The Beach Girls – 1959

by John D. MacDonald


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BOULDER LITERATURE – SKIP TO A PAGE
ANGELL, PEARL & LITTLE GODBEACH GIRLSBOOCAESARCHINA FLIGHTCHRISTMAS BOOKSDEATH DEALERSDENVER POSTDR. NYETEUROPEFOURTH GHOST BOOKGINGERBREAD MANGOLF LIKE THE GREATSGOOD NEWS BIBLEHOLDING ONIN THIS HOUSE OF BREDEKING OILMANIPULATORMY NAME IS ASHER LEV ⎔ NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS (RED & BLUE) ⎔ NO END TO THE WAYORANGE WEDNESDAYPEANUTSSQUARESVILLETEENY WEENY ADVENTURESTIGER OF THE SNOWSTOWERTRAPEZEWISH CHILDYOUNG JETHROUNIDENTIFIED


A guy shows up on a Florida marina known for its easy living, hard drinking and free love, and twists things around until brutal murder becomes a factor. King called MacDonald “The great entertainer of our age”. His most famous work became the film(s) Cape Fear, the story of a family isolated on a river with a killer out for revenge.

As we’ve already seen, there’s two other MacDonalds in the film: the lake in the second shot of the film (Lake McDonald (named for trader Duncan McDonald)), and the first painting seen in the film is by JEH MacDonald. The only shot featuring both MacDonald paintings is only about 3 minutes after this scene ends.

According to Goodreads commenters, the name and cover of this book have nothing to do with the plot (other than marinas being found near beaches, sometimes; and women factor in the story), which means it was probably an appeal to male chauvinism. However, the writing takes us through a multitude of first-person perspectives, diffusing the impact of any one main character. That speaks directly to my Julius Caesar thoughts, where The Shining pulls a similar trick.


Next literary reference: The Death Dealers


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OTHER MAIN PAGES FOR SHINING ANALYSIS

THE MIRRORFORMTHE BEATLESTHE RUM AND THE RED
BACKGROUND ARTOVERLOOK PHOTOGRAPHSGOLDEN SPIRALS
PHI GRIDSPATTERNSVIOLENCE AND INDIGENAABSURDITIES
THE STORY ROOMANIMAL SYMBOLSTHE ANNOTATED SHINING

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