Goldfish

[Loo-Yeon]

February 6^th, 2009.

Friday

Title: Goldfish

Author: Raymond Chandler

Publisher: Oxford

Characters: Carmady (Detective who look for Lender Pearl), Rush Madder (Lawyer looking for Lender Pearl), Carol Donovan (Madder’s partner), Sype (a man who has the Lender Pearl), Peeler and Kathy (People who gave information about the pearls to Carmady)

Story:

           Carmady, who was certainly not a rich private detective, heard about Lender Pearl from his friend, Kathy. Kathy informed that a guy named Sype stole the pearl and kept it very secretly for only himself and by this time he wanted to get money from insurance company which offered reward for the pearl. She knew this from his husband Peeler who had been to same prison with Sype.

           But, when Carmady entered the house for Kathy and Peeler, he found Peeler’s dead body. Somebody burned his feet with iron. Carmady went to Kathy’s cigarette shop in Mansion House Hotel and told her to pretend to know nothing about anything.

           Carmady went up to a lawyer named Rush Madder. Madder was the guy doing anything to get some money. Carmady supposed that he killed Peeler. He was right but he did not expect that Madder had a partner. Carol Donovan was a young, pretty girl about 25 years old who stole Carmady’s card and got information from Kathy.

           That night, Carmady hurried in his way to north to find Sype. He did not have much information but at least he knew where he lived and he had a lot of goldfishes. He ran into a guy named Sunset who was promised to meet Peeler for the pearl. He told him that Peeler was dead. Sunset told him where the house of Sype was.

           With Sunset’s help, Carmady succeeded in capturing Madder and Carol in Sunset’s house. But, while that, Sunset died. Carmady went out and got to Sype’s home. He was using name of Wallace. He went in, pretending that he was interested in fish. But, when he met Sype, he introduced himself as a detective and he was interested in the Pearl. Sype brought a gun out. By then, Carol and Madder came in with Sype’s wife.

           Sype put his gun down and Carmady was in trouble. Then, Sype’s wife picked the gun of her husband and shot Carol. Then Madder shot Sype. Carmady shot Madder. As his last words, Sype said to his wife ‘Moors.’

           Then, Carmady got near to Chinese Moors- a type of goldfish – and saw that two of fish had something inside them. He found the Pearls.

           Mrs. Sype told him that the Pearls were fakes. She explained that they were like souvenirs for Sype. Carmady almost believed her then he realized that was all lie because she asked that ‘phony pearls’ back and the fact that nobody uses his last words for something that is not real.

Impression:

           Well written story but not outstanding. Being poor and obsessing about money is not that attractive character for a detective in a novel to have. Sherlock Holmes, Arsene Lupin and Auguste Dupin. Among them who worked only for money? This is a bit hard-boiled novel.

           And also, there is too much death so easily. Should it be this easy? Maybe that is for reality but it sounds like American. Just one shot brings immediate death.

           Carmady, the main character does not satisfy me also. He is a detective but he is not detecting anything. He just hears from somebody and goes for money with luck not even thinking deeply.

           Anyway, good novel to spend my spare time, I guess.

[물하마]

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[보라빛들꽃]

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