Philip Marlowe
Created by: Raymond Chandler
Lurking in the shadows of the streets of LA is Philip Marlowe, the quintessential hardboiled detective. The cool, badass, and gritty private investigator who despite their rough edges, displays a heart of gold amidst a corrupt city. While the classic detective solves the mystery by deriving what happened through observation of clues, giving the audience the opportunity to solve it with them, hardboiled detective stories most often don't do that. They focus more on the "leg work". More on the detective "shaking trees" as they interact with different characters from goons, to corrupt cops, to femme fatales until the right puzzle pieces finally fall into place. Though it doesn't necessarily mean that Marlowe is not a smart fellow. He displays his wits by talking himself out of dangerous situations (and boy are his snappy dialogues pretty fun to read). He basically uses his street smarts to progress in his case. Though there are also times where things go horribly wrong for him, which is another thing that differentiates a hardboiled detective: they get beat up a lot, and by the end of the book they are usually almost badly bruised and half-dead... well until the next case arrives.
Books
Raymond Chandler, not counting the short stories and a novel that wasn't finished before his death (though it was completed by another author), has made 7 Philip Marlowe books.
The Lady in the Lake
Book #4
Philip Marlowe is hired to find a rich guy's wife who apparently ran away with another guy.
Marlowe ends up in a remote mountain lake where the case turns out to be more complicated than it appears to be.
The twist involving a certain character's identity actually got me in this one, though it may
require a bit of suspension of disbelief. There are also some Twin Peaks vibes due
to the setting. Overall a fun read.
Farewell, My Lovely
Book #2
While working on a case involving a missing husband, Philip Marlowe meets a felon named Moose Malloy who's looking for a redhead, Velma, who he used to be with and lost contact after he was arrested. Shortly after they meet, Malloy kills the current bar owner, in the bar Velma used to work at, and escapes. Marlowe decides to investigate and search for Velma, which turns out, as always, to be a more complicated task than it seems, as more people appear to be involved in her disappearance.
This one starts off a bit uncomfortably. It really showed its age, as words that are inappropriate now were used quite a bit, since the club Velma used to work at is now owned by a black man and is now a spot black people frequently visit. But once i got through that plot point, i fell in love again with the way Raymond Chandler describes the scenery and Marlowe's inner thoughts, making him somewhat a poetic dreamer despite his rough and hardboiled attitude. Plus, this book has Anne Riordan, a sort of Nancy Drew-type character, daughter of a police officer, who got curious about Marlowe's case. Her rapport with Marlowe is fun, her naive and earnest vibe contrasting his tired and cynical outlook. The femme fatale of this book, Mrs. Grayle, was also entertaining to read. Her flirting/banter with Marlowe where you're not sure if they're at each other's throat or are just really into each other was a highlight.
Overall, a solid book despite the uncomfortable hiccups at the start, which were unfortunate products of its time.
The High Window
Book #3
i found the surrounding characters in this one less memorable and the overall case didn't get too intense. i mean Marlowe didn't get beat up in this one, which is good for him, i suppose, but compared to the other cases, it feels weaker. What i loved about this book though, is i think this is the warmest Philip Marlowe felt so far. He essentially becomes a guardian for a certain character, and he displays so much chivalry and care for them. He even dropped one of the most poetic, melancholic lines i've ever read when they part ways... i feel like you'll know which one is it when you read this. Anyway, still a fun book overall, and a good entry to the series.
The Long Goodbye
Book #6
The case for this one feels more personal for Marlowe, as a friend of his (and probably his only one) is involved and his trust in Lennox's character is brought up frequently in this story. This cold private investigator, despite his experience of uncovering secrets and lies, still believes that his friend is innocent despite his confession makes for an engaging read. Chandler apparently believed this was his best work and, honestly, i'm inclined to agree. Despite its long length, i never really thought the book was dragging. Its slow pace fits the moody atmosphere the book sets and this also has a really strong cast of supporting characters. The pathetic yet sympathetic circumstance of Terry Lennox, the miserable and broken artistry of Roger Wade, to the mysterious and seductive exchanges with Linda Loring, each character has a fascinating and engaging dynamic with Marlowe. So yeah, i really loved this one and recommend it.
