What do you think?
Rate this book
Poodle Springs
When Raymond Chandler died in 1959, he left behind the first four chapters of a new Philip Marlowe thriller. Now three decades later, Robert B. Parker, the bestselling creator of the Spenser detective novels, has completed Poodle Springs in a full-length masterpiece of criminal passion.
"More than just an impressive homage, this is a first-rate detective novel with all of the suspense, action, and human drama that we have come to expect from the best."--Playboy
Philip Marlowe is alive and well and living in Poodle Springs, California. He's married to a wealthy heiress now. But living in the lap of luxury hasn't made a dent in Marlowe's cynicism--or his talent for attracting trouble. Soon he's on a trail of greed, lust, and murder as dark and cunning as any he's ever seen. Philip Marlowe is back in business.
"Raymond Chandler fans, throw away your dog-eared copies of The Big Sleep...Philip Marlowe has returned!"--Milwaukee Journal
"More than just an impressive homage, this is a first-rate detective novel with all of the suspense, action, and human drama that we have come to expect from the best."--Playboy
Philip Marlowe is alive and well and living in Poodle Springs, California. He's married to a wealthy heiress now. But living in the lap of luxury hasn't made a dent in Marlowe's cynicism--or his talent for attracting trouble. Soon he's on a trail of greed, lust, and murder as dark and cunning as any he's ever seen. Philip Marlowe is back in business.
"Raymond Chandler fans, throw away your dog-eared copies of The Big Sleep...Philip Marlowe has returned!"--Milwaukee Journal
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
115 people are currently reading
2745 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Chandler
447 books5,576 followersRaymond Thornton Chandler was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a popular pulp magazine. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. In addition to his short stories, Chandler published seven novels during his lifetime (an eighth, in progress at the time of his death, was completed by Robert B. Parker). All but Playback have been made into motion pictures, some more than once. In the year before his death, he was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Chandler had an immense stylistic influence on American popular literature. He is a founder of the hardboiled school of detective fiction, along with Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain and other Black Mask writers. The protagonist of his novels, Philip Marlowe, like Hammett's Sam Spade, is considered by some to be synonymous with "private detective". Both were played in films by Humphrey Bogart, whom many consider to be the quintessential Marlowe.
The Big Sleep placed second on the Crime Writers Association poll of the 100 best crime novels; Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The Lady in the Lake (1943) and The Long Goodbye (1953) also made the list. The latter novel was praised in an anthology of American crime stories as "arguably the first book since Hammett's The Glass Key, published more than twenty years earlier, to qualify as a serious and significant mainstream novel that just happened to possess elements of mystery". Chandler was also a perceptive critic of detective fiction; his "The Simple Art of Murder" is the canonical essay in the field. In it he wrote: "Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world."
Parker wrote that, with Marlowe, "Chandler seems to have created the culminating American hero: wised up, hopeful, thoughtful, adventurous, sentimental, cynical and rebellious—an innocent who knows better, a Romantic who is tough enough to sustain Romanticism in a world that has seen the eternal footman hold its coat and snicker. Living at the end of the Far West, where the American dream ran out of room, no hero has ever been more congruent with his landscape. Chandler had the right hero in the right place, and engaged him in the consideration of good and evil at precisely the time when our central certainty of good no longer held."
Chandler had an immense stylistic influence on American popular literature. He is a founder of the hardboiled school of detective fiction, along with Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain and other Black Mask writers. The protagonist of his novels, Philip Marlowe, like Hammett's Sam Spade, is considered by some to be synonymous with "private detective". Both were played in films by Humphrey Bogart, whom many consider to be the quintessential Marlowe.
The Big Sleep placed second on the Crime Writers Association poll of the 100 best crime novels; Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The Lady in the Lake (1943) and The Long Goodbye (1953) also made the list. The latter novel was praised in an anthology of American crime stories as "arguably the first book since Hammett's The Glass Key, published more than twenty years earlier, to qualify as a serious and significant mainstream novel that just happened to possess elements of mystery". Chandler was also a perceptive critic of detective fiction; his "The Simple Art of Murder" is the canonical essay in the field. In it he wrote: "Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world."
Parker wrote that, with Marlowe, "Chandler seems to have created the culminating American hero: wised up, hopeful, thoughtful, adventurous, sentimental, cynical and rebellious—an innocent who knows better, a Romantic who is tough enough to sustain Romanticism in a world that has seen the eternal footman hold its coat and snicker. Living at the end of the Far West, where the American dream ran out of room, no hero has ever been more congruent with his landscape. Chandler had the right hero in the right place, and engaged him in the consideration of good and evil at precisely the time when our central certainty of good no longer held."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
January 21, 2011
Robert B. Parker said that he started writing Spenser novels because he was a huge Phillip Marlowe fan and missed the detective after he’d read all the books and short stories. The Marlowe influence is all over the Spenser series, particularly the early books. So Parker was the natural pick to try and finish the last book that Raymond Chandler had started before his death.
Chandler had finished just four chapters, but he gave Parker a sweet set-up for the rest of the story. Marlowe and his new bride, socialite Linda Loring, return from their honeymoon and set up house in the wealthy desert resort town of Poodle Springs. Despite marrying a very rich woman with a powerful father, Marlowe is determined to remain his own man by continuing to work as a detective.
Before he even gets a chance to set up an office, he has an offer from an illegal gambling club owner named Lipschultz who made the mistake of taking an IOU for a hundred grand from Les Valentine. Lipschultz thought Valentine was good for the money because he is married to Muffy Blackstone, another wealthy woman. Unfortunately, Valentine hasn’t been seen since, and Muffy refuses to pay the debt. Lipschultz wants Marlowe to track down Valentine before he gets in hot water with his bosses for being $100,000 short.
As Marlowe starts trying to track down Valentine, things get worse with his new marriage. Linda can’t understand why Marlowe has involved himself with seedy business among a group of lowlifes when she has more money than they could ever spend. Marlowe even sometimes wistfully thinks that he could be home with cocktails by the pool with Linda instead of playing detective, but he’s terrified of losing his self respect if he becomes a kept man. (Personally, if I had latched onto a beautiful sugar mama, I’d be poolside with her constantly while offering chocolates and back rubs to keep her happy. Marlowe’s got more will power than I do.)
Parker does a nice job with following through on the action that Chandler set up, particularly on the tension between Linda and Marlowe. The idea of a couple that loves each other yet finds it impossible to maintain a ‘traditional’ relationship is something that Parker would use in other books, but it works very well here with the stubborn Marlowe realizing that just living off his wife would make him lose the very qualities she loved in the first place. There’s also another common Parker theme of a ‘good’ woman loving a ‘bad’ man that motivates Marlowe to try and help them both.
The mystery angle is pretty good with murder and blackmail entering the mix. Parker also works in some standard Marlowe stuff like him getting on the bad side of both cops and gangsters and refusing to budge an inch from his own personal code as he doles out smart ass remarks to almost everyone around him.
I give Parker credit for taking on a big challenge and giving a fitting ending to Chandler’s uncompleted work.
Chandler had finished just four chapters, but he gave Parker a sweet set-up for the rest of the story. Marlowe and his new bride, socialite Linda Loring, return from their honeymoon and set up house in the wealthy desert resort town of Poodle Springs. Despite marrying a very rich woman with a powerful father, Marlowe is determined to remain his own man by continuing to work as a detective.
