A review by maplessence
The Case of the Lucky Legs by Erle Stanley Gardner
2.0
2.5★
Perry Mason as a thug.
I really didn't like this one much, even making allowances for it only being number 3 in this series. ESG was still developing Perry's character & these books began their life as pulp fiction. ESG may not have ever thought we would still be reading his works over eighty years later!
The 1930's reading public would know all about sham competitions for the gullible and ambitious who thought there was an easy way to movie stardom.
Even knowing that, I felt that Perry came on waaay too strong and waaay too macho man from the get go. I didn't like any of the cast other than secondary character Mamie - and that includes Paul Drake and Perry himself! (Della Street I was neutral on.) All the characters motivations seemed weird and far fetched.
I have about half a dozen Perry Masons still to read from various stages of ESG's writing career. I know there is an improvement - I just hope it is soon!
I found ESG's biography on Wikipedia fascinating if anyone is interested about reading more about this complex man. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Stanley_Gardner
Perry Mason as a thug.
I really didn't like this one much, even making allowances for it only being number 3 in this series. ESG was still developing Perry's character & these books began their life as pulp fiction. ESG may not have ever thought we would still be reading his works over eighty years later!
The 1930's reading public would know all about sham competitions for the gullible and ambitious who thought there was an easy way to movie stardom.
Even knowing that, I felt that Perry came on waaay too strong and waaay too macho man from the get go. I didn't like any of the cast other than secondary character Mamie - and that includes Paul Drake and Perry himself! (Della Street I was neutral on.) All the characters motivations seemed weird and far fetched.
I have about half a dozen Perry Masons still to read from various stages of ESG's writing career. I know there is an improvement - I just hope it is soon!
I found ESG's biography on Wikipedia fascinating if anyone is interested about reading more about this complex man. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Stanley_Gardner