How interesting to have my favorite 'crime' writer, James Lee Burke, pen a novel that eerily parallels a similar novel by my favorite 'serious' writer, Cormac McCarthy. The similarities between 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Rain Gods' are amazing - both are set in soutwest Texas; both have an especially spooky bad guy; both have a young couple (He of ex-military service) on the run; both have an aging sheriff exuding honor and experience; and both have an array of lowlifes that keep everything moving along.
I found myself imagining Mr. Burke announcing that if 'Mr. McCarthy is going to intrude on my field, I'll would show him how it's done'. Does he succeed? Yes and no.
Anyone who thinks they can imitate McCarthy is set to fail. No one can polish a sentence, create a mood, or spur the imagination like he can. He is, quite simply, the best writer in America. So, where does this leave James Lee Burke after he has written a 400-page novel that quite markedly echoes the earlier work by the master?
Well, not badly off, in my mind. Burke is a consummate story-teller with a love for flawed characters and the physical America. 'The Rain Gods' is an excellent read. I thought perhaps there were a few too many characters but this never impeded the flow of the story. His 'bad guy' is no Ghigurh, easily the most fearsome villain this reader has ever encountered, but the 'Preacher' is no slouch at spreading fear and loathing. Both writers understand man's depravity but Burke allows for a little more light at the end of the tunnel, fatal comeuppance the lot of those who would transgress against law-abiding citizens. Both can draw exquisite portraits of the country, small towns, seedy lives, and honorable people.
All in all, having a chance to read 'The Rain Gods' and 'No Country for Old Men' has to be a treat for any reader.
I will go further and suggest that it is time James Lee Burke is no longer referred to as a 'crime' writer but as one of America's great writers.
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