The High Window

[moon_custafer]

Finished reading The High Window; Chandler continues to win at writing supporting characters. I think my favourite is the old elevator operator in the run-down office building.

The ending of this one is the nearest thing I've seen to a victory for Marlowe - most of the guilty who haven't been killed off by each other are still walking free, but at least he's rescued the innocent party from the whole mess. Also, I think he manages to avoid getting beaten up. Yay team Marlowe!

Comments

[crankydon.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Ah yes, the Divine Chandler; who, as it is truly written on the cover blurb, writes like a slumming angel. All his stuff is chock full of fantastic supporting and walk-on characters. My favourite is the drunken rooming house manager in The Little Sister. That novel has an even better version of the mousy, possibly homicidal maniac, young woman like the secretary in The High WIndow. I wonder if all of the old-guy-on-the-sidelines-who-sees-all, like the evevator operator, are avatars for Chandler himself.

Marlowe doesn't get cracked on the head!? But that's his signature situation! The only PI who had better trips back and forth from unconsciousness was a radio character called Richard Rogue of Rogue's Gallery who had to get knocked out every episode in order to talk to his unconscious: who was an acerbic, Mxyzptlk-like character called Eugor. Eugor would always make fun of Rogue for getting knocked out and also for not putting together several clues that had been in view up to this point in the story.