If I were to describe “Come Easy – Go Easy” in general, I would say it is a typical American thriller with plenty of action, violence, and a focus on the pursuit of money along with the depiction of the worst aspects of human character. In my view, this story was crafted with the intention of generating commercial profit for the author. Consequently, writing an essay on “Come Easy – Go Easy” presents a minor challenge as it fails to present any significant or thought-provoking questions for the reader to ponder, nor does it provide any means of resolving them. However, given that my task is to write an essay on it, I will make my best attempt.
Chet, an employee of “Lawrence Safes,” was responsible for installing and repairing safes. This allowed him to gain the skills to open almost any safe. One day, Chet was called to repair a safe owned by a wealthy man named Henry Cooper. While working on the safe, Chet noticed a large sum of money inside. This sparked a desire for wealth in Chet’s mind. He shared his discovery with his longtime friend, Roy Tracey, and together they hatched a plan to rob Cooper’s place.
Unfortunately, this careless plan did not go well and the guys were caught in the act. Henry Cooper unexpectedly returned home. Regrettably, Roy had no choice but to murder the man in order to escape from the police, which he successfully managed to do. However, Chet was not as fortunate. He was mistakenly accused of attempting to rob the house and commit premeditated murder. As a result, Chet received a sentence of 10 years in the Farnworth Prison Camp. Upon arriving at the prison, Chet quickly realized that the individuals surrounding him barely resembled human beings.
The prison officials’ main goal was to maximize the prisoners’ suffering, with aggressive and hungry dogs monitoring them at night. Chet, unwilling to endure a lifetime of agony in that dreadful location, devised and eventually executed an escape plan from Farnworth, becoming the pioneer in doing so. Afterward, Chet faced the challenge of either finding a secure refuge beyond the authorities’ grasp or managing to leave the country. However, given the circumstances, achieving either option proved exceedingly difficult if not impossible.
Chet did not have any identification documents or money. However, he possessed a strong will to survive and would rather die than return to the Prison Camp. In Oakland, Chet encountered a middle-aged man named Carl Jenson. Introducing himself as Jack Patmore, Chet asked Carl to give him a ride to Tropica Springs. Their journey took them through the mountains, and as they traveled, Chet learned that Carl and his wife Lola owned a filling station with a small café.
The location known as “The Point Of No Return” was the final stop for travelers before reaching Tropica Springs, situated deep in the mountains. At the conclusion of their journey, Carl presented Chet with a job offer at his gas station. This remote location amidst the mountains proved to be an ideal fit for Chet, prompting him to accept the offer. Within “The Point Of No Return,” Chet encountered Lola, the wife of Jenson, who captivated him with her exceptional beauty. Chet’s infatuation nearly led to love; however, Lola revealed her true nature – one characterized by greediness and relentless cruelty. Her cunning abilities allowed her to go to any lengths in pursuit of wealth.
Once, a newspaper with Chet’s picture and a reference to him being searched by the police, was found at the station. Lola, recognizing Chet, started blackmailing him to open her husband’s safe and steal his money. Chet had no choice but to agree, waiting for Carl to leave for the city on business. He attempted to keep his promise, but while he was opening the safe, Carl unexpectedly returned and caught him in the bungalow. At that moment, Lola entered the bungalow holding a gun.
She killed her husband and was likely planning to do the same to Chet, but he managed to close the safe’s door in time. Lola halted her actions because Chet was the only person nearby who could open the safe, and she needed the money. They both buried Carl and lived together for five weeks, avoiding interaction. They continued running the business to avoid suspicion. However, Chet found Lola very attractive and she was aware of it. Once, she entered his bedroom at night, proposing they stop their enmity. She managed to captivate Chet, but the strangest part was that he recognized it and fully agreed with reality.
Guys lived together for a few months until one guy named Roy Tracey, who was Chet’s friend and partner, came to their place. Roy was sent by “Lawrence Safes” to travel across the country and offer new models of Lawrence safes to their previous clients. Chet was thrilled to see his old friend. As a couple, Lola and Chet suggested that Roy stay at their place and work as a hired hand, just like the offer Carl Jenson had previously made to Chet. Roy accepted the offer. However, Lola underwent a significant change after Roy’s arrival. She realized that this new guy could potentially open her husband’s safe.
So Chet’s loss of interest in Lola proved to him that her feelings were all a ruse, designed to make him open the safe. Meanwhile, Lola and Roy were in the city on business when Chet was attacked. Criminals came to “The Point Of No Return” and shot Chet, possibly stealing all the cash from the station. Lola and Roy discovered Chet wounded and Roy did everything he could to save his friend’s life, taking care of him until he improved. The situation was now balanced.
