WRITERS ON BOOKS ~ TERRENCE MCCAULEY
I’ve asked my Fight Card compatriot Terrence McCauley (Fight Card: Against The Ropes—a prequel
to his hard hitting novel Prohibition)
to contribute to a new blog post sequence examining what books writers are
reading and what books have influenced their lives.
An award-winning writer of crime fiction and thrillers,
Terrence’s most recent techno-thriller, A
Murder Of Crows—sequel to Sympathy
For The Devil—has just been released by Polis Books and is garnering
rave reviews. More importantly (to me anyway), Terrence is a huge soccer fan who
unfortunately supports Liverpool FC in the English Premier League and NYCFC in
Major League Soccer instead of FC Barcelona in La Liga and Major League
Soccer’s LA Galaxy. Somehow, we still manage to be friends…A proud native of
The Bronx, NY, he is currently writing his next work of fiction.
Thanks for taking time, Terrence to consider these questions
about the books in your life…
THE BOOK I LOVED AS A
CHILD…
I can’t really think of one. My parents didn’t read to me
and, since I was an only child, I got my entertainment mostly from television.
I read a lot of the required texts all school kids have to read, but none of
them stuck with me, not even A Christmas
Carol or A Wrinkle In Time or
even the Hardy Boys books.
I really wasn’t really touched by impact literature could
have until I was in high school. The first work to have an impact on me was a
poem I read in sophomore year called Death
of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell, followed by The Merchant of Venice and The Shining. The only common element of
all three works is that they ultimately had a profound impact on me as a
student and sparked my interest in wanting to become a writer.
A BOOK YOU WOULD READ
TO YOUR KIDS…
Probably my Fight Card entry Against the Ropes. It would give them a sense of the importance of
loyalty, of injustice and of staying true to one’s own self despite the
consequences.
THE BOOK THAT MADE
YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER…
Tai Pan by James
Clavell. It doesn’t hold the same power over me now as it did back when I first
read it in high school, but I’ll never forget reading it for the first time and
being mesmerized by the story. Clavell layers details throughout the story that
become important later on as the plot moves along. My admiration for his
ability to craft a story in such a way made me pay more attention to the
writing in a novel than just the words on the page.
YOUR FAVORITE
CLASSIC…
My definition of a classic may be very different than
someone else’s definition. To me, The
Harder They Fall is one of the best books of its generation. It’s a tale of
false perceptions becoming reality, dreams shattered and lives ruined all in
pursuit of the almighty dollar. It’s the only book I’ve ever read that made me
miss my subway stop because I was that close to the end that I didn’t realize
where I was. Brutal, unflinching and real.
THE CLASSIC YOU’VE
NEVER BEEN ABLE TO READ…
Moby-Dick (The Whale).
I’ve never been able to get into it and I’ve tried several times. Most of
Hemmingway’s stuff, too. I know he’s supposed to be good, but I think he’s
grossly over-rated. I know I’m in the minority on that score, but it’s my
opinion. He writes like a journalist, which makes sense since that’s what he
was, but there’s no depth of feeling in his work. I’ve been told the depth is
there, but I haven’t found it. The words just lay on the page like a dead
possum on the side of the road.
THE CLASSIC YOU’VE
PRETENDED TO HAVE READ…
I gave this one a lot of thought and I don’t think I’ve ever
pretended to read something I didn’t actually read. I’ve never been afraid of
admitting my own ignorance and doing something about it.
THE MOVIE ADAPTATION YOU’VE
LOVED…
I thought L.A.
Confidential was a fantastic adaptation of a book that was nearly
impossible to film. They took all the right parts and struck just the right
tone. The casting was also top-notch.
THE BOOK YOU’D LIKE
TO SEE AS A MOVIE…
I think Eric Beetner’s Rumrunners
would make an interesting movie, as would Lamentations
by Joe Clifford.
THE IMAGINARY PLACE WHERE
YOU COULD LIVE…
I’d probably choose the fictional town where Lew Archer
works in Ross Macdonald’s excellent series of novels.
THE GENRE YOU’D READ
IF YOU WERE LIMITED TO ONE…
Noir fiction suits my world view best. It’s more than just a
haunted man with a bottle of bourbon in his desk and a pretty secretary in his
lap. When it’s done well, it’s a rich and deeply rewarding genre that can be
approached in a variety of ways. To cross art forms for a moment, I thoroughly
believe the excellent sci-fi film Ex
Machina is just Double Indemnity
with robots. The cast and setting can change, but the deception and heartache
at the core of noir never does.
THE BOOK YOU’VE
RETURNED TO AGAIN AND AGAIN…
The Cold Six Thousand
by James Ellroy. The way he creates a scene and carries tension through a book
is fantastic. L.A. Confidential is
another one I’ve probably read three times and love it each time.
THE FICTIONAL FRIENDS
YOU’D LOVE TO HAVE…
Jesse Stone, Hitch and Cole (all three from Robert B. Parker
stories) and Samson from Len Deighton’s spy novels. With all four of those
protagonists around me, I’d have a good, grounded group of people to keep me
level.
THE LAST NOVEL TO
MAKE YOU LAUGH AND THE LAST TO MAKE YOU CRY…
They’re both the same novel: Berlin Game by Len Deighton. It’s a novel—and series—that deserves
a hell of a lot more attention than it receive. They’re complex, funny and full
of emotion. I find myself quietly riveted to the story without realizing how
much I’ve read so quickly. I recommend that novel to anyone who is looking to
learn how to write or looking for a good way to break into the spy genre.
WHAT YOU’RE READING
NOW…
I just finished George R. R. Martin’s Fevre Dream based on the recommendation of a good friend on
line. God, what a long, hard slog that
was. That was an example of a book that could’ve easily been a hundred pages
shorter and even more rewarding. But, I admire Martin’s style, so I’ve decided
to bite the bullet and give Game of Thrones a shot. I’m not a fantasy guy, but
I’ve seen the series and want to see what all the fuss is about. Like I said,
I’ve never been afraid of admitting my own ignorance.
Thx, Terrence…Great getting your thoughts on writers and
books…
I think someone has to make you read MOBY DICK to get you through it. I did it on willpower whereas many of Meliville's shorter works are truly excellent. For Hemingway, THE SUN ALSO RISES, Terrence. And TAI-PAN over SHOGUN? We have to talk.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out. Good stuff here. I'm looking forward to who else Paul has in store.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my defense, I haven't read SHOGUN. I read TAI-PAN, NOBLE HOUSE and KING RAT because of the Struan links, but not SHOGUN. I have to give that a shot.
ReplyDelete