Book Club: Big Sleep

Phillip Marlowe

Carmen Sternwood -- pulls wings off flies

Vivian - Mrs. Regan -- calculating, smart

Objectivity, distance as detective model

Maid, cleaning up rich people's lives, tidy morally? maybe not… observer being complicit in the crime… what is his motivation to do this job? doesn't enjoy it much, not getting highly compensated. is marlowe good or bad? Ambivalent?

Vivian cares a lot about… something? Carmen is "naked" always, maybe? Isn't suited for the world she lives in.

Brody and Eddie Mars we've met once each… each is a themed color,

"Doghouse Riley": a reference to something? made up name. "dog house" as in "jail" and "riley" as in "irish", "justice/cops". Repetition. Reassuring himself, defying other people's labels.

Carmen as in the opera. Tragic figure. Wholly objectified. Insane. Unpredictable. Body and emotions, but no brain.

Vivian as in… ? Defined by her missing husband. "Mrs. Regan." Intentional? Manipulative. Brains, veiled emotions. Mannish? Emulating men?

Agnes… silver claws. Blonde, relies on Brody entirely, animal-like in viciousness and loyalty. Not big in brains. Almost Brody's pet. Outraged and offended.

Women are very flat. Women=sexuality=shallow? None of them are old, only one them is actively helpful and she only exists for one page (28).

After the break is a synopsis of what we've read so far. If you're interested in reading or... something, then don't read it! Spoilers and all that.



Sternwood mansion, talks to general about blackmailer, talks to Vivian about Regan's disappearance, Geiger's, follows package, then back to store, follows geiger home, shots and naked carmen, takes carmen to loyal butler, goes back geiger's and sees body has been moved and rug displaced and photograph taken, next morning sees vivian's car in the water with dead chauffeur who is young (romantically involved with one of the girls?), back to gieger's store to find out if silver claws knows g is dead (she does but lies), then follows boxes to joseph brody's apartment, back to his office and meeting with Mrs. Regan and they talk about Eddie Mars, Marlowe calls da's office about the sternwood's chauffeur and Larry Cobb gets mentioned, walks to Geiger's place and meets Carmen and chats, then Eddie Mars walks in and Carmen runs away and find out G was Eddie's tenant, Eddie also runs gambling stuff for rich people, Marlowe gets out of G's house alive and goes to Joe Brody's apartment and offers to do deal about the list of clients for the porn books, (Brown=Brody, Grey=Eddie Mars), silver claws is Brody's girl or accomplice or whatever, Marlowe wants to exchange book of names for the naked pictures, then Carmen walks in and holds a gun on Brody, Marlowe de-guns everyone and calms the situation down and gets rid of Carmen, Brody reveals that the chauffeur was at G's during just before the shooting, Brody reveals he got the photos from the chauffeur but claims he DIDN'T kill the chauffeur, THEN Lundgren shoots Brody and runs away and Marlowe chases him and catches him and makes him drive somewhere.