Pop. 1280

I wonder if Jim Thompson has ever been declared the master of crime novel fiction? If he hasn't, then he certainly gets my vote! No one writes tales that are more cynical, more twisted or more accurate in their perceptions of human depravity. You can have Chandler, Cain, Ellroy, Hammett and all the rest. Thompson tops them all. The most unique thing about Thompson's novels is that he really has no moral center in any of them. In fact, in this book, he even puts you in the shoes of the despicable main character. The novel concerns a bumbling sheriff in a small Southern town, who seems to be a spineless coward and a lazy lay-about. All is not as it seems however, as the sheriff proves to be much more intelligent than anyone would dream of giving him credit for. Thompson mined similar terrain in his book 'The Killer inside Me', but this novel actually tops that one in terms of nastiness and its vitriolic view of human nature. There are a few elements in Thompson's book that strike me as unique. One is his pessimistic misanthropy which takes things a step further from the previous generations of crime novelists. There are no private investigators with a heart of gold here. Another is his dismantling of the idea of America's heartland as being this place of good souls and kind neighbourliness. Thompson was from Oklahoma and, as he knows the surrounding areas intimately, his novels seem to take place in the American South and Southwest. He exposes it as a place that's even MORE corrupt than in the big cities. Chandler, Cain and a lot of other writers usually focused on places like New York and L.A. as the pillars of American decadence. Thompson points out that the WHOLE of America is a swirling cesspool of self-interested swindlers and the only thing that varies is scale. The Sheriff in the novel carefully depicts the town as a stifling, rabid and, dare I say, neo-Facist community, where any behaviour outside the norm is abhorred and subject to the townfolks' vindictive whims. The Sheriff sees all this and schemes and plots ways to maintain his 'easy' lifestyle. The ironic thing is that all the running around and strees seem like MORE work than maybe just making an honest living. What seems most universal about the book is that the main protagonists struggle to maintain his position atop the heap, no matter how small and useless it is, is a reflection of what goes on all over the world, every day, for as long as people have been around. Admittedly, it's bleak, but it's extremely fascinating. One reality is that people will do anything and everything when power and money is involved. This is, by far, Thompson's most sinister character in any of his books. The fact that the Sheriff gets away with what he does, under the guise of sub-civility, is an idictment of the people that we are expected to most trust and respect in this world. This book is probably Thompson's finest work, even though 'The Killer Inside Me' is far more pop

Jim Thompson tried a few different styles of narration in his books, with varying levels of success. But the first-person, interior perspective he uses in Pop. 1280 is totally smooth and effective. It's not for the light-hearted though, as the reader enters the mind of a psychopath, and finds himself (or at least I did) sympathizing with him -- or at least with his feelings and motives, if not his actions. The amazing thing about this book is the way Thompson blends horror with real pathos, plus incredible, laugh-out-loud humor. And the last chapter, with its revelations, is a sad and personal one. I agree with some other reviewers that it's a better read than The Killer in Me, which is saying something. So, if you feel up to the task (if Tom Ripley makes you queasy, don't go here), this is a great Jim Thompson novel. And if you like it, I can recommend The Grifters as another good read.

It would appear at the start of this book that Nick Corey, the sheriff of the town of Pottsville, is to be the hero of the story. He seems like a gentle, somewhat simple man who believes that inaction is always the most prudent course of action. He feels it "just wouldn't seem right" to have to arrest people, so generally, he doesn't. But slowly it began to dawn on me that this is a Jim Thompson book and there simply aren't heroes in his books.It turns out that Nick Corey is quite similar to another Jim Thompson character, Lou Ford from The Killer Inside Me. In fact, it's worthwhile reading both books to compare these two characters. They are so different, yet incredibly similar.The chilling thing about this book lies in how deeply convinced everyone is that Nick is a simpleton who is a harmless, lazy man. But the truth is apparent to the reader how rat-cunning he actually is. The desire to be re-elected to his post as sheriff drives his day-to-day activity and everyone underestimates just how far he'll go to ensure his re-election, myself included.Apart from the sinister actions of Nick Corey, the story is actually quite amusing, told in the first person in a light and witty tone of voice. Nick manages to put an amusing spin on all aspects of his day-to-day life, most especially the parts in which he's doing absolutely nothing at all.This is a typical Jim Thompson story. There are no heroes, as a matter of fact; there are few, if any, likable characters in the book. The main character narrates in a style that feels as though he's saying: here are the facts, make of them what you will. It's a chiller rather than a mystery and events took me by surprise more than once.

I've read a lot of Thompson, and he really does have quite a few good ones under his belt, but this is far and away the crown jewel. It's The Killer Inside Me elevated to an entirely different level. Thompson tried his hand at crime fiction, depression-era social commentary, comedy and a host of other genres, and he seems to have combined everything he ever learned as a writer into the incredibly well-written, funny, shocking, economical Pop. 1280. Allright, it's a frickin masterpiece. It tempts one to use phrases like "one of the great achievements of 20th centurey American literature." It will, of course, never be regarded as such due to the modest circumstances under which Thompson wrote and was published, and the book itself is quite modest. Like it's main character and narrator, it presents itself as affable, charming but goofy, of no great consequence, lulls you, and then wallops you with the fact of how remarkable it is. Nonetheless, I honestly think this should be up there with Faulkner, et. al. when academics make their lists of the high points of American Modernism (or whatever).Plotting isn't usually Thompson's strong suit, but Pop. 1280 is incredibly polished. Revelations that come later in the book are shocking, but on subsequent readings (which are well-deserved) it's obvious that they were being given away from the beginning. It's always quite an achievement when a writer manages this, and it's done perfectly here, and using a first-person narration.Nick Corey is one of the most distinctive narrative voices I've ever read, and few writers have created a character more likeable, funny or disturbing. As the singular narrator of the novel, Corey manages to be charming and sympathetic enough to keep the reader interested on that basis alone, acts ridiculous while voicing Thompson's most serious social critiques, and is dangerously crazy, all at the same time and without ever seeming incoherent or out of character. It's incredible (really) writing and, you know, "a remarkable achievement." I, ah, cherish this book.(also recommended: Robert Polito's Jim Thompson biography Savage Art)

While some of Jim Thompson's other work (The Grifters, The Killer Inside Me) hews more closely to the classic themes of noir fiction, Pop. 1280 is the most definitive example of his oeuvre. Thompson's bizarre mix of crude humor, biting wit and horrifying crime is perfectly balanced in this book. One of the few texts I've ever seen that manages to distill America in all it's fiendish glory into something that can be assimilated in a few hours. Almost Blakean in it's nightmarish vision of life, death and spirituality.