Originally posted by Ian Thumwood
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Richard
Good evening
I believe that Philip Kerr did write other novels including contemporary thrillers and also a football-related crime series in addition to a few books for children. I have never read any of these but do not believe they are up to the same standard as the Gunther series. From what I understand, the first three novels were a critical success and I would imagine that there was a demand for him to bring the character back. It did not realise that the hiatus was so long. Curiously, Kerr was friends with another writer I admire, Ian Rankin.
Tom Hanks was alleged to have bought the rights to the books and there was talk of the books being adapted for the screen. I was shocked to learn of Philip Kerr's passing just as I embarked on reading his books. I had started with "Prussian Blue" as my curiousity was piqued by the cover although I had anticipated it to be pulp fiction. The book had me hooked from a few chapters in and the sheer banality of the Nazis he described seemed to strike me as authentic. I was wondering where you thought Kerr might have taken his character in future novels. In my opinion, Bernie would have ended up being compromised into working with Mossad and I feel that he would either have ended up trying to extradite Nazis from Brazil or maybe have materialised in the US but denied a relaxing and enjoyable retirement. As you state, these books do have a cult following and I have also learned a lot of history from them. Some of the nuggets are really wierd like the plans to invade Switzerland and how the Swiss were aware of this and would have thwarted the German operation. There was so much research involved in these books , not only with regard to the geo-politcal / military events but also with regard to just how many of the seemingly minor characters were actually genuine people. One thing that appeals to me with writing is dialogue and the tone set by the Gunther novels probably ranks as amongst my favourite. From recollection, there aren't too many writers who had attained that level of skill in defining a character by their dialogue in popular fiction. The Rebus novels also spring to mind as well as Kate Atkinson who also gets dialogue absolutely spot on.
If anyone here has not discovered these books, I would seriously recommend this series. I like reading authors who have a distinct voice and character in their writing. The Bernie Gunther series is a great example but I also enjoy writers such as William Boyd, Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson and Ian Rankin.
I have not seem any comments on this thread about the Rebus series which reached the penultimate volume last year.. I am really perplexed as to how Rebus is going to get out of the situation he had been left in at the end of the last book. Rebus' contined involvement interferring in police cases has been an on-going "issue" in the more recent novels and the last book seemed to show the chickens coming home to roost.
Good evening
I believe that Philip Kerr did write other novels including contemporary thrillers and also a football-related crime series in addition to a few books for children. I have never read any of these but do not believe they are up to the same standard as the Gunther series. From what I understand, the first three novels were a critical success and I would imagine that there was a demand for him to bring the character back. It did not realise that the hiatus was so long. Curiously, Kerr was friends with another writer I admire, Ian Rankin.
Tom Hanks was alleged to have bought the rights to the books and there was talk of the books being adapted for the screen. I was shocked to learn of Philip Kerr's passing just as I embarked on reading his books. I had started with "Prussian Blue" as my curiousity was piqued by the cover although I had anticipated it to be pulp fiction. The book had me hooked from a few chapters in and the sheer banality of the Nazis he described seemed to strike me as authentic. I was wondering where you thought Kerr might have taken his character in future novels. In my opinion, Bernie would have ended up being compromised into working with Mossad and I feel that he would either have ended up trying to extradite Nazis from Brazil or maybe have materialised in the US but denied a relaxing and enjoyable retirement. As you state, these books do have a cult following and I have also learned a lot of history from them. Some of the nuggets are really wierd like the plans to invade Switzerland and how the Swiss were aware of this and would have thwarted the German operation. There was so much research involved in these books , not only with regard to the geo-politcal / military events but also with regard to just how many of the seemingly minor characters were actually genuine people. One thing that appeals to me with writing is dialogue and the tone set by the Gunther novels probably ranks as amongst my favourite. From recollection, there aren't too many writers who had attained that level of skill in defining a character by their dialogue in popular fiction. The Rebus novels also spring to mind as well as Kate Atkinson who also gets dialogue absolutely spot on.
If anyone here has not discovered these books, I would seriously recommend this series. I like reading authors who have a distinct voice and character in their writing. The Bernie Gunther series is a great example but I also enjoy writers such as William Boyd, Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson and Ian Rankin.
I have not seem any comments on this thread about the Rebus series which reached the penultimate volume last year.. I am really perplexed as to how Rebus is going to get out of the situation he had been left in at the end of the last book. Rebus' contined involvement interferring in police cases has been an on-going "issue" in the more recent novels and the last book seemed to show the chickens coming home to roost.
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