Evan Hunter Criticism
Evan Hunter, also known by his pseudonym Ed McBain, was a versatile and prolific author whose expansive body of work spanned novels, detective fiction, children's science fiction, and plays. He gained significant recognition with his early novel, The Blackboard Jungle (1954), inspired by his own teaching experiences. This novel, as noted by Nathan Rothman and Barbara Klaw, serves as a poignant social critique of the American education system and was adapted into a successful film in 1955, solidifying its place as a critical milestone.
Hunter's breadth of storytelling is further exemplified in works such as Sons (1969), which explores the generational impact of global conflicts on an American family, and Streets of Gold (1974), which delves into the immigrant pursuit of the American dream. While critics have debated the latter's reliance on clichés, they have also acknowledged its moral insights and ironic perspective on prosperity, as highlighted by publications like the New Yorker.
Under the name Ed McBain, Hunter became a prominent figure in crime fiction, primarily through his esteemed 87th Precinct Series. This series is celebrated for its procedural realism and humanized characters, with critiques from Anthony Boucher and Julian Symons noting the precinct itself as a distinctive character. Despite some later novels receiving less acclaim, the series remains influential, demonstrating Hunter's creativity and originality.
Aside from his crime novels, Hunter's diverse literary endeavors include "Hail to the Chief," a stark portrayal of youth gang life, which Newgate Callendar observes as a departure from traditional mystery narratives. However, his attempts at genre innovation were not always successful, as in "Where There's Smoke," which Callendar criticized for lacking originality. In contrast, his frontier novel "The Chisholms" was praised by James R. Frakes for its character-centered approach, though it was seen as not fully engaging with broader social themes.
Hunter's ability to handle complex plotlines is evident in works like "Goldilocks," which Callendar recognized for its professionalism despite occasional errors. Through his diverse and impactful contributions, Evan Hunter has left a lasting imprint on both mainstream and genre fiction, challenging and captivating audiences through his varied narrative forms and thematic explorations.
Contents
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Hunter, Evan
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Cold-War Class
(summary)
In the following essay, Nathan Rothman praises Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" for its realistic and complex portrayal of life in a New York City vocational high school, highlighting its accurate depiction of educational challenges without resorting to moral oversimplifications, and commends its character portrayals, particularly that of Gregory Miller.
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Garbage Can of the Schools
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In the following essay, Barbara Klaw commends Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" for its compelling depiction of the challenges faced by teachers in New York vocational schools, praising the novel's skillful blend of gripping narrative and social critique, which effectively engages readers through Hunter's masterful storytelling and character development.
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Violence in Harlem
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In the following essay, Stanley Cooperman argues that while Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" lacks depth, it effectively exposes the harsh realities of vocational schools in New York as violent environments, highlighting the broader issues within the educational system.
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H Stands for Hell
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In the following essay, James Kelly argues that Evan Hunter's novel "Second Ending" compellingly portrays the tragic disintegration of a musician due to drug addiction, highlighting the novel's combination of empathetic character depiction and impactful entertainment, despite occasional stylistic excesses.
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Hot Music and Cold Turkey
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In the following essay, Wilder Hobson commends Evan Hunter's "Second Ending" for its human and moving portrayal of a trumpet player struggling with addiction, highlighting Hunter's dramatic narrative style and his ability to create powerful, memorable scenes despite his occasionally awkward writing.
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An Infidelity in Suburbia
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In the following essay, Robert C. Healey analyzes Evan Hunter's "Strangers When We Meet," focusing on its exploration of adultery through the character Larry Cole, and critiques its blend of realism with philosophical symbolism which ultimately conveys a moralistic tone.
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Strangers When We Meet
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In the following essay, Riley Hughes critiques Evan Hunter's novel Strangers When We Meet for its focus on the problem of an unfaithful husband without providing a moral balance, deeming it a serious yet ultimately unsuccessful exploration of suburban reality.
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A Matter of Conviction
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In the following essay, Anthony Boucher argues that Evan Hunter's "A Matter of Conviction" fails as a serious mainstream novel due to its reliance on improbable plot elements and insufficiently developed social critique, suggesting Hunter's work under the pseudonym "Ed McBain" is more successful by serious literary standards.
