LIT BITS: They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

A NOVEL BY HORACE MCCOY

Here's the synopsis from Powell's:

The Depression of the 1930s led many people to take desperate measures to survive. The marathon dance craze seemed a simple way to earn extra money, but the underside of the craze was a competition and violence previously unknown to most ballrooms - a dark side that this book portrays.

You might've seen the film adaptation that came out in 1969. What's notable about this book is that it was actually written during the Depression. Not surprisingly, it has a veneer of gritty authenticity you don't often see in fiction about that time period.

Better yet, McCoy's narrative style was way ahead of the game. It's experimental, it's daring, it's in-your-face, and at 130 pages, it's really short. It's one of those breathless kind of reading experiences -- at a casual pace, you could easily finish the book in a few hours

As for the story itself, let's just say you won't be slapping your knee too often. The entire novel follows the events of a marathon dance that lasts for days. Like a gladiatorial arena, characters faint and collapse one after the other under the gaze of a cheering audience. The Depression depicted here isn't "the good ol' days" of flour sack dresses and bathtub gin. Instead, McCoy describes the marathon dance in careful measure as claustrophobic, violent, and interminable -- a grim reflection of the despair happening outside the ballroom walls.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is an oppressive, at times sleazy read, with an ending that comes across like a boot to the head -- quick and stunning. You can probably find a dog-eared copy for ten cents at your local used bookstore that'll make reading it feel even more authentic.

MY RECOMMENDATION: A good gift for those always-smiley folks in your life who need something to read at the beach.

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