The Far Side of the Dollar follows the template of most Lew Archer novels: a family is tormented by secrets from the past. In this case, Archer is hired to find a teenage boy who escaped from a Rehab facility. A couple corpses later, Archer learns the seeds of these deaths go back decades. Family secrets are revealed at the end of the case, but Ross Macdonald saves a special twist for the conclusion. Macdonald has been criticized for writing the same book over and over again. Some readers will find the references in The Far Side of the Dollar to King Lear disconcerting (although they fit). This 1965 Lew Archer mystery isn’t as good as The Galton Case or The Chill but it still tells a compelling story.
Well, admittedly I think The Chill is impossible to beat (thoigh Black Money comes close in my view) but I love all the Macdonalds from the late 50s onwards and I think this is one of his best – great choice george, thanks.
Until I read THE FERGUSON AFFAIR for today’s post, I had read nothing but Macdonald’s Archer books. All of them. I need to read more of his owrk. If I can only find the time.
I read THE ZEBRA-STRIPED HEARSE this week and FAR SIDE is next up on my list. I felt the same as you did – not as good as THE GALTON CASE or THE CHILL but worth reading.
Sergio, I think Ross Macdonald’s best work was published in the 1950s. I need to reread BLACK MONEY.
Randy, I with you on the time crunch. So many books, so little time!
Jeff, I think Ross Macdonald’s work tailed-off in the 1960a. It have had something to do with his Alzheimer’s.
I like this one pretty well. Not my favorite, but not bad.
I like all of them because I enjoy his way of telling a story and also his themes resonate with me. If I was ten years younger, I would read them all again. And do some other stuff too!
Bill, you can tell in THE FAR SIDE OF THE DOLLAR that Ross Macdonald had his writing process under complete control. This book is artfully constructed.
Patti, I’d do plenty of things if I were 10 years younger, too. But as time gets more precious, I have to prioritize my activities–including book choices.
George, this was a good pick, and as I recall a pretty good book. When I read it I was full of Chandler and Hammett and looked to compare Macdonald to them, so I probably was more picky than I should have been. I do recall I liked it.
It seems I’m alone in that my favorite Ross Macdonald book is the one I read most recently. That wasn’t always the case, when I had read several in a year, but now remembering the details of books I read thirty years ago is difficult, so the most recent – I read ZEBRA-STRIPED HEARSE for today is the best, not from a critical aspect, just from a favorite at this time way of choosing.
And let’s not get into that 10 years younger thing, it’s depressing.
Rick, I read Ross Macdonald’s books in a binge in the Seventies. I think it took me three weeks to read them all (I read a lot faster back then…two or three books a day). I appreciated your review of THE ZEBRA-STRIPED HEARSE.
Two or three books a day. *snort*
I have been re-reading MacDonald, but I try and space them a month or two apart because they tend to read the same when you read a lot together. Not that I am putting him down, I like MacDonald – he is one of my favs!
I agree with you that the books he wrote in the late 50s and early 60s are his best – once he was discovered and became a best seller they weren’t as good (thou low end MacDonald is better than 99.9 % of most other writer’s works).
I add a second vote for Black Money as his best book. It is certainly the only one for me that has a genuine surprise ending – something whose ending was so remarkable that it robbed me of ever being able to re-read it with the same enjoyment level.
Stan, back in the Seventies I worked for a consulting that sent me everywhere. I spent many times in O’Hare Airport for hours (delayed and canceled flights) and I was able to read a couple books while I was waiting. Of course, I was reading much shorter books than today’s door-stoppers! I’m going to have to reread BLACK MONEY.
I gather Ross Macdonald’s stories are often about missing people and yet he manages to pull it off quite well; in the sense that the plot does not seem repetitive.
The mention of references to King Lear intrigues me. I’m going to have to see what that’s all about.
Kelly, Ross Macdonald sprinkles classical allusions in most of the Lew Archer books. I’m reading BLACK MONEY for the next FFB and there are references to Dante and the DIVINE COMEDY as well as THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD.