The long goodbye

by Raymond Chandler

The last of the 'big' Marlowe novels. 'The long goodbye' begins with a slightly curious geographical reference to the previous novel, The little sister, and sets out on a start-stop narrative, building up a friendship between Philip Marlowe and a hard drinking socialite named Terry Lennox. The skullduggery begins when Lennox asks Marlowe to help him get to Mexico, after his wife has been murdered. Marlowe agree's to help, providing Lennox doesn't admit to the murder, not least because Marlowe doesn't believe Lennox is guilty. Lennox escapes the USA, but eventually commits suicide. Marlowe is arrested and suffers some police brutality, but when news of the suicide, and a signed confession reach LA, he is released again.

Marlowe goes back to his life and broods. In the mean time another job comes his way. An author named Wade is missing and his beautiful wife wants him back. All straight forward it seems, until Marlowe begins to discover peculiar connections between the missing man and his dead friend.

As Marlowe novels go, this one is said to be one of the best. I'm not convinced. It certainly has a lot going for it, the many plot twists are good at keeping the reader guessing, but essentially it came across as preaching just a little too much. Marlowe has developed over the course of the novels to the point where he so moral and upstanding that he's beginning to be predictable, especially when people offer him payment.

The other big problem I had with the book was the big twist at the end was just downright obvious. No doubt I've seen too many films. It was still a good book, but not as good as 'The big sleep' or 'The lady in the lake'.

I note there is a film adaptation by Robert Altman, starring Eliot Gould as Marlowe. I have to say that I can't see Gould as Marlowe at all.