Scan barcode
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay. I reckon this level of sex and violence would've been pretty shocking in its day.
shirezu's review against another edition
4.0
This is a dark book. Full of violence this book is as grim as they come. Not as explicit as other writers I think it's actually made worse by the fact that everything is hinted at, kept just off-screen, so your mind has to fill in the horrible blanks.
I started this book late last night and as soon as I picked it up this morning I had to keep reading til it was over. Told in 3 parts the book switches between viewpoints as the story progresses. I wasn't expecting the book to suddenly go the angle it went. A quick, thrilling read. Though the ending was a bit predictable it's still worth reading.
I started this book late last night and as soon as I picked it up this morning I had to keep reading til it was over. Told in 3 parts the book switches between viewpoints as the story progresses. I wasn't expecting the book to suddenly go the angle it went. A quick, thrilling read. Though the ending was a bit predictable it's still worth reading.
joe90's review against another edition
3.0
Written in 1939, this was Chase’s first novel. The language is exactly what you expect from that era, and is reminiscent of the old gangster movies of the era. It’s concise, well-structured and flows well.
unicornheart_books's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the chase, the empathy I felt for Miss Blandish and the thrilling aspect was present but I'm not a big fan of book in which the culprits are already revealed in the beginning of the story and so now we as readers has to wait for the detective to find out the clues which we already know. I found the ending disappointing but I loved that there was still elements in this book that made me wanna keep reading till the end. I wish there was more to Anna like a secret weapon of some sort because the twists she bought were ones that I really enjoyed. With that being said it was a decent read and I liked it.
alexandramendes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
Another great pulp classic. Some controversy surrounding this book when it was published and the author came back several decades later to update story for a modern audience. All that aside, I found the book very enjoyable for the cast of characters involved and the varied plot twists. Plenty of strong arming, back stabbing and thugs turning on each other. I really liked the way this story ended and although I saw it coming, I didn't really think Chase would go through with the fairly dark ending.
dashausfrau's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars for value of historical reference.
I recently heard a Turner Classic presenter remark that Film Noir was a shadowy technique used to get around the censorship board by inferring sex & violence without actually depicting acts of. This crime novel might similarly qualify, teetering between a normal publication in 1939 and smutty pulp fiction while sketching out the vilest things the author could think of.
I can only surmise that Chase's fantasies of being a tough guy included women who more or less bend to whatever he has in mind or else receive punishment ranging from spanking (Joking and bruising both! What Fun) to being locked in a room for personal use.
Most of this novel is spent thoroughly establishing that Miss Blandish is, in fact, better off dead. I'm not sure that people didn't think the same of every other woman in the story.
I recently heard a Turner Classic presenter remark that Film Noir was a shadowy technique used to get around the censorship board by inferring sex & violence without actually depicting acts of. This crime novel might similarly qualify, teetering between a normal publication in 1939 and smutty pulp fiction while sketching out the vilest things the author could think of.
I can only surmise that Chase's fantasies of being a tough guy included women who more or less bend to whatever he has in mind or else receive punishment ranging from spanking (Joking and bruising both! What Fun) to being locked in a room for personal use.
Most of this novel is spent thoroughly establishing that Miss Blandish is, in fact, better off dead. I'm not sure that people didn't think the same of every other woman in the story.
knowledgelost's review against another edition
3.0
Dave Fenner has been hired to find Miss Blandish, kidnapped three months ago; the police have not found her despite the ransom being paid. The suspected kidnappers have disappeared, but the heiress is in the hands of Ma Grisson and her scary henchman Slim, who has wiped out their rivals and taken possession of the girl. The closer Fenner gets the more horrifying the situations appears; in No Orchids for Miss Blandish.
James Hadley Chase has a written a very raw book with No Orchids for Miss Blandish and you can see the obvious James M Cain influence though out this book. But you can’t really fault Chase for that, Cain was a master at noir and it feels like he has taken the genre to a whole new level. For a book written in 1938 I was surprised to see how violent and sexualised this novel is. But on reflection there was no real mention, Chase just hints very obviously and leaves the rest to the reader’s imagination.
From the very start this book hooks you in and takes you on a very dark journey. Written in three viewpoints you get an interesting perspective of what is going on. This was a gruesome depiction of gang life that puts a lot of the noir successors to shame; James Hadley Chase knows how to hit hard with his disturbing characters, fast pace and realistic violence.
Sure, this book may travel into the realms of predictable but this book moves so fast you don’t have time to stop and think about that. Dave Fenner has the makings of a good protagonist and I can’t wait to see where Chase takes him. There are actually two versions of No Orchids for Miss Blandish, the 1938 version which I was lucky to have read and the 1962 revision, because James Hadley Chase thought the world of 1939 too distant for a new generation of readers. When I get a chance I plan to read the revised edition; I’ve heard that it doesn’t really lose any of the raw and realism but it does have the odd mention of televisions.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/02/06/book-review-no-orchids-for-miss-blandish/
James Hadley Chase has a written a very raw book with No Orchids for Miss Blandish and you can see the obvious James M Cain influence though out this book. But you can’t really fault Chase for that, Cain was a master at noir and it feels like he has taken the genre to a whole new level. For a book written in 1938 I was surprised to see how violent and sexualised this novel is. But on reflection there was no real mention, Chase just hints very obviously and leaves the rest to the reader’s imagination.
From the very start this book hooks you in and takes you on a very dark journey. Written in three viewpoints you get an interesting perspective of what is going on. This was a gruesome depiction of gang life that puts a lot of the noir successors to shame; James Hadley Chase knows how to hit hard with his disturbing characters, fast pace and realistic violence.
Sure, this book may travel into the realms of predictable but this book moves so fast you don’t have time to stop and think about that. Dave Fenner has the makings of a good protagonist and I can’t wait to see where Chase takes him. There are actually two versions of No Orchids for Miss Blandish, the 1938 version which I was lucky to have read and the 1962 revision, because James Hadley Chase thought the world of 1939 too distant for a new generation of readers. When I get a chance I plan to read the revised edition; I’ve heard that it doesn’t really lose any of the raw and realism but it does have the odd mention of televisions.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/02/06/book-review-no-orchids-for-miss-blandish/