The Doomsters
Encyclopedia
The Doomsters is a 1958
mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald
, the seventh book in the Lew Archer
series. Many sources agree that this book marked a turning point in the series, wherein Macdonald abandoned his imitations of Raymond Chandler
and Dashiell Hammett
and found his own voice. It also marks the fixing of Lew Archer's character as a man more interested in understanding the criminal than in catching him.
The title of the book is taken from the poem To an Unborn Pauper Child by Thomas Hardy. Breathe not, hid Heart: cease silently, And though thy birth-hour beckons thee, Sleep the long sleep: The Doomsters heap; Travails and teens around us here. The poem reflects on the difficulty of escaping the lot to which we are born and this is an underlying theme of the MacDonald's book. Writing about the book in The New York Times
, the critic Anthony Boucher
called the book a study of the strands that shape complexity and doom and, talking about these strands, says it is an analyses at once compassionate and cruel giving dimension and meaning to an unusually well crafted mystery puzzle,.
1958 in literature
The year 1958 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*August 18 - Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in United States.*First volume of The Civil War by Shelby Foote is published....
mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald
Ross Macdonald
Not to be confused with John D. MacDonaldRoss Macdonald is the pseudonym of the American-Canadian writer of crime fiction Kenneth Millar...
, the seventh book in the Lew Archer
Lew Archer
Lew Archer is a fictional character created by Ross Macdonald. Archer is a private detective working in Southern California.-Profile:Initially, Lew Archer was similar to Philip Marlowe. However, he eventually broke from that mold, though some similarities remain...
series. Many sources agree that this book marked a turning point in the series, wherein Macdonald abandoned his imitations of Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
and Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
and found his own voice. It also marks the fixing of Lew Archer's character as a man more interested in understanding the criminal than in catching him.
The title of the book is taken from the poem To an Unborn Pauper Child by Thomas Hardy. Breathe not, hid Heart: cease silently, And though thy birth-hour beckons thee, Sleep the long sleep: The Doomsters heap; Travails and teens around us here. The poem reflects on the difficulty of escaping the lot to which we are born and this is an underlying theme of the MacDonald's book. Writing about the book in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the critic Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
called the book a study of the strands that shape complexity and doom and, talking about these strands, says it is an analyses at once compassionate and cruel giving dimension and meaning to an unusually well crafted mystery puzzle,.