One reason I haven’t been posting much lately is because I’ve had an acute case of writer’s block. You see, I read both Backflash and 361 recently, and felt obligated to write about them. It wasn’t working. And that was stopping me from writing anything else.
361 itself was partially a product of writer’s block. Westlake stopped about halfway through, started a book you may have heard of called The Hunter, and picked 361 up again later. So let that be a lesson to me.
Just because I haven’t written about 361 or Backflash doesn’t mean I don’t have any thoughts on them. This was my third pass through 361, and I blathered on about it at length with Jesse Willis in a recent SFFaudio podcast (Backflash was touched upon as well). My reviews avoid spoilers, but the podcast, being a more in-depth discussion of the book, does not, so be forewarned.
I’ll write up both Backflash and 361 next time around. I’ll happily take another dance with either or both of them, so this current case of writer’s block just ensures that there will be another turn about the floor. In the meantime, I’m moving on with a (mostly) clean slate.
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Perhaps the writing of this post will itself help with the block. Hope so, ‘cos I’m looking forward to reading your review of 361 in particular. I still don’t own a copy of that one and it’s intrigued me for a while…
Nick:
Short review–it’s essential Westlake. And, as I’ve found out, it rewards multiple readings, which is why I have no problem reading it again in hopes of writing about it in the future.
361 is my favourite Westlake by a country mile and very much the forerunner of the Parker books.