Before he even gets a chance to set up an office, he has an offer from an illegal gambling club owner named Lipschultz who made the mistake of taking an IOU for a hundred grand from Les Valentine. Lipschultz thought Valentine was good for the money because he is married to Muffy Blackstone, another wealthy woman. Unfortunately, Valentine hasn’t been seen since, and Muffy refuses to pay the debt. Lipschultz wants Marlowe to track down Valentine before he gets in hot water with his bosses for being $100,000 short.
As Marlowe starts trying to track down Valentine, things get worse with his new marriage. Linda can’t understand why Marlowe has involved himself with seedy business among a group of lowlifes when she has more money than they could ever spend. Marlowe even sometimes wistfully thinks that he could be home with cocktails by the pool with Linda instead of playing detective, but he’s terrified of losing his self respect if he becomes a kept man. (Personally, if I had latched onto a beautiful sugar mama, I’d be poolside with her constantly while offering chocolates and back rubs to keep her happy. Marlowe’s got more will power than I do.)
Parker does a nice job with following through on the action that Chandler set up, particularly on the tension between Linda and Marlowe. The idea of a couple that loves each other yet finds it impossible to maintain a ‘traditional’ relationship is something that Parker would use in other books, but it works very well here with the stubborn Marlowe realizing that just living off his wife would make him lose the very qualities she loved in the first place. There’s also another common Parker theme of a ‘good’ woman loving a ‘bad’ man that motivates Marlowe to try and help them both.
The mystery angle is pretty good with murder and blackmail entering the mix. Parker also works in some standard Marlowe stuff like him getting on the bad side of both cops and gangsters and refusing to budge an inch from his own personal code as he doles out smart ass remarks to almost everyone around him.
I give Parker credit for taking on a big challenge and giving a fitting ending to Chandler’s uncompleted work.
May 30, 2022
My expectations for this book were so low that I hadn’t even necessarily intended to read it. The eighth and final novel in Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe detective series, the first four chapters were written in 1958 by Chandler before he died, and the last 37 chapters were written at the request of Chandler’s estate twenty years later by one of his biggest fans and a rightful heir, Robert B. Parker of the Spenser detective series fame. Most books finished by others are lame; I am told that Brandon Sanderson’s completion of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time was terrific, but having Frank Herbert’s son completing one book and continuing the Dune series was a big mistake. Can’t say, didn’t read any of those completions/continuations. And I have not (yet!) read any of the Spenser books, so didn’t know what to expect, honestly, in this completion.
I’ll say I enjoyed this book much much more than I expected. Okay, even the title can indicate to you that it is not up to the standard of The Big Sleep, Farewell, My Lovely or The Long Goodbye--what, a book named Poodle Springs as a noir detective story??! (I assume it is a stand-in for Palm Springs). And it is much much shorter than the rest of the books in the series.
But it is really pretty good! As with most of the other books, the fairly standard boozy plot is less important than individual scenes, character, and (especially) the witty dialogue. I know when Parker picks it up, but it is (to me) pretty much seamless in terms of the tone and humor. Parker knows his Chandler inside and out. Usually the Marlowe books begin in wit, are soaked in gin, and increase the suspense steadily to an interesting conclusion. This one has less serious suspense than the best of Chandler's books, so that balance of funny and suspenseful is not quite there.
I listened to it read by a favorite actor, Elliot Gould, who was wonderful (and played Marlowe in Robert Altman’s film adaptation of The Long Goodbye).
Let me summarize what you need to know about the plot: Marlowe has married a rich heiress and moved to Poodle Springs from LA (boo!). He insists on continuing his work as a detective, though he doesn’t financially need to, but this takes him away from the dame (whom he met in an earlier book in the series). The case Marlowe takes on involves a photographer of nude models, a bigamist, involves spoiled rich women with names like Muffy, and some killing, natch. But the real fun is not in the plot or even its resolution, which as I take a look at it may be a little more Parker than the master Chandler’s style?:
“I looked at myself in the mirror. I had the slick oily look of a coyote eying a chicken.”
“The Agony Club?” “I own it.”
“. . . like the soothing touch of an embalmer.”
“The morning looked to him like a hooker with her make-up off.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” “She was a lady!” “Oh, and you’re a gentleman? I’ll believe that like I believe you could draw an inside straight.”
Okay, maybe these “jokes' were made better by Elliot Gould, now that I type them out, but Parker made me smile throughout.
I’ll say I enjoyed this book much much more than I expected. Okay, even the title can indicate to you that it is not up to the standard of The Big Sleep, Farewell, My Lovely or The Long Goodbye--what, a book named Poodle Springs as a noir detective story??! (I assume it is a stand-in for Palm Springs). And it is much much shorter than the rest of the books in the series.
But it is really pretty good! As with most of the other books, the fairly standard boozy plot is less important than individual scenes, character, and (especially) the witty dialogue. I know when Parker picks it up, but it is (to me) pretty much seamless in terms of the tone and humor. Parker knows his Chandler inside and out. Usually the Marlowe books begin in wit, are soaked in gin, and increase the suspense steadily to an interesting conclusion. This one has less serious suspense than the best of Chandler's books, so that balance of funny and suspenseful is not quite there.
I listened to it read by a favorite actor, Elliot Gould, who was wonderful (and played Marlowe in Robert Altman’s film adaptation of The Long Goodbye).
Let me summarize what you need to know about the plot: Marlowe has married a rich heiress and moved to Poodle Springs from LA (boo!). He insists on continuing his work as a detective, though he doesn’t financially need to, but this takes him away from the dame (whom he met in an earlier book in the series). The case Marlowe takes on involves a photographer of nude models, a bigamist, involves spoiled rich women with names like Muffy, and some killing, natch. But the real fun is not in the plot or even its resolution, which as I take a look at it may be a little more Parker than the master Chandler’s style?:
“I looked at myself in the mirror. I had the slick oily look of a coyote eying a chicken.”
“The Agony Club?” “I own it.”
“. . . like the soothing touch of an embalmer.”
“The morning looked to him like a hooker with her make-up off.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” “She was a lady!” “Oh, and you’re a gentleman? I’ll believe that like I believe you could draw an inside straight.”
Okay, maybe these “jokes' were made better by Elliot Gould, now that I type them out, but Parker made me smile throughout.
December 29, 2014
Marlowe has married into money – or has he? Not content to be a “kept husband”, Marlowe sets up shop in the swanky California town of Poodle Springs, much to the displeasure of his new wife. It isn’t long until Marlowe is hired to track down a man who happens to owe his bookie a cool one hundred grand. Can Marlowe close the case or will his marital life prove too much of a distraction?
Raymond Chandler wrote four chapters of a new Marlowe novel before he tragically passed away following a bout with pneumonia. The manuscript sat for years before acclaimed mystery novelist (and admitted fan) Robert B. Parker picked it up, dusted it off, finished it and dubbed it “Poodle Springs”.
Having never read Parker’s work before, I'm not sure I can comment on whether or not he was the right choice. However, I have heard folks say that Parker’s early Detective Spenser novels appear to be heavily influenced by Chandler. Parker certainly nails the twists and turns that are synonymous with a Marlowe novel but he came up short in the I-hate-the-world-and-everyone-in-it department that Chandler worked so well within. Sure, the similes are there but they’re not as funny nor as inventive and Marlowe wasn't quite as mean as I would have liked.
