Take a photo of a barcode or cover
seano312's review
4.0
Chandler learned how to write by reading pulp magazines during the Depression, figuring out the formula, and deciding "this looks like a good way to make money." He was in his forties.
This makes me happy.
The book is some classic noir fiction. A loose jangly plot that consists of Marlowe wandering around LA and getting hit on the head repeatedly.
My favorite characters are the phony Psychic and a semi-crooked cop Marlowe calls Hemingway, for stylistic reasons.
There's a "good girl" who does nothing and a "bad girl" who is stereotypically evil. There are a couple good cops, a lot of bad cops, and even a noble gangster.
A good read, but it isn't going to change your life, except make you wish you were a better writer.
This makes me happy.
The book is some classic noir fiction. A loose jangly plot that consists of Marlowe wandering around LA and getting hit on the head repeatedly.
My favorite characters are the phony Psychic and a semi-crooked cop Marlowe calls Hemingway, for stylistic reasons.
There's a "good girl" who does nothing and a "bad girl" who is stereotypically evil. There are a couple good cops, a lot of bad cops, and even a noble gangster.
A good read, but it isn't going to change your life, except make you wish you were a better writer.
veiltender's review
3.0
I don’t feel this book is as tight as some of the other Chandler I’ve read. The racism of the period was on full display in this book.
Update (February 2025). I liked it better this time, but I still think it is not one of his best.
Update (February 2025). I liked it better this time, but I still think it is not one of his best.
nubiansinger's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
4.5
Otro clásico, esta vez de novela policiaca. ¿O será esto novela negra? No lo sé, y tampoco me importa mucho. Es un pepinazo de libro, aunque tengo que admitir que, en dos o tres ocasiones, me ha resultado un poco confuso y no he entendido lo que estaba pasando. No sé si será un problema de la traducción, o de los usos y costumbres de la época y el lugar, que quizá yo no acabe de entender del todo. En cualquier caso, merece muchísimo la pena.
schalk1987's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
kahn_johnson's review
2.0
It's an accepted hazard of reading certain books from a certain era — they come equipped with views and language of the time that, thankfully, most of us no longer share and are fully aware just how outdated and distasteful they are.
In the case of authors such as Ian Flemming, I remain unconvinced that either he or Bond are inherently misogynist even if the views and language are clearly sexist.
With with Chandler and Marlowe, however, I think suggesting one (and thus the other) have racist leanings is not that much of a stretch.
Yes, I know it was a different time and all that, but the casual references to gardening staff that has no narrative relevance suggest Chandler just wanted to put down an ethnic group.
It's the same with his references to black characters.
While the attempt at vernacular dialogue is at best ham-fisted, the descriptive terminology is borderline offensive even for 1940.
All of which is a massive shame, because it drags down the tone of an otherwise barely average book.
My memory, such as it is (ad yes, I could look this up, but I'm very busy you know) is that I really enjoyed the debut Marlowe outing, finding it gritty and realistic.
What we have here, however, is a book not even the author was enjoying.
There are chapters that grip, drive the story on, have you on the edge of your seat.
But there are far too many that have you slumped back again, skim reading just to get to the good stuff again.
The first half of the book, racism aside, was entertaining enough, which is why when the sludge needed wading through I pushed on as I was almost half way through. I'd invested enough to want to know how the story actually played out.
The story itself is quite simple - a hoodlum is looking for his lost love, and Marlowe decides to try and find her.
In and of itself, fine. But then Chandler decides we need twists and subplots to pad the whole thing out, none of which play out with any real sense of conviction.
Overall, the whole book feels rushed, ill-planned, and like someone kept handing it back saying it needed something else.
If book three heads down the same road, it'll be time to shut the door on this particular private eye.
In the case of authors such as Ian Flemming, I remain unconvinced that either he or Bond are inherently misogynist even if the views and language are clearly sexist.
With with Chandler and Marlowe, however, I think suggesting one (and thus the other) have racist leanings is not that much of a stretch.
Yes, I know it was a different time and all that, but the casual references to gardening staff that has no narrative relevance suggest Chandler just wanted to put down an ethnic group.
It's the same with his references to black characters.
While the attempt at vernacular dialogue is at best ham-fisted, the descriptive terminology is borderline offensive even for 1940.
All of which is a massive shame, because it drags down the tone of an otherwise barely average book.
My memory, such as it is (ad yes, I could look this up, but I'm very busy you know) is that I really enjoyed the debut Marlowe outing, finding it gritty and realistic.
What we have here, however, is a book not even the author was enjoying.
There are chapters that grip, drive the story on, have you on the edge of your seat.
But there are far too many that have you slumped back again, skim reading just to get to the good stuff again.
The first half of the book, racism aside, was entertaining enough, which is why when the sludge needed wading through I pushed on as I was almost half way through. I'd invested enough to want to know how the story actually played out.
The story itself is quite simple - a hoodlum is looking for his lost love, and Marlowe decides to try and find her.
In and of itself, fine. But then Chandler decides we need twists and subplots to pad the whole thing out, none of which play out with any real sense of conviction.
Overall, the whole book feels rushed, ill-planned, and like someone kept handing it back saying it needed something else.
If book three heads down the same road, it'll be time to shut the door on this particular private eye.
nicktangborn's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The weakest of the Marlowe novels I’ve read so far. I can see why this one took so long to be captured in film.
tfmilner's review
4.0
"I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room." = perfect
commanderam's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5