Assignment 1:
As I start to read both of these short stories, I can almost picture myself in them. Being able to relate to both stories setting in Los Angeles area I can picture what is happening. First as I start to read The Kidnapper Bell, he did a great job in describing the Los Angeles river, "Graffiti-covered cement. A hint of water. Chain link, barbed wire, corrugated steel." (218). With little detail your are able to picture where he is at and what he is seeing. As in City of Commerce, I am really able to relate towards the end when he begins to talk about the freeways, " I was on the 5, going north" (239). I started to laugh as I read this because I was just on this freeway and then read the story, especially as I read a little lower on the page, "The traffic report said that there was an accident at the 101 interchange. I wasn't moving" (239). I was literally on this freeway and stuck for an hour because of an accident. So being able to relate to these stories and being able to picture them, made for a better read I'd have to say. Both stories give many details on the landscape and where there are at, which makes it that much better because you are able to picture the story as you read.
Assignment 2:
The Gold Coast section was probably one of my favorite reads in Los Angeles Noir. The Girl Who Kissed Barnaby Jones by Scott Phillips, was just crazy to me. I believe it describes noir the best it was just a straight up sick and twisted story and reminded me almost of Double Indemnity with the protagonist falling in love with this girl that he barley even knew. The femme fatale using her sexuality an manipulative ways to try and convince the protagonist to help with the murder of a celebrity. And the end really leaving you with wanting more. What You See, I'd say was not noir, even though its murder was sick and twisted too, it didn't have a protagonist really or a femme fatale, I thought anyway. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in the story and then when I read the end I could definitely see the noir side to it but I would not recommend this for someone who wants to read a story relating to noir. The Girl Who Kissed Barnaby Jones, is a great story that definitely falls in the noir genre and tells a great story.
I personally liked assignment one better just because I could picture things in my mind and it made it an easier fun read. That’s so weird how you read the story and you were literally at that same location, but I’m sure like you said it made it that much more fun to read and really picture it! I liked how you incorporated quotes from the book and that even the small quotes explained your point. I also liked the short story The Girl Who Kissed Barnaby, it did remind of Double Indemnity as well. It had that film noir to it but “crazy and twisted”, so it was totally noir.
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