The bottom line is that Parker is not Chandler and while I'm sure Parker is well aware of that, maybe it would have been best to let sleeping dogs lie. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not against authors picking up a character and trying to put their own spin on it (where would Batman be today if Frank Miller hadn't put his own spin on The Dark Knight in the 80s?), maybe Marlowe could be one character that should be left in the past.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
Raymond Chandler wrote four chapters of a new Marlowe novel before he tragically passed away following a bout with pneumonia. The manuscript sat for years before acclaimed mystery novelist (and admitted fan) Robert B. Parker picked it up, dusted it off, finished it and dubbed it “Poodle Springs”.
Having never read Parker’s work before, I'm not sure I can comment on whether or not he was the right choice. However, I have heard folks say that Parker’s early Detective Spenser novels appear to be heavily influenced by Chandler. Parker certainly nails the twists and turns that are synonymous with a Marlowe novel but he came up short in the I-hate-the-world-and-everyone-in-it department that Chandler worked so well within. Sure, the similes are there but they’re not as funny nor as inventive and Marlowe wasn't quite as mean as I would have liked.
The bottom line is that Parker is not Chandler and while I'm sure Parker is well aware of that, maybe it would have been best to let sleeping dogs lie. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not against authors picking up a character and trying to put their own spin on it (where would Batman be today if Frank Miller hadn't put his own spin on The Dark Knight in the 80s?), maybe Marlowe could be one character that should be left in the past.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
August 5, 2013
Notice any difference between the first four chapters and the remaining 37 chapters of the book? It's well known that the first four were written by Raymond Chandler and the remaining 37, were written by author Robert B. Parker creator of the Spenser series which I've been reading for a few years. Chandler, for those of us who love hard-boiled, noir and the such, needs no introduction. And Parker is known to have loved Chandler's writing and his books.
But honestly, I didn't see that much of a difference. Perhaps if I had studied it more closely, I would have but I just read this book like any other Parker book (or Chandler, for that matter.)
The book opened with Marlowe being married to a rich heiress whose father (the benefactor) was still alive. But, of course, Marlowe being Marlowe, he's not changing a whit continuing his detective work even if it is in upscale Poodle Springs.
It's my belief that Chandler had something else in mind for Marlowe when he started the book. Perhaps his wife, Linda, was a cover, they really didn't marry. I don't know, just guessing. I just cannot for the life of me, see Marlowe married unless there is a backstory...he was drugged, rip-roaring drunk in Vegas or something!
I'm not a writer, needless to say, but I've read enough Marlowe to know he's "not the marrying kind." And he knows he's not the "marrying kind" much less marrying a woman who is worth $10 million.
But Parker does a fairly good job, in my mind, of finishing the novel.
By the way, glancing through some reviews before I started the book, I read where a college professor had students read the first four chapters for the express purpose of letting them know that even the more revered writers can have an "off" day or two.
I agree with her. Chandler's writing was trite and not at all the fine-tuned stringing of words and phrases that is considered his trademark. (While I didn't 'study' the writing style, this was quite easy to observe.)
Take these few lines: ...darting tongue, then it was a long sigh, and two people as close as two people can get. B-O-R-I-N-G.
Talking about their marriage, her being a multi-millionaire and Marlowe being a paycheck to paycheck gumshoe, "What are we to do, Phil?” “We (Marlowe says) have to ride it out. It's not always going to be easy. But I am not going to be Mr. Loring.” Linda (Loring Marlowe) says "I'll never change you, will I? (And Marlowe) “Do you really want to make a purring pussycat out of me?" V-E-R-Y B-O-R I-N-G.
With that said, Parker didn't have a great beginning for finishing the novel and Chandler being Chandler, no one dared throw these typewritten papers into the desert wind of Poodle Springs (which was by the way, vaguely disguised as Palm Springs. Not dirty, gritty LA.)
Finishing a series is somewhat important to me unless the series ‘goes south, much too south’ for me, then I just quit.
That hasn't happened with Parker and I’m savoring the thought of reading the last couple of books written by Chandler. One, I think, has the prequel to the Linda Loring story, so maybe when I read that, Poodle Springs and their marriage will make more sense. I certainly hope so.
This book has been on my shelf for years and now I wish it would have remained there for another couple of years.
But honestly, I didn't see that much of a difference. Perhaps if I had studied it more closely, I would have but I just read this book like any other Parker book (or Chandler, for that matter.)
The book opened with Marlowe being married to a rich heiress whose father (the benefactor) was still alive. But, of course, Marlowe being Marlowe, he's not changing a whit continuing his detective work even if it is in upscale Poodle Springs.
It's my belief that Chandler had something else in mind for Marlowe when he started the book. Perhaps his wife, Linda, was a cover, they really didn't marry. I don't know, just guessing. I just cannot for the life of me, see Marlowe married unless there is a backstory...he was drugged, rip-roaring drunk in Vegas or something!
I'm not a writer, needless to say, but I've read enough Marlowe to know he's "not the marrying kind." And he knows he's not the "marrying kind" much less marrying a woman who is worth $10 million.
But Parker does a fairly good job, in my mind, of finishing the novel.
By the way, glancing through some reviews before I started the book, I read where a college professor had students read the first four chapters for the express purpose of letting them know that even the more revered writers can have an "off" day or two.
I agree with her. Chandler's writing was trite and not at all the fine-tuned stringing of words and phrases that is considered his trademark. (While I didn't 'study' the writing style, this was quite easy to observe.)
Take these few lines: ...darting tongue, then it was a long sigh, and two people as close as two people can get. B-O-R-I-N-G.
Talking about their marriage, her being a multi-millionaire and Marlowe being a paycheck to paycheck gumshoe, "What are we to do, Phil?” “We (Marlowe says) have to ride it out. It's not always going to be easy. But I am not going to be Mr. Loring.” Linda (Loring Marlowe) says "I'll never change you, will I? (And Marlowe) “Do you really want to make a purring pussycat out of me?" V-E-R-Y B-O-R I-N-G.
With that said, Parker didn't have a great beginning for finishing the novel and Chandler being Chandler, no one dared throw these typewritten papers into the desert wind of Poodle Springs (which was by the way, vaguely disguised as Palm Springs. Not dirty, gritty LA.)
Finishing a series is somewhat important to me unless the series ‘goes south, much too south’ for me, then I just quit.
That hasn't happened with Parker and I’m savoring the thought of reading the last couple of books written by Chandler. One, I think, has the prequel to the Linda Loring story, so maybe when I read that, Poodle Springs and their marriage will make more sense. I certainly hope so.
This book has been on my shelf for years and now I wish it would have remained there for another couple of years.
May 11, 2022
This little gem of a posthumous mystery with the classic man who will always be himself, Marlowe, was bittersweet -- maybe a bit more sweet -- Noir novel. At least, it was sweeter than one would expect out of one of these.
Marlowe got married to a rich woman, you know. But that kind of life doesn't sit too well with him even if he loves her. Enter a cast of dames and broads, bigamists and protective daddies, and a bunch of bastard cops that would prefer to bust chops and chins over listening to a guy.
In other words, it's pretty much standard for this kind of novel. There were a couple of good lines but mostly this novel rode off the formula and the kind of love we have for the man.
Not bad but not briliant.
