Another hard-boiled detective novel starring the quintessential noir detective, Philip Marlowe.

Our protagonist takes on a seemingly simple case involving a stolen gold doubloon but, this being a Chandler novel, the bodies soon start hitting the floor and Marlowe soon realises there's more to it than just a missing coin.

Marlowe seems to dial the misogyny down a notch in this one and becomes quite a sweet father figure to a 'damsel in distress' with some physical and mental health issues. Said damsel is still not very PC by today's standards, of course, but I'll take what I can get with writing as good as this.

Possibly my favourite Marlowe story so far. Right, onto the next one...

The Shop-Soiled Galahad

"The High Window" (1942) is the third of Raymond Chandler's novels featuring the detective Philip Marlowe. Marlowe tells the story in his own inimitable voice. The action of the story takes place over a three day period in 1941 in Los Angeles. Marlowe is faced with a confusing series of crimes including murder, counterfeiting, robbery, and blackmail.

The plotting is difficult and cumbersome in following the different crimes; but all is explained, perhaps too neatly, in the end. There is a lengthy denouement in which Marlowe explains to several of the characters of the book the parties who have committed the crimes and their motives. Marlowe shows great acuity and powers of observation in working through the tangled situation.

In "The High Window" more than in the earlier two Marlowe books, the plotting gets in the way. It detracts from what are otherwise outstanding features of the book in its writing, its descriptive passages of Los Angeles and its development of a host of mostly unsavory characters. The strongest part of the book is the characterization of Marlowe himself which becomes deeper than in the early novels. Late in the book, a friend of Marlowe's describes him as the "shop-soiled Galahad", a phrase which sums up much of Marlowe's activities and character

Marlowe is retained by a wealthy curmudgeonly widow, Elizabeth Murdock, to investigate what the widow believes is the theft of a rare early American coin, the Brasher Doubloon, by her daughter-in-law, who is estranged from her son. Besides the widow Murdock, her hapless son Leslie, who cannot hold a job and is heavily in debt from gambling and Merle, Mrs. Murdock's timid, shy secretary, play large roles in the story.

Marlowe does not get along with either Elizabeth or Leslie Murdock. Investigating the doubloon's disappearance leads Marlowe deep into other crimes, and the police even suspect him of holding back information on the murders which follow in the wake of the doubloon. The crimes require great perceptiveness to resolve. But the emphasis on the book is on Marlowe's character in remaining loyal to the Murdocks even though he dislikes them intensely for good reason. He keeps the family out of harm's way with the law. More important still is Marlowe's idealism and his desire to do the right thing. As the story develops, he learns how and why Merle's life has become emotionally stunted during her years working for Mrs. Murdock. He takes it upon himself to rescue her from a poisonous situation in a way that goes well beyond any duty he had undertaken to Mrs. Murdock as a private detective. Marlowe shows moral heroism while in the midst of a tarnished, often violent life of a private detective. Marlowe does his job, speaks brilliantly and poetically, is highly educated, and recognizes the characters of the people with whom he deals. There is a great deal of atmosphere in the book with nightclubbing, sultry singing, suits and hats and cars, cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, and alcohol. Marlowe also is a student of chess. With all the surroundings of 1940's life, some of which are highly appealingly portrayed, and a great deal of less than stellar behavior, Marlowe indeed emerges, more so than in the two earlier books, as a moral hero and as a "shop-soiled Galahad".

The tough, inspired portrayal of Marlowe with his idealism and loyalty in a world shown as fallen more than make up for the complications of the plot in this novel. In this and in his other Marlowe novels, Chandler created an iconic American character. The book is available individually or as part of the first of two Library of America volumes including the "Stories and Early Novels" of Raymond Chandler.

Robin Friedman.

Hmmmm -- better than 4 stars but I am not quite sure it should get the whole 5.

A wealthy widow wants some stolen property returned but for the thief not to be prosecuted because she is convinced that the theft was done by her daughter-in-law. The client & other people in this book are all unattractive in one way or another but what made me like this mystery so much is the way Chandler shows you what life is like for Marlowe running a one-man detective agency with some scruples. The plot is convoluted yet realistic (more realistic than the first 2 books in the series I think).

Third major featuring the legendary private eye, Philip Marlowe, opening in traditional hard-boiled fashion with Marlowe visiting a new client at her home, an elaborate but soulless mansion in Pasadena, Los Angeles County. The client is Mrs Elizabeth Bright Murdock, a wealthy, cantankerous old widow whose main pleasures in life appear to involve the consumption of large quantities of port and the systematic bullying her secretary Merle Davis.