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Til Death
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In the following essay, James Sandoe praises Ed McBain's use of split-narrative technique in "Til Death," highlighting its effectiveness in creating genuine suspense and engaging readers with the tension surrounding a wedding day threat.
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Til Death
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In the following review, Anthony Boucher commends Ed McBain's "Til Death" for its engaging narrative and insightful depiction of American wedding customs, despite noting a coincidental plot element that may detract for some readers.
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King's Ransom
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In the following review, Anthony Boucher praises "King's Ransom" by Evan Hunter for its compelling and theatrical handling of a kidnaping narrative, affirming McBain's consistency in creating immediate and convincing 87th precinct stories.
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Give the Boys a Great Big Hand
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In the following review, James Sandoe praises Evan Hunter's "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" as an exemplary entry in the 87th Precinct series, commending its engaging procedural narrative and familiar characters, including Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes, while highlighting the effective use of suspenseful and intriguing plot elements.
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The Heckler
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In the following review, Anthony Boucher praises Evan Hunter's "The Heckler" for its engaging narrative, highlighting the evocative naturalism and vivid portrayal of the Eighty-seventh Precinct, even as the police ultimately fail to prevent a significant crime.
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See Them Die
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In the following essay, Anthony Boucher argues that Evan Hunter's novel "See Them Die" departs from the typical detective narrative by focusing on the lives within the 87th Precinct, weaving multiple plot lines, including a police siege and a realistic love story, into a tightly compressed timeframe.
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Gulf Between Generations
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In the following essay, Al Morgan explores Evan Hunter's versatility as a writer, highlighting how his novel "Mothers and Daughters" effectively portrays the generational communication gap through a narrative rich in authenticity and insight, despite occasional melodrama.
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Tormented Psyches and Quivering Ids
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In the following essay, Victor P. Hass critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Mothers and Daughters" as a bleak portrayal of dysfunctional family relationships, suggesting that Hunter's narrative is consumed by chaos and negativity, and expressing hope that the author might eventually produce a more uplifting work.
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Anne Keehan
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In the following essay, Anne Keehan critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Paper Dragon" for its initial slow pace and lack of depth in character development, but acknowledges its intricate courtroom drama and thematic exploration of artistic identity, ultimately concluding that the novel presents a complex and bittersweet portrayal of 20th century American life.
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A Horse's Head
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The critic describes Evan Hunter's A Horse's Head as a light comedy revolving around male menopause, contrasting it with his earlier Hollywood successes and highlighting its potential as a film, particularly for Jack Lemmon, due to its humor and brisk pacing.
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Frank N. Jones
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In the following essay, Frank N. Jones praises Evan Hunter's "A Horse's Head" as a high-quality, light-hearted thriller that skillfully intertwines elements of O. Henry, James Thurber, and James Joyce, featuring a hapless protagonist reminiscent of a "poor man's James Bond" amidst a whirlwind adventure in New York City.
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Last Summer
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In the following essay, Katherine Gauss Jackson observes that Evan Hunter's Last Summer is a deceptively simple yet sophisticated narrative that explores themes of young love and violence, reflecting both the youthful protagonists and the indulgent middle-class society that influences them.
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John D. Foreman
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In the following essay, John D. Foreman examines Evan Hunter's novel "Sons," highlighting it as a significant portrayal of 20th-century American familial experiences with historical events across three generations, while emphasizing Hunter's skillful depiction of societal issues without offering solutions.
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From the Woods of Wisconsin to the Jungles of Vietnam
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In the following essay, Richard P. Brickner critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Sons" for its lack of distinctive character voices and depth, arguing that the novel's attempt to portray generational typicality sacrifices specificity and humanity in favor of a neatly symmetrical but ultimately superficial narrative.
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Nobody Knew They Were There
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In the following essay, William B. Hill, S. J., critiques Evan Hunter's "Nobody Knew They Were There" for its lack of focus, improbable plot, and failure to convincingly project a futuristic setting, despite recognizing Hunter's strengths in structure, dialogue, and plot movement.
