Last weekend I decided I needed to treat myself to a little treat. So I got online and ordered myself a nice CD. I got Adele's latest one 21 and it is goooooooooooood. Her voice is nice and soulful and you can feel the real, raw emotion in her voice. When she sings "we could have had it all" you really believe you could have, if only.... At this moment in time it is playing away in the background and keeping me company whilst I write up this entry.
#### SPOILER ALERT ####
Playback - Raymond Chandler
Whenever I read one of Chandler's stories with Philip Marlowe I get a comfy feeling. Marlowe is a great character! He is a wisecracking private eye with a keen eye for a hot foxy lady, a wicked sense of humour and a love of a drink or two. Also, I am a great fan of Chandler's writing style. His relaxed style seem to be enhanced by the fact that his stories are set in a warm climate. Chandler is and absolute genius at describing his characters. He can paint you a picture of someone in only a few words and then you know exactly what the guy looks like and what he has for breakfast. For example, he describes a singer of a Mexican band as follows: ... [he always] has too long and too oily hair and when he isn't making with the love stuff he looks as if his knife work in an alley would be efficient and economical.
From this I know that they guy is slick looking in a cheap suit, he looks mean under the lights and like a thug in an alley. He's slightly sleazy and drinks his whiskey straight up. He'll have a wife somewhere slaving away in the kitchen but probably is not too bothered about being faithful to her. He would kick a dog if he had one and is not that interested in the New York stock exchange or saving his money for a rainy day. I know he probably has a creaky table in his kitchen where he has his overcooked steak with an ice cold beer (courtesy of the missus), and has nice and shiny car in the garage. On Saturdays he hangs out with his mates on the front porch of the house if he is not working. Is he a stereotype? Maybe.... probably. But I know who he is straight away. Chandler does the same thing with the places - with his descriptions you feel the atmosphere of a place instantly and know when things can get nasty and when they will not.
This novel is the last one in the Philip Marlowe series and it sort of feels like it. It feels tired and worn down. Marlowe feels like he is more tired than usual; tired of life, tired of chasing around California after people he does not know, does not care about and does not really want to get to know. He is tired of chasing his tail and doing jobs where he never really seems to know what he is getting himself into and how much he is going to regret helping out some dame. Marlowe seems tired of finding bodies and having to explain why he found them, and probably tired of getting punched every few chapters.
The story in this one starts out simple enough. Marlowe gets hired to do a simple enough job - follow a lady and find out where she is staying, report back and then the ones who hired him will take over. However, he does not trust the reasons these people have given him for wanting to find her. Then the whole things gets complicated by the fact that the lady in question meets some guy that seems to have some kind of hold on her. All of a sudden her behaviour changes so naturally Marlowe's instincts kick in and he wants to find out who she is, why she is behaving the way she does and how (if at all) he can help her. She is after all a woman is distress and Marlowe is... well Marlowe. The woman tries to keep Marlowe from telling the other party where she is (promises are made of the good life in Rio) and even tries to get him to help get rid of a body. However, Marlowe sort of gets to the bottom of the whole thing but neither party seems happy with the final results. Marlowe does have the unexpected pleasure of meeting a police chief who actually believes him when he says he has no idea what is going on and who chews out some jumped up rich dude. The lady does get to go on her merry way and will most likely end up with the dodgy guy she met in a bar after she argued with gentleman nr 1. She will probably score a medium on the happy ending scale of life. Marlowe gets to go home a few dollars richer and that will be enough for him.
However, that is not the end of it. There is another chapter. Marlowe gets home and gets a call from some woman (Linda Loring) he was involved with at one point and she apparently still loves him and wants him back. I guess I have to read the earlier Philip Marlowe ones to find out what went on there and trust me, I will find out!!. The last chapter just feels all wrong, it feels like Chandler himself was tired and thought, oh what the heck, let's give them a Hollywood ending. However, it does not fit Marlowe, it does not suit the character of a guy who wanders through his investigations blindfolded and with one hand tied behind his back most times. Marlowe gets beaten up by thugs, cheated on, double crossed, kept in the dark and he gets drunk. Yet his sense of perspective on life and sense of humour about others and himself sees him through and he does not do too badly for a private eye. For some strange reason Marlowe deserves to be on his own and sightly unhappy. Not because I dislike him but because I do really like him and "slightly unhappy" is what his natural state seems to be. He sees trouble and yet goes and finds out what it wants all the same. A guy like that should be found in a slightly crumpled suit, propping up the local bar. He should not be in his house waiting for some woman to arrive from Paris so he can become mr Blissfully Happy. Sorry mr Chandler but that's just the way I feel.
Title: Playback
Author: Raymond Chandler
166 pages
Vintage Books
ISBN nr 9-780-394-757667
Books bought: 0 (who needs Bookaholics Anonymous?!)
Books to be read: 68
I have now moved on to a classic in English Literature: 1984.
No comments:
Post a Comment