EVE. By James Hadley Chase

'EVE' is one of the most famous and controversial books published by James Hadley Chase. The book has been made into movies, and reviewed in manifold fashion all over the world. Here, two of this blog's contributors, reveal their perspectives on this powerful 'psychological' work...

This novel features a "wanton" woman (Eve) who has no scruples, no alleged heart of gold, as she sells herself to diverse men to survive. Clive, the main male protagonist here becomes obsessed with her, and his "successful" life is ruined in the end. Yet Clive himself is a fraud, his success anchored on the creative genius of another man. Clive passes himself off as a resourceful, fine playwright, but he has actually stolen the work of someone else. And Clive shows in this book that he is not only vain and shallow, he is a fool. His preference of Eve to the superb Carol is one evidence of his idiocy.

Mr Gold, a very important Hollywood personality, is spot on with his assessment of Clive: "I am surprised that Carol has fallen in love with anyone quite so worthless as you... you are not only a bad writer with no future, but you are also an exceedingly unpleasant character... you have actually been stupid and weak enough to let this woman (Eve) infatuate you. Surely there can be no better example of spineless degeneracy than that? ..."

And at the end, Clive receives a horrific beating at the hands of  Eve! "There was no escape from that whistling thong that cut at me with white-hot streaks of pain" . This seems like a symbolic punitive atonement for Clive's misdeeds, his shallowness, and idiocy. He deservedly loses it all. 

-          Paul Lothane

-------------------------------------------------------------

I have noted before in my other reviews' of Chases books how he loves to create larger than life women who of course destroy the lives of hapless men. Yet at the same time, the author hardly gives us convincing physical  descriptions of such women who one would expect to be irresistible beauties. Here is how he describes the "magnetic" Eve here: "It wasn't that she was pretty. She was, if anything plain,  but there was something magnetic about her... just to look at her was like getting a jolt of electricity " And as the story goes on we see that Eve is selfish, very dishonest, calculating and callous. And a prostitute.

So one wonders what her irresistible attractions are. One would expect that if a woman is physically plain, one might be attracted to her by other qualities, maybe decency, being friendly and nice, considerate and kind etc...but the fact is that Eve is thoroughly bad and cold. She is even quite filthy, as the "hero", Clive Thurston testifies. Yet he continues to be crazy over her, happily ruining his own life in the process.

It might well be that the author (judging from his books) really believed that men can be so daft, but for me his approach does not ring true. The simple truth is that the way Eve is presented in this book, she is unattractive, almost repulsive, someone to avoid. Yet the men keep on going back to her, especially our Clive. Daft, daft.

-          Lupna Avery