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whose work
Higgins praised in his preface to a collection of O'Hara stories. Higgins was proud of his skill in rendering dialogue with great accuracy. He liked to point out that accurate dialogue is not a verbatim transcription of things said but an imaginative recreation in compressed form. He was
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Many of
Higgins's works focus on the criminal element and the cops who pursue them in and around Boston. His four Jerry Kennedy books form a connected series. Characters important in some of his novels often are mentioned in others, usually in passing but significant references, as in
226:, after an uncle living in Randolph, but he dropped the numeric (unofficially) in midlife. His books were all published as by George V. Higgins. He was married twice, first to Elizabeth Mulkerin Higgins (divorced 1979); second to Loretta Cubberley Higgins.
347:. But this dialogue-laden approach did not appeal to every critic, or even MacLeish, who added, "the plot of a Higgins novel – suspense, humor and tragedy – is a blurrily perceived skeleton within the monsoon of dialogue."
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Higgins worked as a deputy assistant attorney general for the
Commonwealth, and an Assistant United States Attorney and a journalist and newspaper columnist before becoming a novelist. He wrote for the
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was termed 'overnight' in some quarters; that was one hell of a damned long night, lasting seventeen years..." During those 17 years, he had written 14 previous novels; he eventually destroyed them.
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also an expert in lending atmosphere to a series of harsh or barren facts, inducing his readers to figure out important things artfully implied in the text but never stated.
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161:(November 13, 1939 – November 6, 1999) was an American author, lawyer, newspaper columnist, raconteur and college professor. He authored more than thirty books, including
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341:"Like Joyce, Higgins uses language in torrents, beautifully crafted, ultimately intending to create a panoramic impression," wrote Roderick MacLeish in the
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a book of hard-bitten advice for aspiring writers. The book was notable for its long excerpts of writers
Higgins admired, including
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Higgins was a stylist, particularly noted for his realistic dialogue, a style reminiscent of the stories of mid-20th century writer
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genre of gangster tales that spawned several popular films by followers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
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George
Higgins archive at the University of South Carolina Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
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starring Robert
Mitchum and Peter Boyle. Higgins once wrote: "The success of
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The
Easiest Thing in the World: The Unpublished Fiction of George V. Higgins
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and the
Kennedy books. He is best remembered for his bestselling 1970 novel
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264:(although he withdrew from the case after conflict with Cleaver) and
694:"George V. Higgins, 59, Author of Crime Novels (obituary)"
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The Sins of the
Fathers: Stories by George V. Higgins
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328:"one of the best of its genre I have read since
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19:For other people with the same name, see
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792:George V. Higgins page at detnovel.com
172:and is best known for his bestselling
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848:Writers from Brockton, Massachusetts
765:, New Revision Series, vol. 51, 213.
719:"Cleaver Trial Off As Lawyer Leaves"
447:Old Earl Died Pulling Traps: A Story
923:People from Rockland, Massachusetts
747:Gibbsville, PA: The Classic Stories
928:20th-century American male writers
662:Adrian, Jack (November 10, 1999).
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938:American male non-fiction writers
943:Sportswriters from Massachusetts
903:Boston College Law School alumni
810:The George V. Higgins Collection
471:Wonderful Years, Wonderful Years
198:, grew up in the nearby town of
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853:20th-century American novelists
692:Pace, Eric (November 8, 1999).
614:Films adapted from his novels:
182:, which established the Boston
21:George Higgins (disambiguation)
863:American crime fiction writers
1:
918:20th-century American lawyers
664:"Obituary: George V. Higgins"
515:(1996) (Jerry Kennedy series)
497:(1992) (Jerry Kennedy series)
455:(1985) (Jerry Kennedy series)
425:(1980) (Jerry Kennedy series)
814:University of South Carolina
571:The Friends of Richard Nixon
590:The Progress of the Seasons
519:A Change of Gravity (1997)
405:The Judgment of Deke Hunter
350:In 1990, Higgins published
312:, which was adapted into a
222:in 1967. His full name was
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908:Stanford University alumni
873:American political writers
784:Reviews and articles from
620:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
378:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
326:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
318:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
310:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
179:The Friends of Eddie Coyle
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888:Boston University faculty
513:Sandra Nichols Found Dead
453:Penance for Jerry Kennedy
344:Times Literary Supplement
322:Christopher Lehmann-Haupt
224:George Vincent Higgins II
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51:George Vincent Higgins II
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170:Kennedy for the Defense,
883:The Boston Globe people
868:American male novelists
423:Kennedy for the Defense
417:A Year or So with Edgar
196:Brockton, Massachusetts
65:Brockton, Massachusetts
893:Boston College faculty
806:, at Fantastic Fiction
577:Style Versus Substance
243:Boston Herald American
898:Boston College alumni
878:Novelists from Boston
797:July 4, 2018, at the
625:book of the same name
489:The Mandeville Talent
277:Milton, Massachusetts
84:Milton, Massachusetts
763:Contemporary Authors
495:Defending Billy Ryan
194:Higgins was born in
913:Lawyers from Boston
858:American columnists
632:Killing Them Softly
441:A Choice of Enemies
249:Wall Street Journal
212:Stanford University
132:newspaper columnist
109:Stanford University
786:The New York Times
724:The New York Times
698:The New York Times
507:Swan Boats at Four
356:William Manchester
819:George V. Higgins
623:(1973), from the
385:The Digger's Game
270:Boston University
159:George V. Higgins
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135:college professor
61:November 13, 1939
32:George V. Higgins
16:American novelist
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727:. June 15, 1976
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174:crime novels
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78:(1999-11-06)
25:
843:1999 deaths
838:1939 births
610:Filmography
560:Non-fiction
537:Collections
352:On Writing,
335:The Killers
289:John O'Hara
120:Occupations
832:Categories
761:quoted in
646:References
603:On Writing
360:Irwin Shaw
246:, and the
57:1939-11-13
812:, at the
731:March 11,
524:The Agent
483:Victories
459:Impostors
411:Dreamland
330:Hemingway
314:1973 film
143:Signature
92:Education
795:Archived
703:June 17,
674:June 17,
670:. London
584:Baseball
565:Politics
200:Rockland
597:Writing
465:Outlaws
324:called
302:Outlaws
283:Writing
641:(1974)
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605:(1990)
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371:Novels
240:, the
208:Stylus
166:Trust,
129:lawyer
126:Author
86:, U.S.
67:, U.S.
549:1988)
477:Trust
298:Trust
823:IMDb
733:2015
705:2010
676:2010
358:and
256:for
184:noir
168:and
73:Died
47:Born
821:at
338:."
332:'s
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113:MA
104:JD
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100:BA
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