The Mysterious Romance of Murder: Crime, Detection, and the Spirit of Noir by David Lehman

​     I’m delighted to be the first person to read and review this book. For noir lovers this is a treasure trove.
    I love movies. I love watching them, talking about them, I review some of them on my blog. There’s a universal appeal to movies that books (my other love) don’t quite hit. And what’s more, there’s a way that a good movie engages – so impressively, so multi-dimensionally, so strikingly – that oftentimes stays with me longer than a book does.
     I don’t get to talk about movies as much as I want to. Blogging /reviewing is a one-way street. So is reading about movies, but it’s a different sort of a street at least. In fact, reading this book was very much like having a good conversation about movies with an intelligent knowledgeable person. In other words – fun.
     Sure, the conversation had a format-necessitating one-sidedness to it. So, more of a monologue, really, But still…good.
     To be fair, this book doesn’t just concentrate on noir cinema, it also features authors, actors, books, etc. Though the focus does seem to be on the movies.
     I’m not actually a huge noir fan. I’ve a fine appreciation of the genre but haven’t watched or read all that much of it. Didn’t need to in order to enjoy this book, though, the author’s enthusiasm, passion and seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of the genre was enough for both of us. Sometimes, it’s just nice to read someone go on about what they love if they are eloquent, erudite, and excited about it.
     This was very much such a book. Noir, how David Lehman loves thee, let him count the ways.
Well, he loves it enough to tell you all about it, writes poems about it, draw clever comparisons and parallels about it. In other words - plenty.
     So, yeah, I enjoyed this. Do I prefer a more comedic tone in my nonfiction? Sure, but it isn’t a must. Do I wish for photos and such? Sure, but also, not a must. Do I wish I read a proper edition and not an ARC? Definitely. Cornell University might offer a first-class education, but their press’ ARCs leave a lot to be desired formatting wise. Going to have to remember to avoid them in the future.
      So, that’s it. The dames, the shamus, the femme fatales, the iconic detectives with unforgettable lines and their amicable sidekicks, the criminals and rogues…they are all here, making smoking seem so much more glamourous than repugnant and squinting into the fog of the city pensively. Just waiting to tell you a story. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.