Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson book review

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

Jim Thompson is great. I’ve probably read five or six books by him with another half dozen unread on my shelves.

[@tlash544]

My favorite crime writer, and maybe my favorite Thompson novel! Great video! I've always thought of the Nick Corey character as an evil or anti Columbo. There's a French film adaptation called Coup de Torchon by Bertrand Tavernier that I recommend.

[@sethball2475]

I've only read this one, and The Killer Inside Me. I remember the Black Lizard line of Crime novels, back in the 1980s, suddenly blitzed us with re-issues of various noir and hardboiled novels; someone I knew got addicted to all the Jim Thompson offerings, and I went in a different direction and read all the Fredric Brown novels Black Lizard put out. Which, uh, was only two, whereas Black Lizard published several Jim Thompson titles - quite a long list, actually. I like The Killer Inside Me just a bit more than Pop. 1280, and I think a samey feel in the psychology of the lead character ultimately made me not commit to a big list of Thompson books - but I certainly should get back to him, at least periodically. I would like to read The Grifters, Savage Night, The Nothing Man, and The Golden Gizmo (seems more like a Fredric Brown title! which is why I want to read this lesser known one). I have been getting into Dan. J. Marlowe - The Vengeance Man, and The Name of the Game is Death - and I would recommend him to any Thompson fans, though I think Marlowe is even harsher and grittier than what little I've read of Thompson. I have also recently enjoyed several novels by Harry Whittington. Other books to look out for: The Night Watch by Thomas Walsh, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye by Horace McCoy, and Green Ice by Raoul Whitfield (I got heavy into noir/hardboiled last year - Hammett, Chandler, almost all the major or lesser known names, and had a great time...but somehow managed to neglect Jim Thompson; shall have to fix that).

[@retrog1]

I love Jim Thompson's books, and if you haven't read them, try to get a copy of Nothing More Than Murder and The Grifters. Also very good: Savage Art, a biography of Jim Thompson by Robert Polito.

[@euan4704]

I got Wild Town by Thompson for Christmas a couple of years ago. Now that I’ve finally gotten around to it I can’t believe it’s taken me so long. It’s an amazing book, I love the depth he takes with his characters. Our main Bugs McKenna and the antagonist make an interesting pair.

[@davlang3783]

Great video. I have about 15 Thompson, but only read about 8. Plenty to look forward to. I preferred Pop.1280 slightly more than The Killer Inside Me (but love both). Savage Night might be my favourite. Certainly it has the most amazing ending. Even the ending of The Getaway is creepily weird and memorable. Just finished reading The Criminal, which felt different to his others I'd read but was still a very interesting and worthwhile read.

[@frankmorlock1403]

Hi, Olly, nice review. I read something by Thompson about 70 years ago. I think I was in highschool at the time. I don't remember the title but although he was considered to be just another pulp writer, I found him to be very powerful. I was 12 or 15 at the time. A movie was masde of one of his books The Grifters which got excllent reviews. The only thing I ca n remember of the book that I read by him was a scene in it where the hero's wife is taunting him about sex. The hero is mad at her about something and probably justly so. Rather than apo;logize she flashes her assets at him saying, "Don't you want a littlre pievce of me. " " Just a little bite ?" and keeps it up. Maybe it's not Thompson but I think it is. A vivid scene in a powerful book. Thompson is rather like Simenon although not as prolific. A sharp observer of humanity and not sqeamish about depicting what he sees. A much different writer that I recommend to you is Stanley Ellin whose 8th Circle is a masterpiece of supense and an eyeopening light on American society in the 70's.

[@AngryPict]

This and The Killer Inside Me are excellent. But having said that I've really enjoyed all of the Thompson books I've read. You mentioned The Getaway, the ending blindsided me.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah me too. I think it’s one of the all time great endings

[@lesleyb26]

Just bought it after your last mention and recommendation. I'm looking forward to reading it. 👍

[@steveclifford3493]

I just finished Savage Night yesterday and it was another great Jim Thompson book … and as another commenter mentioned it has a very memorable ending! I’ve read The Killer Inside Me and Recoil but Savage Night is different and my favourite to date. The characters are not soon forgotten and so I highly recommend spending a few hours with “Little” Bigger, Fay and Ruthie.

[@matthewhockey3473]

I think you're spot on with your assessment at the end about literary writers dabbling in genre waters. They often manage to give the impression they feel like they're slumming it.

[@kenward1310]

Definitely need to read this.

[@forenichtreader]

I binged on a lot of Jim Thompson in the 00s, and I still own a couple of Picador omnibuses that reprinted 9 of his best books, including Pop. 1280 and The Killer Inside Me, his other murderous-sheriff book. There's some other authors from the 50s/60s era in a similar vein who are worth reading, like Charles Williams (the US writer, not the UK one) and Gil Brewer - both of them have had one book each reprinted by Hard Case Crime; it's a pity they haven't reprinted some more by them.

[@robertgallagher5285]

The 3 Thompson's I've read: Population 1280 The Grifters Savage Night all worth the price!!!

[@CinePhill]

Superb novel! Still wish Peckinpah had kept the ending of The Getaway. There’s a French film based on Pop.1280 called Coup De Torchon which is pretty good. And obviously Kubrick worked with him twice.

[@Fantumh]

I've heard the name for years but I've never read him. He sounds like my kind of writer, and I'm going to check him out.

[@thewestisthebest]

Karma. I have a Thompson episode scheduled followed by Henry kuttner this month. Well done!

[@RaynorReadsStuff]

Sounds brilliant 😊

[@fredphoto5551]

Hi, strangely, in french, the book translated is "1275 âmes " first in the very popular Série Noire books. I love it very much and other books from J.T too. The film made from this book is happening in Africa, in a french colony. Actors are brilliants. Bye from France !

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh I didn't know that about the film, I may have to check it out!

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Sounds intriguing.

[@connordebruler3264]

There he is....Mr. Thompson

[@reaganwiles_art]

Always wanted to read him, never have yet.

[@GentleReader01]

In a big fan of Jim Thompson fan but haven’t read this one. Must fix that. The sheriff sounds like a Huey Long figure in some ways. If you don’t know about Long, well worth looking him up on Wikipedia and such - he’s incredibly important in the history of American and British populism.

[@chrisgomes5048]

I read several of his books in the 1990s just after the film adaptations of The Grifters and After Dark My Sweet came out. I'm glad I read them, but I don't think I appreciated them then. I should reread him.

[@headlessspaceman5681]

What do you think of Denis Johnson? Not considered a crime writer but... there is a lot of crime in Jesus' Son. Nobody Move! was more pulpy, might be right up your alley. Incidentally thanks for recommending P. Djeli Clarke's Ring Shout! I was able to pick it up at the local library. You did not oversell it. One of the most efficient and effective horror stories I've ever read.

[@tehcarey]

Just read this a few days ago. It was hilarious

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thompson is so great

[@kevinbartlett9499]

Jim Thompson is simply the dogs bollocks

[@DDB168]

I didn't love it quite as much as you, I found it quite pulpy and trashy, which is fine by me. I didn't quite see the philosophy. I do want to read The Grifters.