Marlowe got married to a rich woman, you know. But that kind of life doesn't sit too well with him even if he loves her. Enter a cast of dames and broads, bigamists and protective daddies, and a bunch of bastard cops that would prefer to bust chops and chins over listening to a guy.
In other words, it's pretty much standard for this kind of novel. There were a couple of good lines but mostly this novel rode off the formula and the kind of love we have for the man.
Not bad but not briliant.
September 18, 2025
The usual Marlowe/Chandler goodness. Narrated by Elliott Gould who does a very good job.
Marlowe is married now but a case comes his way in the rich town of Poodle Springs.
Surprised?
MY GRADE: B plus.
Marlowe is married now but a case comes his way in the rich town of Poodle Springs.
Surprised?
MY GRADE: B plus.
April 8, 2020
3.5 stars. When it comes to detective and crime fiction, Chandler is the king in my book, and Philip Marlowe the ultimate wisecracking, hardboiled gumshoe. Chandler died after completing only the first four chapters of Poodle Springs, and Parker, a crime fiction master himself, did an admirable job picking up where Chandler left off nearly three decades later. He seamlessly adopts Chandler's style, ably depicting the cheeky, hardboiled Marlowe in a new setting, now married to a rich heiress and living in a small upscale desert town outside LA.
The story gets off to a slow start as Marlowe tries to adjust to his new life without compromising his sense of self, and fails to ever really take on a sense of urgency or suspense. Still, a few murders as well as mounting tensions on the home front keep things interesting. Yet, Marlowe is Marlowe, and it's great to see him again on the last case Chandler laid out for him. Poodle Springs is far from his or Parker's best work, but it's an enjoyable journey nonetheless for Marlowe fans.
The story gets off to a slow start as Marlowe tries to adjust to his new life without compromising his sense of self, and fails to ever really take on a sense of urgency or suspense. Still, a few murders as well as mounting tensions on the home front keep things interesting. Yet, Marlowe is Marlowe, and it's great to see him again on the last case Chandler laid out for him. Poodle Springs is far from his or Parker's best work, but it's an enjoyable journey nonetheless for Marlowe fans.
April 4, 2020
Wow, what a strange book... 3.5 stars
Started by Chandler just before his death, and with only 4 chapters completed, this was taken over in 1988 by Robert B. Parker (of Spenser fame) at the request of Chandler's estate. Poodle Springs wikipedia.
Parker had already written 17 Spenser books by this time, and both his style and characters were well-defined. Also, Parker's marital troubles with his wife Joan had mostly settled, but he returned to these thoughts and feelings often throughout the rest of his life (and another 20+ Spenser books).
If you’ve read my reviews of Parkers books, you will see that I researched the mystery of Parker's real-life marriage quite extensively. Many readers dislike the "Susan" character in his Spenser books, but their snappy dialogue and relationship mirror the real-life reparteé of Parker and his wife Joan. In many ways, it was the superglue of their marriage. I firmly believe you cannot truly understand Spenser without knowing about Parker's marital struggles.
As regards Poodle Springs, I love Parker's Spenser, and Chandler's Marlowe, so I read very carefully, especially from chapter 5 onwards. I must say that Parker does a very good job, and the rhythm and dialogue starts out very close to Chandler's, but with some differences. The prose and daily life seem more modern, although the book is still set in the late 1950s. These differences increase throughout the book.... (e.g. Marlowe refers to the "Pacific Bell" telephone company, a modern name)
Chandler's writing of Marlowe took a dark turn in The Long Goodbye (my review), a reflection of the terrible pain in his real life, with his wife's long illness and death. Indeed, Chandler attempted suicide in 1955. Dark days, indeed.
In Playback (my review), Chandler recovers some, and Marlowe is mostly written more upbeat and familiar to us.
Some of his pain and bitterness carry over into Poodle Springs, both by Chandler and Parker. In particular, Marlowe's treatment of his new wife are often quite mean-spirited and bitter. The dialogue with Linda is also quite clumsy in places, almost unreal. I believe this reflects Chandler's deep dissatisfaction with his own life and with daily life in California.
As we read on in the book, Parker lifts Marlowe back to a more traditional gumshoe, becoming more like Spenser, and culminating with Marlowe's love-life/marriage . It's not a bad ending for our Marlowe at all.
I must say I truly abhor the way Marlowe treats Linda since almost their first romantic meeting. It's as if by doing this, Chandler can punish himself through abuse of the Marlowe character. Very poignant.
The central mysteries of the book are complex, and well-presented by Parker, without sounding too much like just another Spenser novel.
Of all Chandler's Marlowe series, by far the best is The Lady in the Lake (my review) with The Little Sister (my review) also very good.
"Can't see Lippy with a gun," the tall one said.
I shrugged and opened my coat and the tall one took the gun smoothly from under my arm. He looked at it.
"Two-inch barrel," he said. "Not much good at a distance."
"I only work close up," I said.
Eddie's .44 Magnum with 2" barrel
Marlowe's central failure as a man and as a human being is his refusal to Grow -
"It's all I have," I said. "I don't have money. I don't have prospects. All I have is who I am. All I have is a few private rules I've laid down for myself."
"I hear that, but damn it, I don't know what it means. All I know is that I love you, and I want you with me. Why is that so bad?"
"It isn't, it's good. But you want me to be different than I am. And if I change, I disappear. Because there isn't anything but what I am."
I sometimes think that Southern California looks better in the rain than any other time. The rain washes away the dust and glazes the cheapness and poverty and pretense, and freshens the trees and flowers and grass that the sun has blasted. Bel Air under the wet sky was all emerald and scarlet and gold with the rain making the streets glisten.
Notes:
She was the music heard faintly at the edge of sound.
Chandler's letter about his wife, Cissy.
2.0% ..... Marlowe's dialogue with his new wife is clumsy and hard-nosed, bordering on psychological abuse. Chandler's very sad personal life suiciding the good things in Marlowe's life."
8.0% ..... Coppertone sunscreen!
...and a calendar that had a picture on it of a dog tugging down a little girl's bathing suit bottom.
9.0% ... 😥 Chandler is dead by this point 😞 and Robert B. Parker has taken over, pretty seamlessly. I'm very unhappy with how Marlowe is always cad to his new wife. He doesn't want to be a kept man, fine. But he doesn't have to be so cruel about it.
17.0% ... chapter 8 now, and Parker is doing a pretty good job of writing Chandler. There are some stylistic differences, and the characters seem a bit more modern in behaviour.
20.0% ... the muscle action is clearly Parker's style, very physical and choreographed. I do enjoy it!
23.0% ... one distinct difference between Chandler and Parker: everyone lies to Marlowe in the Chandler books.
28.0% ...
"I don't think that man liked me," I said to Tino.
"It is not that, Mr. Marlowe," Tino said. "I do not think that he wishes his wife to be near both a man and a bar."
29.0% ... the reparteé between Marlowe and Linda has gotten a lot sharper, sounding more like Spenser/Parker and Susan/Joan.
45.0% ... a repeated, classic line from The Big Sleep:
"Guys that'll kick out your teeth and then shoot you for mumbling."
75.0% .... Chandler/Marlowe shows how selfish and broken he is in his cruelty to his loving wife. It's repulsive.
.
Started by Chandler just before his death, and with only 4 chapters completed, this was taken over in 1988 by Robert B. Parker (of Spenser fame) at the request of Chandler's estate. Poodle Springs wikipedia.
