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)]

Unless, of course, Eugor was the brain damage.

Yes, the constant bops on the head with no lasting effects are part of the alternate biology in action-hero land. I've seen a fair number of people make fun of all the shoulder wounds (actually one of the worst places to get a bullet as far as long term effects go) but not about the rubber brains.

[moon-custafer.livejournal.com]

The law of action-movie biology seems to be that heroes and villains can take far *more* damage than normal humans, while supporting characters can take far *less* (i.e. any minor guy who gets shot dies instantly without even a scream; a senior who trips and falls expires within a few minutes rather than going into a long slow decline which finally leads to their death three years later, etc.) At least Victorian novels tend to feature realistic chronic ill health.