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Louis D. Mitchell
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In the following essay, Louis D. Mitchell critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Streets of Gold" for its sentimental portrayal of the American Dream, its lack of linguistic polish, and its failure to adequately explore the complexities and ironies of blindness, resulting in a narrative that is more titillating than profound.
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The Case of the Cornflake Crunch
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In the following essay, White praises McBain's skill in depicting the gritty atmosphere of urban crime while exploring themes of greed and deception in his novel Bread, highlighting his ability to intertwine exciting plotlines with the authentic challenges faced by law enforcement officers.
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Streets of Gold
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In the following review, the critic describes Evan Hunter's "Streets of Gold" as a personal and evocative narrative exploring themes of identity and ethnic roots through the life of a blind jazz pianist, while noting its depiction of tenement life and jazz as both vibrant and occasionally clichéd.
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James R. Frakes
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In the following essay, James R. Frakes argues that Evan Hunter's novel "The Chisholms" brings a fresh perspective to the well-worn frontier narrative, focusing on complex character dynamics instead of relying on clichéd themes and events typical of the genre.
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Procedure at the 87th Precinct
(summary)
In the following essay, Julian Symons argues that while Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels, including "Calypso," may not offer realistic portrayals of police work, they excel in character development, engaging dialogue, and vivid storytelling, underscoring McBain's success as an entertainer rather than a social commentator.
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Jean M. White
(summary)
In the following essay, Jean M. White evaluates Ed McBain's novel "Ghosts" as a departure from the typical 87th Precinct mystery, noting a diversion into supernatural elements with a haunted house subplot, but ultimately asserts that the strength of the book lies in its realistic portrayal of persistent police work.
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Daughter of the Revolution
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In the following essay, Stanley Ellin argues that Evan Hunter's novel Love, Dad captures the personal and cultural upheavals of the late 1960s and early 1970s through the strained relationship between a father and daughter, highlighting themes of generational conflict and personal disillusionment within a historical context.
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Family Relations
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In the following essay, Ivan Gold critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Love, Dad" as a disjointed amalgamation of genres that, despite Hunter's usual adeptness at storytelling and social commentary, ultimately fails to cohesively knit together its various narrative elements, but suggests Hunter's proficiency ensures a quick recovery in future works.
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Jean M. White
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In the following essay, Jean M. White evaluates "Heat" by Evan Hunter, praising McBain's masterful depiction of police procedurals through authentic dialogue, character development, and engaging narratives despite occasional reliance on predictable plot devices.
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Tall Tales
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In the following essay, Bill Greenwell argues that Evan Hunter, writing as Ed McBain, has diminished his storytelling prowess in Beauty and the Beast by departing from his signature style and relying on a less compelling protagonist, thus suggesting a decline in the quality of his recent works.
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Helen Rogan
(summary)
In the following essay, Helen Rogan examines Evan Hunter's novel "Far From the Sea," highlighting Hunter's skill in character development and his ability to engage readers through detailed, relatable depictions of human idiosyncrasies, despite the bleak circumstances portrayed in the narrative.
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Father and Son
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In the following essay, Richard Freedman discusses Evan Hunter's novel "Far From the Sea," emphasizing its exploration of the complex emotions and obligations of a son confronting his father's protracted death, while capturing the novel's broader commentary on the process of dying in modern society.
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Assorted Murders
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In the following essay, Jonathan Coleman applauds Evan Hunter's novel "Ice" for its engaging plot, insightful depiction of police procedures, and sharp dialogue, despite some predictable elements, ultimately finding it both educational and entertaining in its exploration of crime, the drug trade, and the theater industry.
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Ice
(summary)
In the following essay, Robin W. Winks critiques McBain's novel "Ice," arguing that while it effectively captures the gritty realism of crime fiction, it ultimately falls short of transcending the genre, unlike John Le Carré's work in espionage fiction, though it remains a commendable work on its own terms.