Mrs Murdock is in need of ‘a nice clean private detective,' the Brasher Doubloon, a rare 18th-century coin that is the pride of the Murdock collection, has gone missing; Mrs Murdock suspects her estranged daughter-in-law has stolen it.

Marlowe's luck being what it is, it's not long before dead bodies start turning up. And then the Brasher Doubloon turns up as well — in two different places at once.

The first passage is so iconic it's cliche by point of everyone else stealing the writing:

n  A wide cool go-to-hell mouth with very kissable lips. Nice nose, not too small, not too large. Good bone all over the face. The expression of the face lacked something. Once the something might have been called breeding, but these days I didn’t know what to call it. The face looked too wise and too guarded for its age. Too many passes had been made at it and it had grown a little too smart in dodging them. And behind this expression of wiseness there was the look of simplicity of the little girl who still believes in Santa Claus.n

There's the pulling combination of atmosphere, mood and indisputable sense of place. Chandler brings you to Los Angeles of yesteryear from the plush estates of Bel Air to the rundown areas like Bunker Hill.

4/5 is it exceptional? No, but it's a trend-maker with its own style and rhythm of action. I'd recommend it to anyone as a case-study who wanted to write good suspense and noir.

One thing I can’t stand about Goodreads reviews is the compulsion that so many reviewers have of giving a detailed summary of the plot. Is there anything more dull than reading a poorly written plot summary of a book you’ve already read or want to read? So, I’m not going to discuss the plot here, other than to point out that the plot is wholly irrelevant (which is stating the obvious, to Chandler-afficiandos). Chandler’s plots are always convoluted MacGuffins used as a backdrop for Marlowe to exist within. The High Window, like most of Chandler’s ouvere, is about alienation - about being the only one that is sane and decent in a world completely devoid of morality - everyone is either a sleazy grifter or profoundly selfish and corrupt. Is there any wonder why Marlowe’s only friend is booze?

Although I love Raymond Chandler, and enjoyed this book - parts of it really dragged. Even though I previously emphasized that the plot is immaterial, that doesn’t mean it should be boring, and here, at times, it was. The best parts of this novel were Marlowe’s caustic bon mots. Exhibit A: “You always have a gun lying around on your desk?”
“Except when it’s under my pillow,” I said. “Or under my arm. Or in the drawer of the desk. Or somewhere I can’t just remember where I happened to put it. That help you any?”
“We didn’t come here to get tough, Marlowe.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “So you prowl my apartment and handle my property without asking my permission. What do you do when you get tough - knock me down and kick me in the face?”
“Aw hell,” he said and grinned. I grinned back. We all grinned.

Exhibit B: From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away.

This is another work of Chandler's that begins simply enough and before you know it the story becomes quite complex and filled with all manner of vile characters. There are much less clever, wiseguy, comebacks in this and is, in general, a very serious book.

The High Window offers a fairly complex and convoluted plot, and a slew of characters, so it demands full reader attention. Chandlers's superior prose and dialog really shines here, which elevates the novel above most hard-boiled private eye fare. Although I stalled and had to restart midway though the book due to reading too many similar genre novels concurrently, it was well worth the effort. This is a terrific novel. Five stars.

I read this book for the “Noir” square of my 2017 Halloween Bingo card.

I didn’t enjoy The High Window quite as much as I loved The Big Sleep or Farewell, My Lovely, but I still really liked it. Marlowe is a great main character—he’s idealistic, realistic and cynical, all rolled into one. I think someone close to the end of this book calls him a “shop-soiled Galahad,” and that really struck me as accurate. I also loved a couple of the literary allusions that he made, just assuming that the reader would be able to follow him. I love it when an author expects sophistication on the part of his readers!

The plot in this one seemed a bit simpler to me, although there was still a bit of a surprise at the end. Of the three of Chandler’s books that I’ve read, this one seemed the least noir to me, although it certainly still fits in the genre. Chandler is an exceptional writer and I am so glad to have found his novels!

In this worthy companion to The Big Sleep and Farewell My Lovely. Marlowe tracks a rare colonial coin called "The Brasher Doubloon," finds a corpse, clears an innocent suspect, and--ever the knight in tarnished armor--rescues a damsel in distress.

