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A review by sidharthvardhan
No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase
3.0
It looks a lot more American than English. with gangster and all, the sort you might find in Pulp Fiction - no character has any morals whatsoever and there is a lot of sex and violence (You remember
Ezekiel's biblical verses? That kind of thing), and everything is stereotyped and cliche. This one is worth reading if only for Orwell's essay on same, in which he analyses the book and genre and argues that it is all about power-struggle and realism (big fish eats small fish, survival of the fittest kind of realism) without make-believe game of morality. There is no room for such stuff as compassion in most characters, Miss Blandish who suffers the most is dehumanized to a level at which her first name is never revealed. She is just used, just like a couple of other women are, in what is a big game of chess played by multiple players all men except one Ma Garrison - who is so clever and strong that she could be a feminist inspiration had she not been such a misogynist. One would argue that John Krammer and Joker (Heath Ledger one) are natural off-springs of this 'realism'. It somehow made it to Le monde list of 100 best books of the century and also inspired a movie, that has been unanimously called the worst movie ever by critics. I'm gonna watch it.
But let us talk about more important things. Have you ever lost consciousness upon being hit on the side of your head? Have you made anyone lose consciousness that particular way? Or saw anyone outside movies or books fainting because of that? From where did these crime novels get this idea? Try it, you will only start a fight. And So take it from expert, unless you have drugs or chemicals handy, it is easier to kill a person than make him/her lose consciousness. Believe me, I tell from personal experience
Ezekiel's biblical verses? That kind of thing), and everything is stereotyped and cliche. This one is worth reading if only for Orwell's essay on same, in which he analyses the book and genre and argues that it is all about power-struggle and realism (big fish eats small fish, survival of the fittest kind of realism) without make-believe game of morality. There is no room for such stuff as compassion in most characters, Miss Blandish who suffers the most is dehumanized to a level at which her first name is never revealed. She is just used, just like a couple of other women are, in what is a big game of chess played by multiple players all men except one Ma Garrison - who is so clever and strong that she could be a feminist inspiration had she not been such a misogynist. One would argue that John Krammer and Joker (Heath Ledger one) are natural off-springs of this 'realism'. It somehow made it to Le monde list of 100 best books of the century and also inspired a movie, that has been unanimously called the worst movie ever by critics. I'm gonna watch it.
But let us talk about more important things. Have you ever lost consciousness upon being hit on the side of your head? Have you made anyone lose consciousness that particular way? Or saw anyone outside movies or books fainting because of that? From where did these crime novels get this idea? Try it, you will only start a fight. And So take it from expert, unless you have drugs or chemicals handy, it is easier to kill a person than make him/her lose consciousness. Believe me, I tell from personal experience