While Chet was wounded and lying in bed, Lola attempted to seduce Roy in order to convince him to open the safe. Chet knew that money was Roy’s weakness, and if Lola told him that there were one hundred thousand dollars in the safe, he would undoubtedly open it. Chet warned his friend that Lola planned to kill them both once her demand was met. The situation unfolded almost as predicted, except for the fact that Roy was prepared for Lola’s intentions. Instead of becoming a victim, he became the murderer. Despite his injuries and great efforts to reach the bungalow and warn/save his friend, Chet stumbled into the room.
Witnessing Lola’s murder and finding her lifeless body on the floor, Roy was preoccupied with opening the safe. Despite being grateful for the important notification from his friend, Chet was taken aback when he heard about the imminent arrival of the police and urgently insisted on leaving. In a moment of selfishness, Roy disregarded Chet’s pleas and prioritized money over their safety. He coldly declared that since Chet claimed they were even, he would go alone, leaving no room for him. Departing with the stolen money, Roy left Chet wounded in an armchair contemplating who would find him and how long it would take for the police to arrive. Hoping for death to come before its inevitable arrival, Chet pondered James Chase’s exploration of fate in this story. Throughout the book, it becomes apparent that regardless of what choices the protagonist makes, his tragic destiny always catches up with him. From his ill-fated attempt to rob Henry Cooper’s house to an unjust sentence and a relationship with a cruel and greedy woman leading to Carl Jenson’s death, ultimately it was Roy Tracey’s appearance in “The Point Of No Return” that sealed Chet’s tragic demise.
Despite Chet’s occasional mild and indecisive nature, I believe he is a well-grounded individual who did not engage in deeply immoral actions. He never killed anyone or betrayed his friend, although he contemplated the latter and believed it would have been justified if he had done so. Ultimately, Chet prioritized his old close friend’s freedom and happiness over his own.
I believe that making such a decision required a significant amount of determination, accountability, and commitment. Regrettably, I must state that Roy lacked the capability or simply had no desire to respond to his friend in an honorable way. It is easier to abandon an injured and defenseless man in a house with a murdered woman and an open safe, then wait for the police to arrive while taking one hundred thousand dollars along. Conversely, it is more difficult to care for this man and share the money with him, which would entail risking exposure to potential prosecution and incarceration.
I believe that Roy’s decision, as well as Chet’s overall life following the failed robbery attempt at Henry Cooper’s house, was a consequence of his actions throughout the story. Additionally, another factor contributing to the tragic demise of this character in the book was his reckless and consuming love for Lola, a woman who justified any means in her pursuit of wealth. James Chase vividly portrays in Chet and Lola’s relationship, as well as Lola’s marriage, how powerless a man can become when under the control of a woman.
Through her cunning and allure, she is able to manipulate him without resorting to threats or violence. This highlights a prevalent problem in contemporary society – the exploitation of individuals for personal gain or financial advantage. The circumstances of Lola and Chet serve as an example of how one can easily achieve their goals by manipulating the emotions of others. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to distinguish genuine expressions of love, sympathy, friendship, or respect from mere pretenses.
And, in my opinion, the author’s book highlights the significance of cold calculation in contemporary life situations compared to the expression of true feelings. Tragically, even the most admirable characters in the story meet their demise. Lola, the cruelest individual in the book, also faces a violent death at the hands of another person who embodies negative character traits. Compared to Lola, Roy is not as malicious but turns out to be spiteful.
So, the good is not in a advantageous position in this story. I believe that the triumph of evil over good is another aspect of the “Come Easy – Go Easy” theme worth noting. This sets it apart from many other books that have happy endings. In this story, there is a greater amount of sorrow than happiness. It illustrates how greed can destroy passion and genuine emotions, how a peaceful life can be disrupted by indifference and cruelty, and how the desire for money and easy gains can overcome long-standing friendships.
The book I read was written by American author James Hadley Chase and it truly captures the essence of American culture. It has a fantastical element that is almost overwhelming. The main character’s destiny is filled with tragedy, including unbelievable events like robbery, unjust imprisonment, an improbable prison escape, murder, uncontrollable passion, greed, and ultimately betrayal leading to death. It’s difficult to imagine the average person enduring such a tumultuous life without going mad or crumbling under such misfortune.
Personally, I do not enjoy these types of books as they lack the ability to provoke new perspectives or introduce unfamiliar ideas. Furthermore, they do not leave a lasting impression and often conform to the predictable formula seen in other contemporary American detective stories. These similarities in plot and themes can be easily found in mediocre American action films on television. Despite having no prior knowledge of its content, I must admit that I regret reading this specific book.
