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I see that the excellent Ian Rankin has the latest ( and possilbly last) Rebus book on the shelves. I am a huge fan and wonder where this could go next,surely not the last?. I missed his interview on radio 2 the other night so I don't know what he is planning. My take is that he will write another along the lines of: Siobohn Clark is promoted to Inspector and is assigned to a particularly nasty case. She comes unstuck and seeks out the retired Rebus, probably sitting board in the Oxford bar, and he helps in an unofficial capacity. I know that Rankin has written some good material as Jack Harvey but where can he go without John Rebus??
I hate to admit this but try as I might I just can't seem to get excited by Rankin. I must be missing something, as so many people rave about him but each of his books I have tried I have been glad to finish and go on to something else. I know many of you out there are fans so tell me what am I missing? .
That is probably a reasonable assumption, but a writer can only go on with the same character for so long, and he clearly saw Rebus as having reached a closing point.
So it will be interesting so see where he goes with his writing.
I agree with you CrazyHorse, I've tried reading Rankin but find him dull and boring. Another writer that I think is very overrated is John Harvey. I also think that Harvey's writing style is very bad. It makes you wonder how he became so successful.
Interview in the online Telegraph re Rebus issue.
This is a brief extract:
'Will Rebus return? At the start of the interview, Rankin says that he's "not 100 per cent sure" he'll do another Rebus novel. Later, he clarifies this position. "It would depend on two things. Does the theme and the plot need these characters, and do I still have anything interesting to say about Rebus? Are there still parts of his character that I want to explore? I get the feeling in the back of my mind that there's still quite a lot I don't know about him."'
Not sure about that. In an interview last year he said he was going to write down the stories he told his son (I think it's Angel disease he has), so I think he is going into children's fiction.
I agree Rankin is more literary, that's why I love him. Something to make you think, I 've tried other crime writers and they are all the bleedin' same. I rarely read crime now.
He is doing a signing at WHSmith at Waverley Station in Edinburgh Friday afternoon, I don't have any lecturers so I might go.
Well, after Mark recommending Rankin to me, I've become a fan. For a start, he's written more books than Mark so I haven't run out of reading material yet! The only problem is, in my mind both Rebus and Thorne are Ken Stott! I really enjoy Rankin's books, even the one of short stories. I find the writing very similar to Mark's and that's probably why I enjoy them so much. I haven't read any of the Jack Harvey ones but will take a look at them when I've read all the Rebus ones. At the moment I'm meant to be studying so reading for pleasure is not on my list of things I should be doing right now!
Comments
So it will be interesting so see where he goes with his writing.
This is a brief extract:
'Will Rebus return? At the start of the interview, Rankin says that he's "not 100 per cent sure" he'll do another Rebus novel. Later, he clarifies this position. "It would depend on two things. Does the theme and the plot need these characters, and do I still have anything interesting to say about Rebus? Are there still parts of his character that I want to explore? I get the feeling in the back of my mind that there's still quite a lot I don't know about him."'
Whole article at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=G2S0LOK54USKHQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/arts/2007/09/11/borankin111.xml
If anyone is interested on not having a definitive answer.
I agree Rankin is more literary, that's why I love him. Something to make you think, I 've tried other crime writers and they are all the bleedin' same. I rarely read crime now.
He is doing a signing at WHSmith at Waverley Station in Edinburgh Friday afternoon, I don't have any lecturers so I might go.