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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My least favorite of mine in the Marlowe series, possibly because Chandler only wrote half of it. While Parker picks up the pieces and arranges them nicely fans of Chandler will detect the subtle differences. More dialoge, a too tidy [happy] ending, past characters making too many appearances... etc.
Despite this, it is a fairly decent noir mystery. I suggest reading another Chandler novel to leave a good taste in your mouth.
Despite this, it is a fairly decent noir mystery. I suggest reading another Chandler novel to leave a good taste in your mouth.
I hesitated for a good long while before reading this book. I am such a big Raymond Chandler fan that I was scared of judging whomever picked up the Marlowe baton too harshly. At the same time, I was saving it because once read, I would have exhausted all of Mr. Chandler's fiction. Turns out I was both wrong and right.
In my eyes, Robert Parker proved himself a worthy successor. He seemed to seamlessly tie his own style with Chandler's:
"She had on all the makeup there was and maybe a little no one else knew about." p.96
"The house that rose up in front of us wasn’t anywhere near big enough to hold all of California. Probably not more than the entire population of Los Angeles comfortably." p.106
This story starts with Marlowe a newlywed. I wonder what Chandler had in mind. He wrote but the first 4 (out of 41) chapters before shuffling loose his mortal coil. The plot wasn't quite up to the standards I hold the other Marlowe novels but that may be my not seeing it clearly because I'm so infatuated with the character.
One minor complaint (aside from the book falling a few dozen pages short of 200) was Parker's overuse of a pair of witty sayings; something like "I had nothing to say. So I let it lie." and "I gave him the gunfighter's salute."
All in all, it was a fine ending to Marlowe's cannon.
In my eyes, Robert Parker proved himself a worthy successor. He seemed to seamlessly tie his own style with Chandler's:
"She had on all the makeup there was and maybe a little no one else knew about." p.96
"The house that rose up in front of us wasn’t anywhere near big enough to hold all of California. Probably not more than the entire population of Los Angeles comfortably." p.106
This story starts with Marlowe a newlywed. I wonder what Chandler had in mind. He wrote but the first 4 (out of 41) chapters before shuffling loose his mortal coil. The plot wasn't quite up to the standards I hold the other Marlowe novels but that may be my not seeing it clearly because I'm so infatuated with the character.
One minor complaint (aside from the book falling a few dozen pages short of 200) was Parker's overuse of a pair of witty sayings; something like "I had nothing to say. So I let it lie." and "I gave him the gunfighter's salute."
All in all, it was a fine ending to Marlowe's cannon.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
great revival of an old favortie character. Chandler died in 1959 having just started this book. years later Parker finished it. Its hard to tell where one becomes the other one, the story flows perfectly.
...no?
I really don't know what else to say. I read one Robert B. Parker novel years ago. I found his writing style fine but I really didn't like his protagonist. I guess, in a nutshell, that's also how I feel about Poodle Springs. Unfortunately I listened to this as an audiobook so I wasn't exactly sure where the authorship changed. The entire thing felt really foreign. More importantly, Marlowe felt really foreign.
There are a couple specific gripes I have about Parker's characterization of Marlowe. They do involve spoilers, so read at your own discretion if you plan on reading the book yourself. I don't recommend you do:
- Marlowe has always been a sexist figure. In short, he has no filter. However, like a pendulum, the Marlowe in this novel went from treating some women like delicate gifts (Angel) and some women like absolute worthless pieces of trash (the woman working with parking services - my mouth literally dropped during this scene). I'm not quite sure what Parker was doing here. I feel like it shouldn't be this hard.
- This may be a knock at both Parker and Chandler, but I never fully grasped why Marlowe ever married Linda. They were three weeks married and they already absolutely despised each other. And leaving the city? I really didn't buy it.
- This was sort of the nail in the coffin. Marlowe has always had a soft spot for a woman in distress, for sure. But what he did for Angel and Larry at the end was so out of character. He risked his entire career, and potentially is freedom, to give them everything they needed and send them on their way. What?
I would say this is my last non-Chandler Marlowe novel, but we all know I'm going to read The Black-Eyed Blonde at some point. I really hope I recognise the main character in that one.
Reread 2021: After my second read, I feel slightly better about this book. Parker did a pretty good job at mirroring Chandler's style of dialogue, but I don't know. I'm still not a fan of this Marlowe.
I really don't know what else to say. I read one Robert B. Parker novel years ago. I found his writing style fine but I really didn't like his protagonist. I guess, in a nutshell, that's also how I feel about Poodle Springs. Unfortunately I listened to this as an audiobook so I wasn't exactly sure where the authorship changed. The entire thing felt really foreign. More importantly, Marlowe felt really foreign.
There are a couple specific gripes I have about Parker's characterization of Marlowe. They do involve spoilers, so read at your own discretion if you plan on reading the book yourself. I don't recommend you do:
Spoiler
- Marlowe has always been a sexist figure. In short, he has no filter. However, like a pendulum, the Marlowe in this novel went from treating some women like delicate gifts (Angel) and some women like absolute worthless pieces of trash (the woman working with parking services - my mouth literally dropped during this scene). I'm not quite sure what Parker was doing here. I feel like it shouldn't be this hard.
- This may be a knock at both Parker and Chandler, but I never fully grasped why Marlowe ever married Linda. They were three weeks married and they already absolutely despised each other. And leaving the city? I really didn't buy it.
- This was sort of the nail in the coffin. Marlowe has always had a soft spot for a woman in distress, for sure. But what he did for Angel and Larry at the end was so out of character. He risked his entire career, and potentially is freedom, to give them everything they needed and send them on their way. What?
I would say this is my last non-Chandler Marlowe novel, but we all know I'm going to read The Black-Eyed Blonde at some point. I really hope I recognise the main character in that one.
Reread 2021: After my second read, I feel slightly better about this book. Parker did a pretty good job at mirroring Chandler's style of dialogue, but I don't know. I'm still not a fan of this Marlowe.
It was fun to read more Marlowe but the times when Parker doesn't properly channel Chandler's voice really stick out. In many ways it's like watching a pretty good movie adaption. It is mostly there but the spirit is missing.
Private dick settles down, but circumstances won't let him. This was Chandler's last novel, incomplete at his death and finished by Parker. It's okay, if somewhat hackneyed. C.
The beginning of this book - the part Chandler wrote - isn't great Chandler, but it's still decent. The problem comes when the Chandler runs out and the Parker begins.
While Parker's intention is to continue in Chandler's style, and there isn't a marked change, once I got past the Chandler chapters I began to find the book unpleasant. This was the feeling I later got when I tried to read a Parker book; I found it unlikable. Parker might be able to emulate Chandler's style to some extent, but there is something fundamentally different about his approach to character and tone and feel that irritates me.
Poodle Springs may not really have been worth finishing, but if it was going to be done, it should have been done by someone else.
While Parker's intention is to continue in Chandler's style, and there isn't a marked change, once I got past the Chandler chapters I began to find the book unpleasant. This was the feeling I later got when I tried to read a Parker book; I found it unlikable. Parker might be able to emulate Chandler's style to some extent, but there is something fundamentally different about his approach to character and tone and feel that irritates me.
Poodle Springs may not really have been worth finishing, but if it was going to be done, it should have been done by someone else.
These books are so fun I really cannot lie to you. I made the assumption that Marlowe would notttt be a good lover by any means and this book just solidified it. I love the aesthetic of this one, too. Despite Chandler's passing and B. Parker having to take up the mantle, I think their writing meshes well together. B. Parker isn't as great as Chandler, of course, but I can't say I didn't love this one and that I haven't been enjoying this series.