The Little Sister (1949)

London: Hamilton Hamish, 1969. First thus. Hardcover with dust jacket. Part of the Fingerprint series of reprints. Signed by Helga Greene on the front free end paper. Helga Greene was Raymond chandler's literary agent and fiance towards the end of Chandler's life. When Chandler died in 1959 she was the executrix and heir of Chandler's estate.

Raymond Chandler's writing is still the most amazing stuff I've ever seen, don't get me wrong. This book seemed a little more worn than the others -- or maybe I'm getting more used to it. I still love the voice he's given to Marlowe, and I still think his work is probably worth reading no matter what, but this one didn't fill me with glee. It's easy to read, it's atmospheric, the actual writing is good, but... the plot is incoherent (no surprises there) and the characters, particularly the women, don't interest me at all.

It's the whole time capsule thing again -- the setting and atmosphere is one of a time I don't know, won't ever know. That's interesting, up to a point, but it doesn't count for that much. The female characters actively irritated me this time, all histrionic and taking advantage of our dear shop-worn Galahad. It's amazing the way said Galahad gets himself out of trouble. I'm surprised he hasn't spent more time being arrested in the course of all these novels.

I'd love to see Marlowe meet a decent woman or two. At this point, one would do. ( )

What seems like an easy case of finding a missing person turns out spiral out of control for Private Investigator Philip Marlowe, leading him into a world full of gangsters, movie scarlets and dead bodies. While The Little Sister is not Raymond Chandler’s strongest piece of work, it is a great addition to the series, with Marlowe been witty and awesome as always. Marlowe is on the hunt for Orfamay Quest’s (yes Orfamay) missing brother Orrin; the Quest family is from Manhattan, Kansas a small town where not much happens, and to be thrown into the city of angels makes things a little difficult for both of them.

This book seems to be a bit darker and different for Raymond Chandler, who doesn’t hold anything back when he flames the people of Hollywood and the Movie industry. I think this may have been a downfall for this book for most people. For me what stopped me giving Chandler full marks (this time) was the simple fact that this felt a little ‘all-over-the-place’ instead of the usual tight well crafted plots; that I’ve come to know and love from Chandler. ( )

After reading and browsing through all of the previous posts about this novel I am not sure that I can add anything new or useful, however, I will try.

This is not the strongest or the best Marlowe, however, as with its brethren, it is not so much the story, but the dialogue and the setting. Marlowe's witty ("crack wise") views on life, and his surrounds, plus the colourful (I believe that is the term) characters that he meets, and interacts with, make this again a humorous dark read.

Every Marlowe story is like this. There is a complex detective mystery, never resolved until the final pages, but this is not the story. The story is about Marlowe and the dark and gritty world in which he makes his living.

I would recommend that anyone who has not read this story do so, but don't make this your first Marlowe. Happy reading. ( )

Who writes like this? "It's a reasonably shabby door at the end of a reasonably shabby corridor in the sort of building that was new about the year the all-tile bathroom became the basis of civilization." OR "Mom is in front of her princess dresser trying to paint the suitcases out from under her eyes." OR "Beyond the swing door is a dark dining room with an open end to a glassed-in lounge into which the moonlight poured like water through the floodgates of a dam." Raymond Chandler, that's who, in I'm assuming one of his lesser known Philip Marlowe books, The Little Sister.

I loved every second of this book. I'll admit the plot and characters are a little muddled, but who cares with writing like this. I could go on and on citing examples of his prose that I think are fantastic.

Briefly, Orfamay Quest (what a name-Orfamay) picks Marlowe's name out of the phone book for so many irrelevant reasons. She has come from Manhattan, Kansas that is, in search of her brother, Orrin, who has not written home in weeks. She can only pay Marlowe $20, but he accepts the challenge, against his better judgment. This simple search ends with several murders, incriminating photos, and conniving damsels appearing to be in distress.

Chandler paints a picture like no other author, be it a picture of a location or a person or a situation. We use the word 'riveting' so often, but in this case that is the only way to describe his writing. You need to read his books slowly to savor every word but you can't because you need to find out what happens.

Another thrill of reading this book was the book itself. I got the original 1950 Pocket Book paperback version with the above cover art. The paper was thin and fragile. The page edges were red. The spine was in great shape so I didn't want to bend the book too much. I needed to preserve its condition. I carried it around in a small envelope so that it wouldn't get crushed in my messenger bag. Call me Crazy. But that, too, is the fun of reading some books.

You probably know I'm a fan of mysteries from the 1920s through 50s and The Little Sister is a prime example of this genre. And the cover art is just great, as well. ( )