Damn. Just this minute seen the sad news that Elmore Leonard died this morning, aged 87. (Update: head to The Rap Sheet for links to obituaries and a terrific homage.) Leonard had suffered a stroke a few weeks back and had subsequently been hospitalised; on the author's Facebook page, Gregg Sutter, Leonard's researcher and webmaster, reports:
The post I dreaded to write, and you dreaded to read. Elmore passed away at 7:15 this morning from complications from his stroke. He was at home surrounded by his loving family. More to follow.
Anyone who reads Existential Ennui on a regular basis will know that I've been on a Leonard kick of late, recently posting a string of reviews of the writer's novels. They weren't intended as a tribute to Mr. Leonard, and certainly not a eulogy – just my thoughts on his work; but under the circumstances, well, I guess a number of them – and a handful of older posts – go some way towards expressing my admiration for his brilliant, beautifully written books:
The Hunted (1978)
The Switch (1979)
Dutch Treat (1985), feat. Mr. Majestyk, Swag and The Hunted
Sad news indeed. While I've read only maybe half a dozen EL novels, I enjoyed all of them immensely. He had a great run, and I'm sure he'll be entertaining lovers of crime fiction generations from now.
ReplyDeleteGosh, just when you've inspired me to read more of him. I regret that I didn't get to fully appreciate him while he was alive.
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