"The Hounded Man" by Francis Carco (Thomas Seltzer, 1924)

"Hounded Man" by Francis Carco (Thomas Seltzer, 1924)

A tale of a man who commits murder and lives his life after that fact.  Of course, since this is a Francis Carco piece of work, there is a woman of the streets who share with the leading character's misery, dread, and fear.  Also the city of Paris adds a certain amount of noir existence in the mix as well.  I found a copy of "Hounded Man" in the Los Angeles Library system, and my guess it probably hasn't been checked out since its publication date, 1924.   Carco is an amazing writer, who specializes in little pyscho-dramas that takes place in Parisian hotels and bars.   Why he isn't more known in the English language world is a mystery.  I suspect that it will only be a matter of time before New York Review of Books (NYRB) start publishing his noir-like novels of men's darkness and their city (Paris, of course). 

- Tosh Berman