Parker had already written 17 Spenser books by this time, and both his style and characters were well-defined. Also, Parker's marital troubles with his wife Joan had mostly settled, but he returned to these thoughts and feelings often throughout the rest of his life (and another 20+ Spenser books).
If you’ve read my reviews of Parkers books, you will see that I researched the mystery of Parker's real-life marriage quite extensively. Many readers dislike the "Susan" character in his Spenser books, but their snappy dialogue and relationship mirror the real-life reparteé of Parker and his wife Joan. In many ways, it was the superglue of their marriage. I firmly believe you cannot truly understand Spenser without knowing about Parker's marital struggles.
As regards Poodle Springs, I love Parker's Spenser, and Chandler's Marlowe, so I read very carefully, especially from chapter 5 onwards. I must say that Parker does a very good job, and the rhythm and dialogue starts out very close to Chandler's, but with some differences. The prose and daily life seem more modern, although the book is still set in the late 1950s. These differences increase throughout the book.... (e.g. Marlowe refers to the "Pacific Bell" telephone company, a modern name)
Chandler's writing of Marlowe took a dark turn in The Long Goodbye (my review), a reflection of the terrible pain in his real life, with his wife's long illness and death. Indeed, Chandler attempted suicide in 1955. Dark days, indeed.
In Playback (my review), Chandler recovers some, and Marlowe is mostly written more upbeat and familiar to us.
Some of his pain and bitterness carry over into Poodle Springs, both by Chandler and Parker. In particular, Marlowe's treatment of his new wife are often quite mean-spirited and bitter. The dialogue with Linda is also quite clumsy in places, almost unreal. I believe this reflects Chandler's deep dissatisfaction with his own life and with daily life in California.
As we read on in the book, Parker lifts Marlowe back to a more traditional gumshoe, becoming more like Spenser, and culminating with Marlowe's love-life/marriage . It's not a bad ending for our Marlowe at all.
I must say I truly abhor the way Marlowe treats Linda since almost their first romantic meeting. It's as if by doing this, Chandler can punish himself through abuse of the Marlowe character. Very poignant.
The central mysteries of the book are complex, and well-presented by Parker, without sounding too much like just another Spenser novel.
Of all Chandler's Marlowe series, by far the best is The Lady in the Lake (my review) with The Little Sister (my review) also very good.
"Can't see Lippy with a gun," the tall one said.
I shrugged and opened my coat and the tall one took the gun smoothly from under my arm. He looked at it.
"Two-inch barrel," he said. "Not much good at a distance."
"I only work close up," I said.
Eddie's .44 Magnum with 2" barrel
Marlowe's central failure as a man and as a human being is his refusal to Grow -
"It's all I have," I said. "I don't have money. I don't have prospects. All I have is who I am. All I have is a few private rules I've laid down for myself."
"I hear that, but damn it, I don't know what it means. All I know is that I love you, and I want you with me. Why is that so bad?"
"It isn't, it's good. But you want me to be different than I am. And if I change, I disappear. Because there isn't anything but what I am."
I sometimes think that Southern California looks better in the rain than any other time. The rain washes away the dust and glazes the cheapness and poverty and pretense, and freshens the trees and flowers and grass that the sun has blasted. Bel Air under the wet sky was all emerald and scarlet and gold with the rain making the streets glisten.
Notes:
She was the music heard faintly at the edge of sound.
Chandler's letter about his wife, Cissy.
2.0% ..... Marlowe's dialogue with his new wife is clumsy and hard-nosed, bordering on psychological abuse. Chandler's very sad personal life suiciding the good things in Marlowe's life."
8.0% ..... Coppertone sunscreen!
...and a calendar that had a picture on it of a dog tugging down a little girl's bathing suit bottom.
9.0% ... 😥 Chandler is dead by this point 😞 and Robert B. Parker has taken over, pretty seamlessly. I'm very unhappy with how Marlowe is always cad to his new wife. He doesn't want to be a kept man, fine. But he doesn't have to be so cruel about it.
17.0% ... chapter 8 now, and Parker is doing a pretty good job of writing Chandler. There are some stylistic differences, and the characters seem a bit more modern in behaviour.
20.0% ... the muscle action is clearly Parker's style, very physical and choreographed. I do enjoy it!
23.0% ... one distinct difference between Chandler and Parker: everyone lies to Marlowe in the Chandler books.
28.0% ...
"I don't think that man liked me," I said to Tino.
"It is not that, Mr. Marlowe," Tino said. "I do not think that he wishes his wife to be near both a man and a bar."
29.0% ... the reparteé between Marlowe and Linda has gotten a lot sharper, sounding more like Spenser/Parker and Susan/Joan.
45.0% ... a repeated, classic line from The Big Sleep:
"Guys that'll kick out your teeth and then shoot you for mumbling."
75.0% .... Chandler/Marlowe shows how selfish and broken he is in his cruelty to his loving wife. It's repulsive.
.
October 8, 2024
Poodle Springs is my least favorite of all the Marlowe books I've read so far, it's also the one that Chandler didn't finish.
An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail and murder amongst the elite social set in 1963.
In my eyes, Robert Parker tried himself a worthy successor. He tried to tie his own style with Chandler's:
"She had on all the makeup there was and maybe a little no one else knew about." p.96
"The house that rose up in front of us wasn’t anywhere near big enough to hold all of California. Probably not more than the entire population of Los Angeles comfortably." p.106
2/5 Short, not many twists and turns as expected, plus Marlowe isn't as much of a dick (actual not private).
An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail and murder amongst the elite social set in 1963.
In my eyes, Robert Parker tried himself a worthy successor. He tried to tie his own style with Chandler's:
"She had on all the makeup there was and maybe a little no one else knew about." p.96
"The house that rose up in front of us wasn’t anywhere near big enough to hold all of California. Probably not more than the entire population of Los Angeles comfortably." p.106
2/5 Short, not many twists and turns as expected, plus Marlowe isn't as much of a dick (actual not private).
December 10, 2015
Raymond Chandler died and 1959 and left behind an unfinished Philip Marlowe novel: The Poodle Springs Story.
Thirty years later Robert B Parker,creator of such detectives as Spenser & Jesse Stone, was asked to finish this tale for publication. And he did so in great style. While this book was based upon an unfinished novel of Chandler, Parker did do another one solo just to prove to himself/fans that he he was rightly chosen and that he was capable to do so, Perchance to dream.
Philip Marlowe is freshly back from his honeymoon with his wealthy wife when he decides to return to his old job as PI. His wife is not so wild about the idea be accepts that the old PI was the one she fell for so she goes along. Marlowe gets an office in Poodle Springs and his first job is to find somebody who has left an outstanding IOU for 100 grand with an casino. The finding is easy enough but when it starts with a body and pretty soon after a second one the police gets annoyed with Marlowe. ANd as it turns out some of the Poodle Springs organised crime does get annoyed too. And to top it of Marlowes young wife gets upset about what the actions of Marlowe will mean for her social standing.
Between all this Marlowe wants to do the right thing for all included and clean the mess up.
Parker does write a nice comfertable Marlowe tale and yet it is difficult to see what is Chandlers'and what is Parkers'. So I guess he did the job allright. Well worth your time if you enjoy a nice dated detective tale.
