Writer James Chase: biography, creativity, books and reviews

The author of detective novels James Hadley Chase became widely popular in Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space only in the nineties. But in all other literary world he was known for a long time and rightfully enjoyed authority as one of the biggest luminaries in the criminal genre.

Some facts from the biography of the author of detectives

The future well-known writer James Hadley Chase was born in December 1906 in the capital of Great Britain. As expected to the son of a retired British officer, he received a classic English Victorian education at a secondary school in the city of Rochester in the county of Kent. And later he continued it in the colony, in Calcutta. But it should be noted that in the school magazine he was listed as Rene Brabazon Raymond. That was the name given to him at birth. And the pseudonym James Hadley Chase he will take himself much later, when he chooses a literary career. But the path to her was not yet close. And there is a positive meaning in this - before a pen is taken, a person should experience something in life.

Towards literature

Contrary to the expectations of relatives, the future James Chase categorically refused military and public service in choosing his life path. He early began an independent life and had time to try many different professions. The livelihood was extracted mainly in the field of commerce. He did not bring any wealth to the young man, but greatly expanded his ideas about the world and social mores. The book trade and everything connected with it seemed closest to him. For several years, he could see from close range everything that happens in the literary world of London. And this determined the final life choice, to which James Chase came at the age of thirty. His career in commerce at this point has reached the highest point - the head of the department in a large bookstore. He decides to try his hand in competition with those people whose products he was forced to trade.

First steps

Having studied the inquiries and customs of the mass audience well, the writer starts with short stories of humorous stories and feuilletons. But this does not bring tangible success. And really loudly James Chase declared himself the first major novel - "No orchids for Miss Blandish." This work is considered his debut. It immediately determined the level of his skill and made him treat the thirty-two-year-old author as an already formed writer. This book, in its storyline is an ordinary gangland gunman, at first glance did not differ from anything similar to it. But the novel attracted readers and publishers with the ease of the syllable and wit in describing the criminal being. It was the first novel, signed by the pseudonym James Hadley Chase. The public considered his real name.

During the war

James Chase, whose books were readily bought by the reading public and published by the largest publishers, was inspired by the long-awaited success and worked on new works. But his creative plans were hampered by the Second World War. Since September 1940, London has been subjected to fierce bombing of German aviation. This left no choice. James Chase becomes a pilot of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. He makes combat sorties and fights against the fascists.

In the Pacific Ocean

The novels of James Chase in the post-war period have become firmly established in literary usage as a peculiar classic of the criminal genre. The writer of this state of affairs could only rejoice. But in the same there was a considerable danger for further creative development. It was easy to wallow in the stamps and the endless repetition of what was already written. To avoid this, James Chase goes to Southeast Asia. The action of his new novels is to unfold in this very vast and far from Europe region of the planet. A series of novels from the life of the Asian mafia, the best of which are the "Coffin from Hong Kong" and "The Lotus for Miss Kwon," was created by the writer already in the sixties. The writer himself at that time moved to his permanent residence in France.

Stylistic features

Many readers of the novels of James Chase, whose actions mostly occur in the territory of the United States of America, do not even realize that the writer himself was rarely visited in this country. And convincing in the depiction of American realities is an exceptional merit of the author's talent and imagination. And also the ability to collect and comprehend the collected information. The readers 'and literary critics' comments about the Chase novels agree that their success is due to the author's ability to create in his works a dark oppressive atmosphere and to intrigue the impossibility to calculate the course of events. Their outcome is most often unexpected for the reader. And, of course, that particular black humor, which corresponds to the depicted realities and characters. His closest competitors within the detective genre of the critic calls such American authors as Raymond Chandler and Deshiel Hammett. For the stylistic designation of this genre, it is usually customary to use the definition of "noir". There is nothing surprising in that the books of James Chase are widely filmed in many countries of the world. It is interesting here that the European filmmakers turned to this material much more often than Hollywood.

Chase Books in Russia

James Hadley Chase, whose books managed to win steady success around the world, came to Russia with a big delay. This was due solely to ideological circumstances. Reviews of official Soviet criticism of this kind of literature have always been sharply negative. Consequently, it simply was not published, and nobody knew about it. This situation changed only in the era of perestroika, when ideological barriers collapsed and the inhabitants of a huge country were allowed to read and watch what they wanted. And not what the ideological authorities allowed. For several years the Russian language was translated almost all the literary heritage of James Chase. His books were published in millions of copies in the entire post-Soviet space. And one can only regret that James Chase, who left this world in February 1985, was not to know about it. In Russia, he became known only posthumously. But reading his some modern Russian colleagues, it's easy to see who they learned to twist the criminal intrigue and put their characters in their places.