A review by cnorbury
Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler
5.0
I'm a huge fan of Chandler's unique style and originality. He was a true artist in the way he painted word pictures. Dozens of times as I'm reading his stories, I'll stop and want to underline or highlight or jot down a phrase, sentence, metaphor, or description that jumped out at me as being clever or brilliant or fresh, or funny in a sardonic way. The best part of his skill is that the voice is totally consistent with Marlowe the character. Often times a writer will craft a good line or lovely metaphor that seems exceptional but doesn't fit with the scene or the character.
His plots aren't predictable and have plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing the killer's identity. Characters other than the police are well-drawn. However, everyone seems to have a depressed, negative, perhaps cynical outlook on life (especially Marlowe). But that's consistent with Noir, so readers should be aware that this is not an uplifting book with any sort of happy ending, although Marlowe solves the case, of course.
I've become a huge fan of Noir mysteries from this era because writers like Hammett and Chandler painted such believable settings and characters in a world that was nothing like today's world. They make for a dark yet entertaining escape from 21st-century life.
His plots aren't predictable and have plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing the killer's identity. Characters other than the police are well-drawn. However, everyone seems to have a depressed, negative, perhaps cynical outlook on life (especially Marlowe). But that's consistent with Noir, so readers should be aware that this is not an uplifting book with any sort of happy ending, although Marlowe solves the case, of course.
I've become a huge fan of Noir mysteries from this era because writers like Hammett and Chandler painted such believable settings and characters in a world that was nothing like today's world. They make for a dark yet entertaining escape from 21st-century life.