Thirty years later Robert B Parker,creator of such detectives as Spenser & Jesse Stone, was asked to finish this tale for publication. And he did so in great style. While this book was based upon an unfinished novel of Chandler, Parker did do another one solo just to prove to himself/fans that he he was rightly chosen and that he was capable to do so, Perchance to dream.
Philip Marlowe is freshly back from his honeymoon with his wealthy wife when he decides to return to his old job as PI. His wife is not so wild about the idea be accepts that the old PI was the one she fell for so she goes along. Marlowe gets an office in Poodle Springs and his first job is to find somebody who has left an outstanding IOU for 100 grand with an casino. The finding is easy enough but when it starts with a body and pretty soon after a second one the police gets annoyed with Marlowe. ANd as it turns out some of the Poodle Springs organised crime does get annoyed too. And to top it of Marlowes young wife gets upset about what the actions of Marlowe will mean for her social standing.
Between all this Marlowe wants to do the right thing for all included and clean the mess up.
Parker does write a nice comfertable Marlowe tale and yet it is difficult to see what is Chandlers'and what is Parkers'. So I guess he did the job allright. Well worth your time if you enjoy a nice dated detective tale.
August 25, 2010
I've read the only surviving first four chapters of Raymond Chandler's final novel, Poodle Springs, which were published in the back of The Raymond Chandler Papers, edited by Tom Hiney & Frank MacShane.
Wow. Those chapters STINK.
Now I use them as an example to buck up editing clients going through rough spells with their self-esteem. "Read this," I tell them. "Even the greats wrote shitty first drafts."
You would never imagine those chapters were written by the very creator of Phillip Marlowe, the classic world-weary PI everyone's been imitating---with greater and lesser degrees of success---ever since he first appeared on the page.
"Darling, you can be a bastard," coos Marlowe's new wife, who just happens to be a multimillionaire with about as much personality as a toaster oven.
"Mrs. Marlowe and I are in love," Marlowe growls at the hired help. "That shows itself in various ways. None of those ways are to be noticed by you."
Or, frankly, by me, either. Enough with the coy, syrupy references to bed and darting tongues and how Marlowe will never be Mr. Loring. He's a lonely tough guy who just happens to be getting laid these days. We get it.
So when the cover blurb of this novel claims Robert B. Parker does such a great job of finishing this novel-that-was-never-going-anywhere-in-the-first-place, it undersells him. Not only can you tell where the original Chandler leaves off and the Parker begins, but you can tell because the writing gets better.
Nothing can save Marlowe from what Chandler did to him in his final hour. And nothing does. It was the ignominious murder of a cult hero, clean and simple.
This is just a perfectly respectable, perfectly ordinary, perfectly inane pastiche of old Chandler plots all grafted together (and jarringly transported to Parker's era, 1989) pretending that's what Chandler (and Marlowe) was: a series of plots.
That's not what Chandler was.
And that's not what Marlowe still is, either.
Wow. Those chapters STINK.
Now I use them as an example to buck up editing clients going through rough spells with their self-esteem. "Read this," I tell them. "Even the greats wrote shitty first drafts."
You would never imagine those chapters were written by the very creator of Phillip Marlowe, the classic world-weary PI everyone's been imitating---with greater and lesser degrees of success---ever since he first appeared on the page.
"Darling, you can be a bastard," coos Marlowe's new wife, who just happens to be a multimillionaire with about as much personality as a toaster oven.
"Mrs. Marlowe and I are in love," Marlowe growls at the hired help. "That shows itself in various ways. None of those ways are to be noticed by you."
Or, frankly, by me, either. Enough with the coy, syrupy references to bed and darting tongues and how Marlowe will never be Mr. Loring. He's a lonely tough guy who just happens to be getting laid these days. We get it.
So when the cover blurb of this novel claims Robert B. Parker does such a great job of finishing this novel-that-was-never-going-anywhere-in-the-first-place, it undersells him. Not only can you tell where the original Chandler leaves off and the Parker begins, but you can tell because the writing gets better.
Nothing can save Marlowe from what Chandler did to him in his final hour. And nothing does. It was the ignominious murder of a cult hero, clean and simple.
This is just a perfectly respectable, perfectly ordinary, perfectly inane pastiche of old Chandler plots all grafted together (and jarringly transported to Parker's era, 1989) pretending that's what Chandler (and Marlowe) was: a series of plots.
That's not what Chandler was.
And that's not what Marlowe still is, either.
August 7, 2021
Прекрасният стил на Реймънд Чандлър може да действа пристрастяващо!
April 25, 2011
I put off reading Poodle Springs for years. Who'd believe a hardboiled detective novel with a title like that could be any good? It was a mistake. The 42-year-old Marlowe is back in splendid form, probably as good as the early masterpieces by Chandler. Immensely enjoyable if you're a sucker for private eye novels. And I am.
March 5, 2020
Ezt a regényt még Chandler kezdte el, felkérésre Parker befejezte. A történet vezetés jó, de valami azért hiányzik, ám tisztes munka.
Most elkezdtem a két posztumusz könyv előzményét, aki szereti a műfajt, szereti Chandlert, olvassa el mind a hármat.
Elkéstél, Terry-más kiadásban: Hosszú búcsú /ezt még Chandler írta/
Philip Marlowe a nevem
A fekete szemű szőke
Most elkezdtem a két posztumusz könyv előzményét, aki szereti a műfajt, szereti Chandlert, olvassa el mind a hármat.
Elkéstél, Terry-más kiadásban: Hosszú búcsú /ezt még Chandler írta/
Philip Marlowe a nevem
A fekete szemű szőke
October 12, 2016
Mini Review
The last Marlowe book is fortunately not the cheap knockoff that I was afraid it might turn out to be. But unfortunately it never leaves the pretenses of being an imitation albeit a nice one. The writing nails some signature Chandler motifs like the descriptive flourishes but fails at others like displaying his keen insight into human nature. The mystery is engaging enough for me to search for other Parker works but the main problem is Phillip Marlowe himself. The same book with a different lead would get a higher rating because this is a good detective novel but Marlowe here does not jibe well with what had visualized him to be over the series. A married Marlowe reduced to being a sentimental fool in places really stops this from coming anywhere close to Chandler's classics. Rating - 3/5.
The last Marlowe book is fortunately not the cheap knockoff that I was afraid it might turn out to be. But unfortunately it never leaves the pretenses of being an imitation albeit a nice one. The writing nails some signature Chandler motifs like the descriptive flourishes but fails at others like displaying his keen insight into human nature. The mystery is engaging enough for me to search for other Parker works but the main problem is Phillip Marlowe himself. The same book with a different lead would get a higher rating because this is a good detective novel but Marlowe here does not jibe well with what had visualized him to be over the series. A married Marlowe reduced to being a sentimental fool in places really stops this from coming anywhere close to Chandler's classics. Rating - 3/5.
June 10, 2019
Good Marlowe noir, with Robert Parker finishing Chandler's last novel. Marlowe is now hitched, walking a fine line between being a "kept" man by a wealthy socialite, and his hard boiled detective self.
"You a cop?" "Nope," I said. "I met Valentine at a card game, I stayed pat with two pair. He had a flush. He took my marker for half a g and gave me this address."
"And the door?" Victor said. "I suppose it was open?"
"You a cop?" "Nope," I said. "I met Valentine at a card game, I stayed pat with two pair. He had a flush. He took my marker for half a g and gave me this address."
"And the door?" Victor said. "I suppose it was open?"