This novel features a handful of well-drawn stock characters: an iron dowager and her entourage (consisting of an effete son and a mousy secretary), a B-movie actor turned big-time gambler who is protected by a six-foot-five henchman (both with scars), round-heeled ex-showgirl Lois Magic, gin-joint contralto Linda Conquest--and a good no-nonsense middle-aged cop named Breeze.

And--of course--those great overheated Chandler metaphors!

„— В квартал като този е проява на лош вкус да използваш собственото си име — рекох. — И Ансън е мислил същото.
— Че какво му е на квартала?
— Кажи-речи, всичко.“


„Високият прозорец“ е страхотно мрачно криминале със силни елементи на семейна драма! Марлоу се е захванал с привидно лесен случай, за който е нает от богата възрастна жена. Той трябва да открие и върне открадната от снаха ѝ рядка и ценна златна монета, обаче скоро се случват загадъчни убийства и мистерията се оказва доста заплетена...






„Нищо не се беше променило тук от миналата, пък и от по-миналата година. Обстановка — нито красива, нито жизнерадостна, но за предпочитане пред опъната на брега палатка.“


„Дългокрака морна блондинка, типична кабаретна хубавица, се бе изтегнала удобно в един от шезлонгите, подпряла крака върху тапицирана табуретка, а досами лакътя й, недалеч от сребърната кофичка за лед и бутилката шотландско уиски, стоеше висока, изпотена от леда чаша. Тя отправи ленив поглед към нас, докато пресичахме моравата. От десетина метра създаваше впечатление за изискана дама. От три метра приличаше на нещо, което трябва да се гледа от десет.“


„Прокраднах се назад по протрития килим и се пъхнах зад вратата, между нея и малкото секретарско бюро. Детски номер, но понякога минава, особено след продължителен умен разговор, пълнен със светски финес и тънко остроумие. Като финтиране при футбол. А не минеше ли номерът, щяхме да си подметнем още няколко саркастични забележки.“



„Брийз отпи от чашата си, дръпна от пурата и рече:
— Ето какво искам да си изясня: всичко, което току-що ни каза, може да е вярно, а ти пак да не говориш истината. Не знам дали ме разбираш.
— Например? — попитах аз, като много добре го разбирах.“


„— Докато вие, момчета, не сте господари на своите души, няма да сте господари и на моята. Докато не може да ви се има доверие винаги и във всичко, по всяко време и при всякакви условия да изровите истината и да раздадете възмездие по справедливост — докато не дойде това време, аз имам право да се вслушвам в собствената си съвест и да закрилям клиента си както преценя за най-добре. Докато се уверя, че няма да му причините повече вреда, отколкото ще сторите добро на истината.“


„Фоайето напомняше пищен оперетен декор. Много светлина и блясък, много бутафория, много костюми, много музика, много звезди, а сюжетът — оригинален и увлекателен като старата ми шапка.“


„— Бедата с такива като вас е, че от нищо правите тайна — казах аз. — Преди да отхапете от хляба, казвате паролата. Ако отида в полицията и им разправя какво сте ми казали, ще ми се изсмеят в лицето. Пък и аз ще се смея заедно с тях.
— Тони не се смее много — каза Палермо.
— Светът е пълен с хора, които не се смеят много, мистър Палермо...“


„— Улавяли ли сте се в хитруване при редене на пасианс?
— Не е интересно да се лъже — каза тя с пресипнал глас. — А още по-безинтересно е, като не се лъже.“


„— Е, добре — промълви уморено. — Казвай каквото има. Предчувствам, че ще е нещо изключително умно. Безмилостен поток от логика и интуиция и други подобни глупости. Също като детективите в книгите.
— Естествено. Ще разгледам доказателствата едно по едно, ще ги свържа в стройна картина, ще вмъкна нещата, които съм открил, ще анализирам подбудите и характерите на хората и ще разкрия, че са съвсем различни от това, за което всички, или поне аз, са ги смятали до този златен миг и накрая съвсем неочаквано ще се нахвърля върху най-малко подозирания.“

Very easy read. Extremely interesting and keeps you intrigued the whole time wondering what’s really going on!

Written in the language of the time with certain lingo and also the classic old timey need to tell peoples race in the most aggressive manner possible.

Also I’ve not read anymore of the Marlowe series but from this book this guy is a sassy gay man idc what anyone or any of the other books say

06/2011

Stupendous. I had never read this one before, so it was fresh. Loved it.