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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Let me begin by saying I don't think I've read a more confusing book in my entire life. The whole time I felt like I was reading all that pretentious inner monologue and learning nothing important. If you asked me what the essence of this book is I wouldn't be able to tell you much more than the annotation on the back.
Sure, there was some really beautiful prose in there but too little and far between. The book feels like reading separate fragments with no logical connection whatsoever. And the ending?!
Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea or maybe my expectations were too high, but I barely managed to get through to the end.
Sure, there was some really beautiful prose in there but too little and far between. The book feels like reading separate fragments with no logical connection whatsoever. And the ending?!
Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea or maybe my expectations were too high, but I barely managed to get through to the end.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After reading the Grimnoir Chronicles I was inspired to see what all the fuss is about. I was not disappointed.
While some allowances must be made for when it was written, it is an exciting mystery with plenty of action and, above all, amazing dialog. The plot was slightly convoluted and a little choppy in places, but mostly easy to follow. The ending was satisfying, although not what I was expecting. I'll be reading more of the Philip Marlowe series.
While some allowances must be made for when it was written, it is an exciting mystery with plenty of action and, above all, amazing dialog. The plot was slightly convoluted and a little choppy in places, but mostly easy to follow. The ending was satisfying, although not what I was expecting. I'll be reading more of the Philip Marlowe series.
Sinceramente non riesco a capire come abbia fatto ad apparire nella mia lista di classici da leggere.
Non che sia orribile, non che sia difficile da leggere o che ci si debba sforzare per prenderlo in mano... semplicemente non è nulla di speciale, nulla di abbastanza buono da sorvolare su quanto il libro sia misogino e omofobo.
Forse la cosa che più mi ha dato fastidio è il fatto che sia proprio l'eroe ad esserlo e ne risulta ben più che giustificato dagli avvenimenti del libro, al punto che viene da chiedersi se le riflessioni del protagonista non facciano altro che rispecchiare quelle dell'autore.
Sono sinceramente un po' restia all'idea di prendere in mano un altro libro di Chandler.
Consigliato: no. (Sono sicura che esistono altri gialli investigativi ben più intriganti e soddisfacenti)
Non che sia orribile, non che sia difficile da leggere o che ci si debba sforzare per prenderlo in mano... semplicemente non è nulla di speciale, nulla di abbastanza buono da sorvolare su quanto il libro sia misogino e omofobo.
Forse la cosa che più mi ha dato fastidio è il fatto che sia proprio l'eroe ad esserlo e ne risulta ben più che giustificato dagli avvenimenti del libro, al punto che viene da chiedersi se le riflessioni del protagonista non facciano altro che rispecchiare quelle dell'autore.
Sono sinceramente un po' restia all'idea di prendere in mano un altro libro di Chandler.
Consigliato: no. (Sono sicura che esistono altri gialli investigativi ben più intriganti e soddisfacenti)
The classic, a must-read of the hard-boiled detective genre. Something missed by other reviewers is that Philip Marlowe is the original fast-talking detective that was an important shift in protagonists, introducing elements of the anti-hero and someone who had to operate outside of the establishment so that proper justice could be done. Also important is the narrative; while first person, Marlowe is retelling the events to the audience in perfect chronological sequence, he does not expose all of his thoughts to the reader, leaving gaps that are fully explained when Marlowe is ready to explain them, both to his audience and other characters. This is a technique that is rarely done well and Raymond Chandler, as well as Dashiel Hammet, remain the tops and should be thanked for their contribution to the detective, noire and spy genres of fiction.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked parts of it but I think I had brain fog at the start
3.5
not a big fan of la femme fatale trope but i thorowly enjoyed the writing itself and i was very entertained by the main character's charisma, wit and sarcasm. He is an intense fellow, capable and intelligent. I also enjoyed the snappy comebacks that gave me a few giggles throughout the book.
All in all, it was a book i really liked and i am glad to have met this interesting character that Marlowe is.
not a big fan of la femme fatale trope but i thorowly enjoyed the writing itself and i was very entertained by the main character's charisma, wit and sarcasm. He is an intense fellow, capable and intelligent. I also enjoyed the snappy comebacks that gave me a few giggles throughout the book.
All in all, it was a book i really liked and i am glad to have met this interesting character that Marlowe is.
I just could NOT get into this book. I know that it's a prime example of the hardboiled detective genre, but apparently that genre is not for me. I get that books like this started the film noir detective cliches, so at the time they were written they weren't cliche, but between the emotionally-cold-as-to-approach-autism narrator and the fact that the women were all just batshit insane and threw themselves at the sheer masculine power of our steely narrator, I had a hard time. I spent a lot of this book rolling my eyes. I might try the movie to see how I like that.
I loved the writing, and the subtle wit and humor, but couldn't get into the characters.
I picked this up after seeing the Coen brothers were inspired by Raymond Chandler when they wrote the Big Lebowski. You can definitely see this book’s influence on that movie.
This book is more crime than mystery and more hardboiled than noir. The highlights are the setting and the characters to the point that the plot became less important than the style. And the style is great. It’s both distinctive to the genre and so perfectly American at the same time. It reminded me of a Jim Jarmusch movie. Would recommend.
This book is more crime than mystery and more hardboiled than noir. The highlights are the setting and the characters to the point that the plot became less important than the style. And the style is great. It’s both distinctive to the genre and so perfectly American at the same time. It reminded me of a Jim Jarmusch movie. Would recommend.