October 9, 2017
Parker channels Chandler really well. Not quite as good as the originals, but still does an excellent job.
May 16, 2020
Robert Parker brought me here. Although to be fair, I vaguely recall Humphrey Bogart/ Robert Mitchum in a trench coat wise cracking remarks on Sunday afternoon movies. To think that they were portraying Philip Marlowe, would be correct in either effort.
I went into this reading knowing that James Caan performed in the title role in the film adaptation, which I will watch and critique shortly. However, having read about Spenser, and Reacher, and Elvis Cole, and watched Spenser, Rockford, hell even Simon and Simon, I see their lineage and humble beginnings within Marlowe.
Poodle Springs, was decently paced but left me to wonder, equally to the thoughts of the main character, that Marlowe is not a very good P.I. At every encounter, he loses or has his gun taken from him; stumbles into clues or witnesses that he otherwise would not have located; commits more crimes than those of whom it is investigating; and has a very dry wit that has not aged well in the 21st century. Not to mention his drinking problem, alcoholism rampant, detox anyone?
The story appears to be a rehash of every other Marlowe plot line: damsel/dame from a rich family, has a problem with her husband, needs Marlowe to solve said problem, he runs up against the well-to-do family, uncovers layers of the same despotic behavior that should shock the reader, plot twist with more family nefariousness, romantic resolution. Insert police banter, bad guy interference, and California scenery wherever. All the while, it is very dated material to the WW2 era and times were definitely different. But the degraded human behaviors remain consistent throughout.
Decent read for the Chandler completist or Parker fan to see him step into the writing duty here. Otherwise, it is a throw back to another era of pulp fiction.
Thanks for reading... now scram.
I went into this reading knowing that James Caan performed in the title role in the film adaptation, which I will watch and critique shortly. However, having read about Spenser, and Reacher, and Elvis Cole, and watched Spenser, Rockford, hell even Simon and Simon, I see their lineage and humble beginnings within Marlowe.
Poodle Springs, was decently paced but left me to wonder, equally to the thoughts of the main character, that Marlowe is not a very good P.I. At every encounter, he loses or has his gun taken from him; stumbles into clues or witnesses that he otherwise would not have located; commits more crimes than those of whom it is investigating; and has a very dry wit that has not aged well in the 21st century. Not to mention his drinking problem, alcoholism rampant, detox anyone?
The story appears to be a rehash of every other Marlowe plot line: damsel/dame from a rich family, has a problem with her husband, needs Marlowe to solve said problem, he runs up against the well-to-do family, uncovers layers of the same despotic behavior that should shock the reader, plot twist with more family nefariousness, romantic resolution. Insert police banter, bad guy interference, and California scenery wherever. All the while, it is very dated material to the WW2 era and times were definitely different. But the degraded human behaviors remain consistent throughout.
Decent read for the Chandler completist or Parker fan to see him step into the writing duty here. Otherwise, it is a throw back to another era of pulp fiction.
Thanks for reading... now scram.
January 24, 2013
This was the final book Raymond Chandler began before he died. Basically, he wrote the first four chapters and the story went unfinished until Robert Parker picked it up and finished it in the late 80's. I had pretty low expectations going in for several reasons. 1st, Chandler's writing style is easy to parrot but difficult to master. 2nd, "Playback," the novel that leads into this one was my least favorite of the series with a weird "happy" ending that felt tacked on. 3rd, I had no idea who this Robert Parker was and why he thought he was good enough to complete a story begun by one of my all time favorite authors. 4th, Marlowe is married?? How is that supposed to work??
Man, was I pleasantly surprised! Parker channels Chandler so completely I forgot I wasn't reading Chandler and in this situation, that's the highest praise I can give. Parker took the weak ending from "Playback," embraced it and told a great story with a real ending that fits all of the characters and more than anything else feels consistent with the rest of the series and earned by the characters.
One funny thing that made me laugh, the newly married Marlowe felt like all women, everywhere were coming onto him. Sure Marlowe, a 42 year old trenchcoat wearing detective in L.A. makes them come running.
This was truly a loving send off to one of my favorite characters/series in all of literature and it felt true and real and good. Well played Parker.
Man, was I pleasantly surprised! Parker channels Chandler so completely I forgot I wasn't reading Chandler and in this situation, that's the highest praise I can give. Parker took the weak ending from "Playback," embraced it and told a great story with a real ending that fits all of the characters and more than anything else feels consistent with the rest of the series and earned by the characters.
One funny thing that made me laugh, the newly married Marlowe felt like all women, everywhere were coming onto him. Sure Marlowe, a 42 year old trenchcoat wearing detective in L.A. makes them come running.
This was truly a loving send off to one of my favorite characters/series in all of literature and it felt true and real and good. Well played Parker.
July 7, 2009
Raymond Chandler was the inspiration for Parker's writings. When
Chandler died in 1959, he left behind the first four chapters of a Philip Marlowe thriller. Thirty years later, Robert B. Parker, considered the 'foremost interpreter of the Chandler tradition' completes the book. Although Marlowe is now married to a rich heiress,
he still does his private investigator work and has adventures, much to
the dismay of his wife who wants him just to stay with her and live from
her inheritance. Lots of fun lines:
* Not all the dots are on the dominoes.
* All the answers I could think of sounded a little silly, including
'yes' and 'no.'
* This is police business, so get off your widest part and get me an
address.
* I could have followed him on a ferris wheel.
Marlowe's explanation of his work to his wife: "The way I keep from being a failure is to be free. To be my absolute own man. Me, Marlowe, the Galahad of the gutter. I decide what I'll do. I won't be bought, or pushed, not even by love. You're a success if you have
money, but you give up too much."
Chandler died in 1959, he left behind the first four chapters of a Philip Marlowe thriller. Thirty years later, Robert B. Parker, considered the 'foremost interpreter of the Chandler tradition' completes the book. Although Marlowe is now married to a rich heiress,
he still does his private investigator work and has adventures, much to
the dismay of his wife who wants him just to stay with her and live from
her inheritance. Lots of fun lines:
* Not all the dots are on the dominoes.
* All the answers I could think of sounded a little silly, including
'yes' and 'no.'
* This is police business, so get off your widest part and get me an
address.
* I could have followed him on a ferris wheel.
Marlowe's explanation of his work to his wife: "The way I keep from being a failure is to be free. To be my absolute own man. Me, Marlowe, the Galahad of the gutter. I decide what I'll do. I won't be bought, or pushed, not even by love. You're a success if you have
money, but you give up too much."
December 1, 2020
The final Philip Marlowe novel, left unfinished upon Raymond Chandler's death and completed decades later by Robert B. Parker, carries all of the hallmarks of a Marlowe novel: the world-weary private eye, the detailed descriptions of people and places, the angry cops and bullying rich guys and femme fatales, the case that starts out simple amd grows more complicated.
Its a solid story, an enjoyable read, and Parker does a great job matching Chandler's voice throughout. But it does feel a little repetitive in the themes and reveals. I'm not sure if that's due to too much adherence to the formula of the earlier books or because this one specifically repeats the "rich troubled daughter of a controlling father" plot of a previous book. And I'm not sure, without doing more research on line, how much of this was actually plotted by Chandler and how much Parker invented out of whole cloth to build off of the four chapters Chandler did write.
Still, I'm glad I read it.
