The Lady in the Lake, Raymond Chandler, 1943
My favorite quote: “He was quite easy to hate,” she said emptily. “And poisonously easy to love. Women — even decent women — make such ghastly mistakes about men.”
Notable characters: Philip Marlowe; the best PI ever; Derace Kingsley, the wealthy businessman who hires him; Crystal Kingsley, Derace Kingley’s wife; Chris Lavery, the playboy
Most memorable scene: The discovery of the lady in the lake, which was surprisingly gruesome
Greatest strengths: Plot. It’s sharp, intricate, and unpredictable
Standout achievements: I chose plot as this book’s greatest strength but the characters here are just as strong. You don’t often see that. Usually, authors excel at one or the other. Some are more plot-driven, others more character-oriented. Both are valid, but it’s rare that something like this comes along that excels at both
Fun Facts: The making of the 1947 film of the same name was actor Robert Montgomery’s (who played Phillip Marlowe) idea
Other media: A 1947 film, several radio adaptations
What it taught me: Chandler has a unique way with words. One of the techniques he uses that stood out to me is a kind of merging of the senses — comparing sounds to something touchable, for example. I found that to be a very effective contributor to the imagery and overall experience
How it inspired me: This was my first Chandler novel (I know, right? What have I been doing all these years?) and it only took a few pages before I realized I’d fallen head-over-heels in love with the voice and tone of this book. So much so, that I knew I wanted to read the rest in the series before I’d finished the first chapter. I’ve already bought the next one
Additional thoughts: It was depressing to learn that Chandler only wrote seven full novels in his lifetime. This means I’m just going to have to read them over and over …
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Alistair Cross 