Welcome to Litsy!

My husband and I finished listening to this audiobook today. I think we both liked it better than Farewell, My Lovely. As always with Chandler, the dialogue is snappy and smart.

My first 1940s pulp fiction detective read. It reads like a noir detective film narrative - I suppose they actually are based on this narrative style. To begin with I was edging on bailing, so many ands in descriptive sentences! He's not exactly respectful of women which is at times uncomfortable, but not surprising for the time. Some incredible cutting wit, a fairly well pieced together mystery plot and overall a decent read.

For me, reading Raymond Chandler is not about plot or whodunit, but about beautiful turns of phrase and description, dry and sometimes unexpectedly absurd humor, and the subtle and complex peeks into the character of Philip Marlowe. In the High Window, Marlowe is referred to as a "shop-worn Galahad" and shows an almost anachronistic adherence to the practice of consent, especially as concerns a damaged young woman. Marlowe is a fascinating puzzle.

Sometimes you're reminded that Chandler wrote poetry when he was a young man.

"[...] old men with faces like lost battles."

That line keeps killing me every time I look at it.

Freaky reading coincidence: I've been reading "A Gentleman in Moscow" on my Kindle during the day, and a paper copy of "The High Window" at night (to reduce screens before bed). As most of you know the first book is about a man put under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow. The second book takes place in 1940s Los Angeles... and refers to a Hotel Metropole.

I did a double-take when I came across that last night. ?

You could fall for this...

Reading this amazing book in the sun - what a treat. Lines like this have incomparable zing:”From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away, she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.”

I had to add this as to the stack “to read”, although it is a re-read. Whenever I move and have to unpack my books again, I find so many old friends I had forgotten about. I try to tag them in LibraryThing, so I remember to actually do it, but generally I forget.

I seem to be rereading crime mostly this year. #reread

Some old Penguin Chandler editions. I just love the old covers...
For @Jess_Read_This 😊

Classic detective novel. Chandler is also a master of description.

Vintage LA Noir by the master, whoa! Marlowe so 😎