Caleb J. Ross' booklikes

This being my first Jim Thompson novel, I expected brilliance. I had heard from many readers whose opinions I highly respect, that Thompson novels were apexes of noir literature. Maybe. But The Grifters certainly isn't. It has the tasty cheesiness of a mid-century crime noir, but lacks any characterization that make a story compelling.I closed the novel recalling this about the plot: criminal meets woman. Criminal’s mother doesn’t like woman. One woman kills the other. Queue twist, and scene. This isn’t something worth praising.I’ll definitely try another Thompson novel, as I respect close friends who adore his work, but the next one had better be great.