Tim Sismey, you are right - he certainly was not Sherlock Holmes, but on the other hand he didn't live in the romanticized world of Victorian England either. Marlowe wasn't effective because there is a kind of Natural Predetermination that was already in affect. The ill-fates of those who populated his books had been settled long before Marlowe was on the scene. In other words the story is already over.

That which the person who hires Marlowe wishes to keep from happening has already happened.

Examples: The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, The Big Sleep, The Lady in the Lake, Farewell, My Lovely - in each case nothing Marlowe did would have changed or erased one circumstance. Think about it! Spade simply was not a well developed character only showwing up in one book. We were more or less stuck with our first impressions.

That's a nice point. I'd not really thought about it in those terms. I suppose in a world where everything has been predetermined, then the only thing the individual can control is his own individuality, hence the fact that Marlowe sticks so resolutely to his 'knight in a powder-blue suit' morailty even after he's realised that 'this isn't a game for knights'.

As for Spade, I like his moral ambiguity, but you're right again - one story, no real character as such. I prefer the Continental Op, for his anti-Marlowe, do-anything-to-get-the-job-done approach. It's like marlowe resists the pressure of the world around him, is powerless to change anything, but remains his own man, whereas the Op lets his environment crush him, becomes like the criminals he tracks, but risks becoming like The Old man who 'has no feelings of any sort on anything'. i know who I'd rather be....

Me too, laddie. Having no feelings on anything can get rather boring after a while. After all, what does one do on a moonlit night?

HUD

Both Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler were great. But for me Chandler was a bit too sentimental I prefer the dry "objective" style of Hammett.

And yes Marlowe was too much of a a knight...Sam Spade and above all the Continental Op had more grip.

More of a grip on what exactly, Mario? The essence of these characters (Spade, the Continental Op and, yes, even Marlowe) was the quest for morality and truth in chaos. Arrogantly, as with all of us, they simply put their particular subjective lean on that reality.

In comparison to whom and what are deemed today's heroes, Spade is way on the romantic side. Sadly, we’ll never know more. We do know about Marlowe. He was in for the count, once hired. He wore that tarnished armor and a sense of loyalty shield, you know.

Had we gotten to know Spade better, I think he too would have ended up much the same.

Basic themes in both film noir and pulp fiction are those of a pervasive feeling of loss, be it innocence, true love, or our souls.

Welcome to the Industrial Revolution! WWI and II! And Women’s Lib!

To the gal doing a paper on Raymond Chandler - there was a museum in NY - the Frick museum that did a retrospect on him about 3 yrs ago - had his handwritten notes - etc - maybe they can clue you in as to where all his memorabilia are kept - hope that helps

OK - TO ANYONE TUNED IN OUT THERE IN NETHERWEB - IF PHILIP MARLOWE WERE TO BE CAST FROM TODAY'S HOLLYWOOD OR STAGE OR TV ACTORS - WHO WOULD PLAY HIM BEST - I THROW THAT QUESTION OUT TO YOU MYSTERY LIONS - HOPE I GET A MEATY ANSWER - MY OPINION? YOU FIRST

Harrison Ford would make a good Marlowe.

James Caan played him in TV Movie made from book "Poodle Springs." This was Chandler's last unfinished novel which Robert B. Parker (Spenser) finished. He was very good.

Stacy Keach (Mike Hammer) wouldn't be bad either.

Hi everybody, I'm new here! I live in France, and I'm working on "The High Window". If someone wants to help me, my e-mail adress is Americankiki@aol.com. I need your help for some questions about the book. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !! :) Da Frenchy