Comments on: Horace McCoy: They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

By: John Mceneny

John Mceneny — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:51:05 +0000

Help!

Does anyone know who owns the rights to the stage adaptation of They Shoot Horses Don’t They? that was adapted by Ray Herman.

Any help would be much appreciated.

By: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die « INFINITEZERO

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die « INFINITEZERO — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:05:49 +0000

[…] They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Horace McCoy […]

By: Sohbet

Sohbet — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:56:47 +0000

Books I’d like to read when printed in Turkey. Looks like an interesting book.

By: Demob Happy

Demob Happy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:31:26 +0000

I loved this. The fable-like, nightmarish quality to it reminded me a bit of Paul Auster. As you said, there is a genunine historical context to the novella, but that doesn’t stop it working on a terrifying and tangble allegorical level.

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:43:54 +0000

I have to admit, I think this is an extraordinary work, one of real talent. I see it as a tremendous existentialist meditation of sorts, with Robert as a sort of everyman figure who by blind chance becomes exposed to the sheer pointlessness of life and who takes moral action regardless of consequence (I think there are definite parallels with The Stranger).

He’s doomed (which is not a spoiler) by Gloria, the dance, the incidents that occur during it, and he comes to realise that Gloria is essentially broken. The murder is arguably an act of compassion, which makes it all the more horrible.

The dance marathon works as a metaphor for grinding poverty, but also for life itself. Gloria gets as you note tons of bits of frankly nihilistic dialogue. There’s a lot packed into a few pages.

Great to see it reviewed, and a great review. You can probably tell I’m something of a fan of this novel, but then I have a great love of good noir fiction and noir doesn’t come much more compact but powerful than this.

I also own, but haven’t read yet, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye. I’ll hopefully read that this year (but then I hope to read so much this year…)

By: Stewart

Stewart — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:36:13 +0000

Thanks for that, CB James.

I’ve been on the look out for more by McCoy since.

Found much? I had a quick scout online and found a few more titles in the same Midnight Classics range.

By: CB James

CB James — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:32:56 +0000

I read this book last year. Here’s my review.

http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2008/08/they-shoot-horses-dont-they-by-horace.html

I thought it was terrific. I only knew the story from the movie version, which has some great stuff in it. The book added another deminsion to the dance marathon. I’ve been on the look out for more by McCoy since.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:13:47 +0000

Sometime if you find Cabbagetown in a bin buy it — otherwise I’d say let it aside.

I didn’t like Divisdero at all. Much like Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost, I found it forced and not rewarding. The Skin of A Lion is unlike any other Ondaatje work, much less experimental in form but, for me, a far more rewarding read. It was his second novel and he was still staying with more traditional forms — maybe it is me, but I certainly found it more accessible.

By: Stewart

Stewart — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:56:40 +0000

I know I am being dreadfully Canadian in doing this but I would like to recommend In the Skin of A Lion by Michael Ondaatje as part of your Fante, Cain, McCoy odyssey. You don’t show an Ondaatje on your review page

Thanks, Kevin. I’ve been meaning to try and read an Ondaatje for ages now, but never have. I’ve got The English Patient and Divisadero. I’m aware of the title of In The Skin Of A Lion, but know nothing of it.

As I say above I’m “never one to knock back a recommendation (although always one to never get round to reading it)”, so I’ll certainly take it on board. As to when I’ll read it…

Cabbagetown, I doubt I’ll find. There are second hand copies on Amazon, but I’m not paying that for a second hand book.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:26:43 +0000

Stewart: I know I am being dreadfully Canadian in doing this but I would like to recommend In the Skin of A Lion by Michael Ondaatje as part of your Fante, Cain, McCoy odyssey. You don’t show an Ondaatje on your review page and this book is completely different from his recent work, not post-modern at all. It is set in Toronto in the late 1920s, early 1930s. Unlike Postman or Horses, it explores the opposite of hopelessness (in this way, it is more like Fante) as it concentrates on the work — and aspirations — of an emigrant class who are building a new city. I think you would find it an interesting contrast, particularly since you live in a city where this era would be recent, rather than ancient, history — unlike Toronto. I do appreciate Ondaatje’s more recent work, but as I said it is completely different — Lion is a much more “traditional” novel in the way that it chooses to tell a story. If you are really into depression literature and can find it (and believe me, that will be a challenge) Hugh Garner’s Cabbagetown is a story of depression urban Toronto that is a magificent read. My copy is falling apart at the seams, but still gets reread (with great care).