I did like how easy started to get used to being a private investigator and how he was going to start his own business. Jane adams this text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Devil in a blue dress is a 1990 hardboiled mystery novel by walter mosley, his first published book. Easys life is anything but, as each hazy post world war 2 l. Devil in a blue dress mixes the hardboiled poetry of raymond chandler with the social realism of richard wright. Devil in a blue dress rhetorical analysis novel vs. Devil in a blue dress isnt your typical noir film, but noir none the less. Film the hardboiled mystery novel, devil in a blue dress, by walter mosley was first published in 1990 and was acknowledged by former u. Easy rawlins narrates the story in a compelling manner, mixing his.
In regards to walter mosleys book, devil in a blue dress, and the movie by the same name do share some similar literary elements, but there are several vital situations and parts of the books story that are not present in the film. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of devil in a blue dress. The characters,the story line the whole feeling of the book,a different insight to. An africanamerican man is hired to find a woman, and gets mixed up in a murderous political scandal. Devil in a blue dress, a defining novel in walter mosleys bestselling easy rawlins mystery series, was adapted into a tristar pictures film starring denzel. Although hes the hero of a detective novel, easy is no detective.
The book is mosleys first novel, as well as the first in a series featuring fictional detective easy rawlins. How do we respond to women seeking power, and the men who misuse it. Devil in a blue dress is a great read because the characters are well drawn, the scenes are believable and of course easy is a true hero, a good man and a long suffering man who has been through the wringer and is being put through one in the book. Carl franklin deserves considerable praise for managing to capture a glimpse of an era and an area long kept in the shadows of lala land as he transformed mosleys story to the screen. Book with blue on the cover i absolutely loved this book. Comparing and contrasting the story elements such as narrative point of view, setting, plot and the. His first book, devil in a blue dress, was published in 1990, won a john creasy award for best first novel, and was made into a motion picture starring denzel washington in 1995. Devil in a blue dress is a dark, delicious tale of postworld war two l. Devil in a blue dress is a 1990 detective novel written by walter mosley. Devil in the blue dress by walter mosley because im social. He is the author of the easy rawlins mystery series, the leonid mcgill mystery series, and the fearless jones series.
Devil in a blue dress is less a parable than a paradoxical proverb. The text centers on the main character, ezekiel easy. With denzel washington, tom sizemore, jennifer beals, don cheadle. Here, lowkey black detective easy rawlins, fired from his job at a defense plant, agrees to locate femme fatale daphne monet for white gangster dewitt albrightand of course finds more than he bargained for. Devil in a blue dress tells the story of ezekial easy rawlinss efforts to find daphne monet and also tells the concurrent story of rawlinss selfdiscovery. Raymond chandler meets richard wright in this notquitesuccessful first novel set in 1948 l. My ghost story season 3 episode 4 devil in the blue dress. The text centers on the main character, ezekiel easy rawlins, and his transformation from a day laborer into a detective. The main character, easy rawlins, has just been fired from his job at an airplane manufacturing plant. A theatrical battle over exactly how it all went down, devil with the blue dress asks who were the heroes and villains, and why, twenty years later, were only beginning to grapple with one of the most challenging questions in american political history. Walter mosley writing styles in devil in a blue dress. Read book devil in a blue dress easy rawlins mysteries paperback ebook.
An africanamerican man is hired to find a woman, and gets mixed up in a. Devil in a blue dress has everything you could ever want in a noir. Devil in a blue dress was released in 1995 staring denzel washington as easy and jennifer beals as daphne monet. With the debut of selfstyled sleuth easy rawlins in devil in a blue dress, walter mosley has fashioned a determined survivor. A later version recorded by mitch ryder and the detroit wheels in. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of devil in a blue dress by walter mosley. President, bill clinton, as one of his many favorite novelists easy writer.
Devil in a blue dress literature essays are academic essays for citation. The notes in this book provide an overview of mosleys career and the series, give historical and literary backgrounds to the novel including chandler, himes, pinkerton men and private eyes, hollywoods gumshoes, and the gi bill, and consider the film. Likewise, in the novel, devil in a blue dress, walter mosley utilizes animal symbolism to assign his characters animalistic characteristics from commonly known animals. The central avenue he arrayed in the films backdrop, the vibrant. Never read any walter mosley books,this is a brilliant book,rally,really. Examples of animalistic ties would be raymond alexander and mice, daphne monet and a chameleon, and easy rawlins.
Devil in a blue dress book by walter mosley official. Devil with a blue dress on also known as devil with the blue dress on is a song written by shorty long and william mickey stevenson, first performed by long and released as a single in 1964. Scott fitzgerald uses colors in the great gatsby to represent characters virtues or traits. Easy rawlins is a war veteran just fired from his job. Devil in a blue dress study guide contains a biography of walter mosley, literature essays, quiz questions. Like many of mosleys characters, mouse makes a return appearance in the succeeding easy rawlins mysteries, such as a red death, black betty, and white butterfly, every one of which is as good as devil in a blue dress, his first. Devil blue dress by walter mosley, first edition abebooks. Devil in a blue dress has always been an underrated piece, but nonetheless one of the definitive l. Winner of the cwa john creasey award the first novel by internationally acclaimed writer walter mosley a damn good. The screening is part of our ongoing noir double feature film series, a biweekly mysterypeople event where we screen a film adaption of a noir classic and follow with a discussion of the film versus the novel. Devil in a blue dress, a defining novel in walter mosleys bestselling easy rawlins mystery series, was adapted into a tristar pictures film starring denzel washington as easy rawlins and don cheadle as mouse. Mix devil with a blue dress on good golly miss molly youtube. Devil with a blue dress on good golly miss molly youtube.
The question and answer section for devil in a blue dress is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Drinking in a friends bar, he wonders how to meet his mortgage when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if easy will locate miss daphne monet, a. Devil in a blue dress is the first novel in mosleys outstanding easy rawlins series. Feeling squeezed financially and afraid to forfeit his humble home, easy agrees to work for an unsavory white man named dewitt albright. Mitch ryder and the detroit wheelsdevil in a blue dress. Humor, interesting characters, and attention to details make the stylish devil in a blue dress an above average noir. Walter mosley private detective easy rawlins looks for a gangsters girlfriend in 1940s l.
Where does devil in a blue dress rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. This wednesday, august 6th, at 6 pm, mysterypeople will host a screening of carl franklins 1992 noir classic devil in a blue dress, based on walter mosleys book of the same name. Easy is also likable, sensible, moral, suffering and noble. This study guide consists of approximately 37 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of devil in a blue dress.
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