Its a solid story, an enjoyable read, and Parker does a great job matching Chandler's voice throughout. But it does feel a little repetitive in the themes and reveals. I'm not sure if that's due to too much adherence to the formula of the earlier books or because this one specifically repeats the "rich troubled daughter of a controlling father" plot of a previous book. And I'm not sure, without doing more research on line, how much of this was actually plotted by Chandler and how much Parker invented out of whole cloth to build off of the four chapters Chandler did write.
Still, I'm glad I read it.
January 18, 2018
Последният роман на Чандлър слага поантата на изключително цветната детективска и джентълменска кариера на неповторимия Марлоу, при това по начин, напълно подхождащ на всичките ми читателски очаквания. Макар и дописан от Робърт Паркър по записки и беседи със самия Чандлър, за мен разлика в стила почти не личи и макар със сигурност да не е най-яркият роман от едва 8-те за частното ченге, служи идеално за целите си – да осигури достойно сбогуване с Марлоу и неговият свят.
Разбира се Чандлъровата вселена и до днес бива допълвана с нови и нови произведения, ползващи образа на детектива, но онова зрънце неповторимост, присъщо за стила на оригиналния автор, като че все се изплъзва на дописвачите.
Финалните щрихи преди завесата да се спусне завинаги над творчеството на Чандлър – без да спойлвам, ще загатна, че става дума за сцена с празна кантора, половинка уисики, проливен дъжд и муха на прозореца – са толкова знакови за цялата поредица от книги за Марлоу, че можах единствено да се усмихна умилително криво - отдавайки почит както към старанието на Паркър, така и към детектива без аналог в литературата – и да продължа живота си, несъзнателно очаквайки следващата среща с Чандлър, когато отново започна да го препрочитам.
Разбира се Чандлъровата вселена и до днес бива допълвана с нови и нови произведения, ползващи образа на детектива, но онова зрънце неповторимост, присъщо за стила на оригиналния автор, като че все се изплъзва на дописвачите.
Финалните щрихи преди завесата да се спусне завинаги над творчеството на Чандлър – без да спойлвам, ще загатна, че става дума за сцена с празна кантора, половинка уисики, проливен дъжд и муха на прозореца – са толкова знакови за цялата поредица от книги за Марлоу, че можах единствено да се усмихна умилително криво - отдавайки почит както към старанието на Паркър, така и към детектива без аналог в литературата – и да продължа живота си, несъзнателно очаквайки следващата среща с Чандлър, когато отново започна да го препрочитам.
August 17, 2018
Πριν πεθάνει ο Ρέιμοντ Τσάντλερ το 1959, άφησε πίσω του τα πρώτα κεφάλαια από ένα βιβλίο με ήρωα τον Φίλιπ Μάρλοου. Πολλά χρόνια αργότερα, ένας άλλος πολύ καλός συγγραφέας (αλλά δυστυχώς παραγνωρισμένος στην Ελλάδα), ο Ρόμπερτ Μπ. Πάρκερ, συνέχισε αυτό που άρχισε ο Τσάντλερ. Το τελικό αποτέλεσμα είναι αν μη τι άλλο αρκετά ικανοποιητικό και ενδιαφέρον, αν και σε σύγκριση με άλλα βιβλία με πρωταγωνιστή τον Φίλιπ Μάρλοου, είναι σαφώς υποδεέστερο. Η όλη ιστορία κρύβει μυστήριο, ανατροπές, δράση, οικογενειακά μυστικά, μοιραίες γυναίκες, καυστικό χιούμορ, γενικά όλα αυτά τα καλούδια που βρίσκει κανείς σε καλά νουάρ μυθιστορήματα με πρωταγωνιστές ιδιωτικούς ντετέκτιβ, απλά λείπει αυτό το κάτι παραπάνω στην πλοκή, τους χαρακτήρες και φυσικά τη γραφή, που βρίσκει κανείς στα αυθεντικά μυθιστορήματα με πρωταγωνιστή τον Μάρλοου. Ωραία πέρασα, σίγουρα προτείνεται στους λάτρεις του είδους, απλά διαβάστε πρώτα τα βιβλία του Τσάντλερ.
November 26, 2021
Hard-boiled auf der letzten Rille, möglicherweise witzig gemeint, aber ziemlich unangenehm rassistisch-sexistisch. Und meine Toleranzschwelle bei aktuellen Unwoertern ist ziemlich hoch, wenn es sich um alte Bücher handelt. Wegen Verwendung des N-Wortes mit fünf Buchstaben gibt es bei mir keine Abzüge, Der gesamte Erzählgestus ist abstoßend misogyn. Mein erster und bislang letzter Marlowe.
October 3, 2021
Having read and loved all of Chandler's Marlowe novels, I came to this one timidly, thinking no one would be able to capture Marlowe and his time. I know of Parker's reputation with his Spenser novels, but I haven't read them. That will change after reading "Poodle Springs". The story was good, and Parker came fairly close with most of the dialogue. The only thing that really got on my nerves was the way Marlowe talked to his wife. I could understand what Parker was trying to do, but I just thought it stupid. It may have not been so disrupting if it had been once or twice, but it just went on and on. Drove me nuts. Other than that, it was nice to have another Marlowe story. There were a few quotes that tickled me as well.
"He rummaged the cheap Scotch out of the drawer and poured some into a couple of paper cups. I had a swallow. It tasted like something you'd take for mange."
"Hollywood Boulevard looked like it always did in the morning, like a hooker with her make-up off."
Chapter 11 was probably the best dialogue of the novel, with Marlowe interacting with the guests at his wife's party.
Marlowe being married just didn't work, and was totally unnecessary and distracting.
"He rummaged the cheap Scotch out of the drawer and poured some into a couple of paper cups. I had a swallow. It tasted like something you'd take for mange."
"Hollywood Boulevard looked like it always did in the morning, like a hooker with her make-up off."
Chapter 11 was probably the best dialogue of the novel, with Marlowe interacting with the guests at his wife's party.
Marlowe being married just didn't work, and was totally unnecessary and distracting.
June 30, 2021
In this book, Parker is finishing a book started by Raymond Chandler before he died. I have never read any of the Marlowe series. The book is not bad, but is definitely not like the Spencer series (which I enjoy). It is a decent mystery where it is an unlikely murderer. There is plenty of action, but I wonder if Chandler fans liked this book. I would not go out of my way to read this.
December 25, 2007
Robert P. Barker takes scraps of a Chandler novel and does a bad Chandler impersonation. If you're hungry for more Chandler and lament that he didn't write more, just deal with it. Don't go looking here. You'll hate yourself later.
April 4, 2023
Реална оценка 3.5★
Хареса ми, макар че се усещаше липсата на Чандлър.
Но определено Робърт Паркър се е справил доста добре 👍🏻
Хареса ми, макар че се усещаше липсата на Чандлър.
Но определено Робърт Паркър се е справил доста добре 👍🏻
September 8, 2020
Parker does wonderful work imitating Chandler and finishing The Great One's last novel.
August 31, 2023
I think Poodle Springs is my least favorite of all the Marlowe books, but it's also the one that Chandler didn't finish, and was finished by Robert B. Parker. I wasn't a fan of Parker's first Spencer For Hire book when I read it, so I think I probably just don't care for his writing in general. I don't know how much of the story was already written before Parker took it over, but I just didn't like the overall story.
See all my reviews at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
See all my reviews at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews