Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by writings_of_a_reader
Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler
3.0
This is the second book in the Philip Marlowe series and I liked it, but not as much as The Big Sleep. I think I just liked the characters better in The Big Sleep, plus I have all those fond memories of watching Bogart and Bacall in the movie. For the most part I enjoy the nostalgic feeling of going back in time to the 1940s when I read these. And, as I said, it also brings back fond memories of watching the old film noir movies that were made from them.
I have to add that this book is definitely a product of its time. There's lots of smoking and drinking and attitudes about certain things were different then. There were several terms used that would never be used today, including racial slurs. In the beginning, I had forgotten I was reading a vintage book that could very likely have those things in it, and it caught me off guard. It's a hard boiled detective book written in 1940, so keep that in mind if you read it.
One thing I enjoy the most about these books are the inner thoughts of Philip Marlow. I get a good chuckle out of it most of the time. It's just so quotable. I could add so many quotes into my review, but it's better to just discover them while reading, so I've only included a few.
“He smiled his first smile of the day. He probably allowed himself four...He was doing an awful lot of smiling that day. Using up a whole week's supply.”
I remembered in the movie that Marlowe gets pretty roughed up, more than once, and it really does happen in the book. I watched the 1944 version of this Starring Dick Powell that was retitled Murder, My Sweet. There were several changes made for that movie version, but I still like it. Originally, I didn't like Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe as much as a couple of the other actors that played him, but after reading a couple of the books I think he's closer to what Raymond Chandler had in mind than the other actors.
“Time passed again. I don't know how long. I had no watch. They don't make that kind of time in watches anyway.”
“It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
I have to add that this book is definitely a product of its time. There's lots of smoking and drinking and attitudes about certain things were different then. There were several terms used that would never be used today, including racial slurs. In the beginning, I had forgotten I was reading a vintage book that could very likely have those things in it, and it caught me off guard. It's a hard boiled detective book written in 1940, so keep that in mind if you read it.
One thing I enjoy the most about these books are the inner thoughts of Philip Marlow. I get a good chuckle out of it most of the time. It's just so quotable. I could add so many quotes into my review, but it's better to just discover them while reading, so I've only included a few.
“He smiled his first smile of the day. He probably allowed himself four...He was doing an awful lot of smiling that day. Using up a whole week's supply.”
I remembered in the movie that Marlowe gets pretty roughed up, more than once, and it really does happen in the book. I watched the 1944 version of this Starring Dick Powell that was retitled Murder, My Sweet. There were several changes made for that movie version, but I still like it. Originally, I didn't like Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe as much as a couple of the other actors that played him, but after reading a couple of the books I think he's closer to what Raymond Chandler had in mind than the other actors.
“Time passed again. I don't know how long. I had no watch. They don't make that kind of time in watches anyway.”
“It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.