the loss of his father when Atkins was a sophomore at Auburn University. Loren D. Estleman, whose own Detroit-based PI Amos Walker has had a long and successful run, explains how Parker helped to save "America's place in world literature," while Lyndsay Faye, in "Spenser and the Art of the Family Table," makes use of her own experience working in restaurants to discuss Spenser-as-gourmet and the relationship between care in food preparation and maintaining human relationships. Finally, S.J. Rozan intelligently parses out the debate among fans about the investigator's significant other, Susan Silverman, treating both camps fairly.
More Books by Otto Penzler, Ace Atkins & Lawrence Block