The Far Side of the Dollar
Ross MacDonald
The Far Side of the Dollar is part of a handsome reissuing of the works of Ross MacDonald, whose California gumshoe, Lew Archer, graced 25 dark mysteries from the late '40s through the '70s. Far Side, perhaps the best of the bunch, exemplifies why MacDonald is ultimately more important Hammett and Chandler, two fine writers he has often been compared to. The plotting is intricate (with no holes or loose ends), the characters are cleverly etched and the largely Californian settings break away from glossy and sleazy L.A. stereotypes—these feel like real places where real people live and work (People of a wide range of income levels, by the way, a typically democratic aspect of MacDonald's work).
But more impressive than anything else is Macdonald's disinterest die-hard criminals or nefarious evil-doers; he paints a grey-shaded world in which everyone's morality operates on a sliding scale. In Far Side, which begins with an abducted high school student, all is ultimately set straight in legal terms, but along the way, Macdonald offers empathy for the kidnappers and murderers, simultaneoulsy pointing out the deeply flawed characters of folks on the "good guys" team.
Originally published in 1964, Far Side raises issues about American family life that remain completely relevant today. Such thematic resonance is what really makes this and other Macdonald works (The Underground Man, The Galton Case) transcend the nostalgic genre of pulp detective fiction. This is great, enduring American literature.
