mscalls's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Gun violence, and Homophobia
daffodilcherry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, Sexism, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Antisemitism
noonjinx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this book. It's fast paced, tense and exciting. The characters are great. The dialogue is amazing. The plot gets more and more convoluted and nastier and nastier all the way through, and the wry first person monologue is just delightful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
ellers6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
gloomi_sundai's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wow first true mystery detective book ive read and oh my it was such a good enterance into the genre first of all i love philip im sorry hes just so me-coded like i love it hes snarky hes sarcastic hes a lil arrogant hes soo funny honestly all of the characters were so interesting and the mystery was so interesting i like how it was kinda 2 mysteries wrapped into one story but they did overlap i thought that was great i literally had no clue where the mystery was going the way everything was wrapped up nicely in the end was great there were no major plotholes that i could point out also the writing was very forgiving not too complicated, especially in the detailing like its the perfect amount as for the negatives i guess the only thing is that it takes a lil bit of time to build up like the real excitement didnt start until like 50 or so pages in so like the second half is obviously better than the f9rst but i think that could be expected and also of course this was written in the 1940s so there are going to be a few outdated/offensive things which is never fun to see unfortunately but all in all it was a great read that i rlly enjoyed
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
b_caligari's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Vomit
shuddleston's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia
gratefullive's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
nmirra's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
vladdbad's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Sexism
There is a reason Raymond Chandler is still read... He shines a light on the shadows that surround the spotlight, and no one really likes to see that which lurks within those. People talk about the post-War Golden Age, but even at the time the darkness and the rot to which the sequins were sewn was known. Chandler lived a life as a businessman with an unorthodox lifestyle back before that was something you could accept even in yourself, and it shows in his writing. He knows the self-loathing and the desire to make clean that which was never really as dirty as the cover-up made it, and it shows. He understands what money can and can't buy, and what drives real desperation. But he also knows that there can be real redemption found at times, as well, and it is always remarkable to me how his stories have all the good guys playing bit parts away from the spotlight... He knows that there is a better path available, and that taking it rarely makes for an interesting story. Look at the minor characters in his stories, the honest ones or the folks just making do with a bad hand... That is a remarkably diverse crowd, given the sameness of the spotlit degeneracy that drives the plot. Worth a second and a third read... And worth looking at what is shown versus told, like any good writer.