The Drowning Pool

In this skillfully written tale of murder and intrigue, Ross MacDonald manages to "out Chandler" Raymond Chandler. It's Southern California, circa 1950, and hardboiled detective Lew Archer finds himself traversing the same landscapes Chandler's Philip Marlowe does in The Big Sleep, High Window and The Long Goodbye. The plot of The Drowning Pool is complex enough to be interesting without being convoluted or forced. Greed, blackmail, homosexuality and family dysfunction all play roles in advancing the nicely paced narrative. Thrown in for good measure are seductive women, a number of action scenes and a Lolita like teenager named Cathy. MacDonald's very descriptive prose is quite effective. And there's plenty of memorable dialogue. My personal favorite: "Your reminiscences fascinate me. May I take notes?" You'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying example of noir crime writing. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

I hesitate to call this a classic because some people consider "classics" as dull and out-dated. And there's nothing dull or out-dated here (well, maybe that paying $10 to be driven from Las Vegas to L. A. is a bit out of date).Archer's hired to discover who sent his client's husband a letter accusing her of infidelity. Introduced to the family and friends at a party as a Hollywood agent, he is sensitive to the growing tension and explosive atmosphere. The reader knows of course that somebody's going to be murdered, but these early chapters are among the most skillfully written to build suspense that I've ever read. Written in 1950, the inclusion of a homosexual couple was quite daring although there is not graphic description, and isn't significant enough a factor of the plot to either offend or attract a reader. Read this and I'm sure you'll find it on your own list of crime classics.

A Ross MacDonald is like an extremely well crafted 1950's black & white noir movie. Nothing comes through in it's true color, everything is projected in shades of gray, the action is stately yet never drags, and the characters are all vaguely threatening.All of MacDonald's novels exhibit certain basic themes--tormented families, buried secrets that fester through multiple generations, environmental destruction, and the brutal contrast between rich and poor. The key to MacDonald's long running success was Archers realism and authenticity, MacDonald's ability to craft complex yet understandable stories, his mastery of language, and his ability to generate a specific atmosphere of threatening suspense on a consistent basis.All of the above referenced themes are present in The Drowning Pool, which I think is MacDonald's best novel, though The Underground Man is right up there as well.MacDonald's novels aren't just mind candy-reading him is a literary experience. I believe that is why he was successful in a sort of restrained way. Escapists will not get into these books-they are too cerebral. If you want to your books affect you, MacDonald and Archer are your kind of guy's.

Ross MacDonald is usually compared to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. However Lew Archer is never hard-bitten (despite hard-bitten experience) as Hammett and Chandler's detectives are. In Lew Archer, MacDonald creates a wholly sympathetic detective with loads of angst or emotions more akin to Dave Robicheaux (James Lee Burke's detective). That is, his life is not just something he's surviving -- he is experiencing it. There is violence, but the violence is secondary to the feelings and atmosphere of the story. It differs from an Agatha Christie mystery where you come to admire her ability to fit a plot puzzle together. With the Drowning Pool, there is more a feeling that this is a tragedy rather than a detective story. The Drowning Pool shows themes that run throughout MacDonald's mysteries -- multi-generational sins of the father being visited upon the children, sincs with long roots and branches, dysfunctional families. MacDonald's talent lies in infusing his stories with dark atmospheres that generally has not been translated well onto the silver screen. Paul Newman playing Lew Archer is much more light-hearted than the book. Melanie Griffith plays the seductive daughter in the movie. I remember the first time I saw the movie that I was surprised that Melanie's mother (whom I didn't know was Tippi Hedren at the time) would allow her 14 year old to project such sexuality. I don't think that Melanie was acting the part because she went on to live with Don Johnson shortly after the movie.

MacDonald was not only the heir to craftwork of Hammett and Chandler, he may well have brought this particular strain of crime fiction to its pinacle. This being my first MacDonald novel, I found his plot work to be intriguing yet completely coherent (sadly, I can't say that for Chandler), and his prose to be pitch - perfect. If RM had a shortcoming as a writer, it might be that his characters are a little underdeveloped. He manages to weave darker, transgressive noir themes into the story without being crude or providing shock of its own sake. I can't wait to get my hands on more of MacDonald's work!