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Murder Most Entertaining
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In the following essay, David Lehman examines Evan Hunter's novel "Ice," focusing on its successful use of the police procedural form and metaphorical language, while contrasting it with the less compelling "Beauty and the Beast," which suffers from an ill-suited setting for the author’s urban prose style.
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The McBain Brief
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In the following review, Publishers Weekly commends "The McBain Brief" for its engaging and varied stories, highlighting themes of violence predominantly by men against women, while noting some predictability but overall entertainment value.
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John L. Stubing
(summary)
In the following essay, John L. Stubing examines "The McBain Brief" as a collection revealing Evan Hunter's evolution into a master of the police procedural, highlighting the author's transitional journey and experimental narratives published under the pseudonym Ed McBain.
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Jack and the Beanstalk
(summary)
In the following review, Publishers Weekly highlights Evan Hunter's "Jack and the Beanstalk" as a well-crafted and intricate suspense novel featuring Florida lawyer Matthew Hope, which stands out as a strong competitor to the author's 87th precinct series.
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Lizzie
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic contends that Evan Hunter's novel "Lizzie," which blends factual inquest transcripts with fictional flashbacks, ultimately falters as both a novel and detective story due to the jarring contrast between its florid invented narrative and the flat factuality of historical events, leading to a lackluster narrative impact.
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Eugene A. Dooley, O.M.I.
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In the following review, Eugene A. Dooley, O.M.I., critiques Evan Hunter's novel "Lizzie" for its creative blend of fact and fiction in retelling the infamous Lizzie Borden murder case, highlighting Hunter's effective portrayal of characters and historical context despite the novel's potentially confusing narrative structure.
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D. V. O'Brien
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In the following review, D. V. O'Brien praises Evan Hunter's "Jack and the Beanstalk" for its departure from traditional mystery genre conventions, highlighting the protagonist Matthew Hope's flawed character and the novel's ironic and cynical tone.
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Lizzie
(summary)
In the following essay, Charles Michaud critiques Hunter's novel Lizzie for its alternating narrative structure, which combines an imagined seduction story with court trial records, ultimately portraying Lizzie as a complex figure who reflects the repression and sexual exploitation of her era.
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Lizzie
(summary)
In the following essay, John House critiques Evan Hunter's "Lizzie" as a blend of fact and fiction, noting that while the speculative reconstruction of Lizzie Borden's actions is compelling, the novel's reliance on conjecture and its structural flaws detract from its effectiveness as a suspenseful narrative.
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Cold-War Class
(summary)
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Hunter, Evan (also Ed McBain)
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Mortal Consequences: A History—From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel
(summary)
In the following essay, Julian Symons argues that Evan Hunter, under the pseudonym Ed McBain, excels in crafting police novels through his skillful use of character development and engaging dialogue, particularly noting the series' blend of macabre and comedic elements.
- Newgate Callendar
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Newgate Callendar
(summary)
In the following essay, Newgate Callendar discusses how Ed McBain, through his novel "Hail to the Chief," diverges from his traditional mystery narrative to explore the bleak and convincing psyche of a young gang leader, while "Streets of Gold" is noted for its authentic depiction of tenement life and jazz despite familiar plot elements.
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Newgate Callendar
(summary)
In the following essay, Newgate Callendar argues that Evan Hunter's novel "Where There's Smoke" lacks originality in its plot and characterization, critiquing the main character Benjamin Smoke as an unconvincing and gimmicky detective who fails to bring any fresh or distinctive elements to the genre.
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James R. Frakes
(summary)
In the following essay, James R. Frakes critiques Evan Hunter's novel "The Chisholms" for its fresh take on the frontier narrative, praising its focus on complex characters rather than clichéd themes, while noting the novel's failure to engage deeply with the larger social issues it hints at.
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Newgate Callendar
(summary)
In the following essay, Newgate Callendar critiques Ed McBain's novel "Goldilocks" for its professional handling of a murder and adultery plot, while noting an error concerning a non-existent Stravinsky piano quartet.
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Mortal Consequences: A History—From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel
(summary)