Alfred Hayes Books

Rome, December 1944. The city has been liberated by the Allies, but no one feels like celebrating. A bitter wind blows down Via Flaminia, where Signora Adela Pulcini keeps her boarding house and discreetly finds Italian girls for lonely America soldiers. Robert is one such soldier; Lisa is the girl procured to keep him company in return for food and shelter. But the simple exchange doesn't go to plan, as Robert and Lisa find themselves tangled in a dark, mutually destructive affair. Exposing the fault-lines between men and women, the old and new worlds, and victor and vanquished, Hayes's spare, taut novel is an incisive portrayal of sexual economics and the dark side of love.

An exquisite depiction of a doomed love affair, set in noirish 1950s New York In a Manhattan bar, a middle-aged man tells a young woman of his love affair with a lonely divorcee; of how one night she was offered one thousand dollars to sleep with a stranger; and of how he and she would subsequently betray each other in turn. In Love is an indictment of, and an elegy to, a love affair that was doom[Bokinfo].

Hayes is a master of withheld detail, crafting an insider's manual for those aspiring to the elusive fame and glamour of Hollywood. His work is exciting and engrossing, showcasing characters that embody human hopes and frailty. Critics note it as the most vivid depiction of Hollywood since Nathanael West's Day of the Locust. Hayes's writing is marked by grace and control, standing out in a landscape often filled with verbosity. He writes luminously about individuals unable to resist destructive temptations, drawing parallels between his portrayal of bruised men and Jean Rhys's treatment of bruised women, both delivering heartbreakingly beautiful prose. A notable aspect of his sophisticated writing is its constant return to raw humanity, creating a nagging, insidious effect that leaves a bitter aftertaste. Hayes captures the essence of Hollywood, revealing the underlying bitterness behind the facade of success and fame. He explores the ineffable sadness that accompanies achievement and the corrupting nature of the industry, which often eludes other writers. His work is deeply moving, offering a jolt of bitter wisdom that resonates with readers.