Noir Fiction: Nobody Move

Discovery

I have a monthly root touch-up (surprise surprise, I'm not a natural redhead) by this amazing colorist, Rosa. I've been her loyal client for four years. What I love about her (in addition to her talent) is her expansive knowledge of literature and film which we often discuss during the coloring process. She, too, has a love of the classics and will often give me suggestions on what to watch and read. When I informed her of my plans to pursue my PhD in literature with a study on crime/detective fiction and film noir, she suggested that I read Nobody Move.

Original Publication

Author, Denis Johnson originally published this novel as a four part series for Playboy Magazine. Upon my research of the publication, I came across the artwork that accompanied the features. The artist, Jeffrey Smith, accurately depicts the art of noir with his use of chiaroscuro, shadows, depth, angles, and mood.

The Novel

When I first heard the title, I imagined its plot would be law enforcement related with a focus on police procedure and investigation. How wrong I was. The title is taken from a song lyric as mentioned in the novel:

He tried the FM Band. Jamaican rhythms. Somebody sang

Nobody move

Nobody get hurt

-- and he listed carefully to the rest of the song before turning off the radio.

                                                                                               (Johnson 30)

The lyrical reference is a foreshadow of events to come. The novel is in constant movement leaving a trail of blood and bodies.

The plot itself is archetypical noir: Gangsters, Money & Greed, Femme Fatales, Joe Shmoe, Double Crossing, Search & Discovery, Escapes & Hideouts, Murder and the ever present diner scene so often prevalent in many films noir. The question is who will be walking away with their lives and purse strings intact? The setting is unique in that it is away from the big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rather this story is set in small California towns along highway 99.

As for its literary style, Johnson creates the pace in short sentences during tense situations; for calmer scenes, the sentences are longer and more descriptive. I liken this style to another novelist James Ellroy (whose fiction I've enjoyed for years). The language is often blunt if not foul, but that's what creates the reality of the story. Crime is not pretty and often times, there are no happy endings. The reader must understand that to enjoy this type of fiction, don't expect all things to fall into place for the goodness of humanity. Life doesn't work that way.