Please suggest me a book (novel or short stories) that scratches the itch left by watching the TV show Fargo (or the original movie for that matter), especially the first three seasons.
Fargo could probably be most easily described as a crime show, however it's not really a murder of the week cop show. It's a crime show in a similar sense as Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul could be called crime shows.
What I like about the show is that the viewer sees the story both from the law enforcement perspective (usually embodied by one particular officer/detective who is followed closely and is one of the main characters) as well as from the criminals perspective(s). Even though murders happen, it's not a murder mystery. I generally like the amount of different characters we see and how their different stories intersect.
I also like that the "most important" main character is usually an ordinary, rather innocent citizen who gets mixed up with crime in some way.
Fargo is an anthology series, every season tells a self-contained story with a complete new cast and a different setting. It's all set in America though and I especially enjoy the first two seasons set in the *rural* midwest. I love season 2 for its setting in the 70s, but the seasons set in more or less current time are great as well. I'd enjoy a short story collection that features stories with the same tone and style but in different settings.
The dark humor of Fargo is probably the best thing about it and what makes it stand out the most, I'm having trouble to describe it precisely but if you've seen the show you know what I mean. It's kind of absurd and bizarre sometimes but without becoming overbearing.
What I've already read and what comes somewhat close is "No Country For Old Men" by McCarthy. It doesn't have the humor though.
I don't know if I did the best job of describing Fargo, but if you've seen the show and have a suggestion for me, I'd be grateful!
by LinusDieLinse