Jim Thompson is more soulful in Spanish
Did you know that Pop. 1280, Jim Thompson's tale of an aw-shucks sheriff who kills, is called 1280 Almas in Spanish? That's Spanish for "1,280 souls." Souls -- not a word one normally associates with Thompson, the nightmarish chronicler of mental and moral degeneration. Thanks to Detectives literarios.
© Peter Rozovsky 2006
© Peter Rozovsky 2006
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 11:18 PM
6 Comments:
I think 'souls' is the perfect literal translation.
But I'm reviving this topic to see if you, or any followers or browsers, Peter, have read his posthumously-published novel, 'The Rip-Off', which I'm currently reading.
Truly a strange one, even by Jim Thompson standards
That sounds like an intriguing endorsement for Pop. 1,280. I haven't read The Rip-Off, but "strange ... even by Jim Thompson" standards" is strange, all right.
I haven't read any critical studies about it, but I always reckoned 'Pop. 1280' was either wholly, or partly, allegorical.
As for 'The Rip-Off', I'll post my final verdict as soon as I've finished it.
Oddly enough, it puts me in mind, in some passages, of Beckett's 'Molloy' trilogy, which I have in both paperback and CD form
(read by the wonderful Barry McGovern)
The only Thompson I've read is Savage Night. Thar made for some creepy late-night reading.
I haven't read that one, but I think I have it somewhere.
I bought a whole bunch of Thompson paperbacks during the early to mid 90's but after having read a bunch of them, mostly his more acclaimed ones, I just diversified a bit, intending to get back to the remainder, later.
Its fair to say that he's not just strange, but unconventional.
btw, you can see him in the 1970's remake of 'Farewell My Lovely'
I have seen him in Farewell, My Lovely, where he is quite good in the role of the old husband.
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