"Francis Carco: The Career of a Literary Bohemian" by Seymour S. Weiner (Columbia University Press, 1952, O.P.)
I have only read two books by Francis Carco. "Perversity" and "Streetcorners." He's the poet of the criminal underground - which means the world of sleazy Parisian bars, the home of whores and their pimps, and a landscape full of alcohol and drugs. A remarkable world, of course! Compared to what he wrote in his native language and published in France, there is very little of his works translated into English, and all, I believe is out of print. Which is a horrible shame, because he is clearly an important and major voice in French literature.
Through the Los Angeles library system, I found a copy of the Seymour S. Weiner's book of Carco, which is both a biography and a literary study on the writer. It's a wonderful book, but on the other hand, it's a weird way to be introduced to Carco, considering there is literary analysis on books I have never read or even heard of. It is very much like reading on a phantom writer that doesn't exist.
Carco clearly knew what he was writing about. He understood the world of criminals and their needs and wants. He is sort of a combination of Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski - in the fact that both writers cover their territory to the fullest. Weiner, who wrote this book in 1952 or therefore, and published that year, is not meant to be a public general reading matter, but as an academic study on a man and his writing. The best part of the book for me, since I haven't read that much of Carco's work, is the chapter devoted to authors who influenced Carco. Especially François Villon, the criminal poet. Worth tracking down, but a must to read Carco's works. I recommend the two books I have read, both "Perversity" and "Streetcorners" (published by the great Los Angeles located press, Green Integer).
- Tosh Berman
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