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7/16/2025, 3:15:47 PM
>>24554902
After Hammett the next big name is of course Raymond Chandler. Like Hammett, he first wrote a bunch of short stories (of varying quality) and later stitched them together, rewriting and expanding, to make novels. All these novels are narrated by Philip Marlowe, the quintessential wise-cracking, world-weary but idealistic P.I. whom everyone has copied ever since:
— The Big Sleep (1939)
One of the best so you might as well start with it. It only becomes clear towards the end what the most important murder really was.
— Farewell, My Lovely (1940)
Roughly on a par with TBS. Not really a murder mystery, but never mind. Giant not-entirely-unlikeable tough guy just out of prison is hunting for his old girlfriend. She’s moved on; it can’t end well.
— The High Window (1942)
Definitely weaker. Girl has traumatic memory, but what really happened? (In several letters Chandler said he was worried about the lack of action, but felt he had to follow where the story went.)
— The Lady in the Lake (1943)
Better than THW but slightly below FML in my opinion. Woman runs away from husband, woman is found drowned in lake, is it same woman, what's going on?
— The Little Sister (1949)
This one is pretty good although you have no idea what is going on at any point. Hollywood milieu. Shy small-town girl is worried about her black-sheep photographer brother with a penchant for blackmail.. BONUS: includes a great sexy evil woman. We like evil women. She's not even really that evil.
-— The Long Goodbye (1953)
Many people's favourite. The longest, the coolest. Marlowe befriends oddball drunk traumatized war veteran married to a rich slut. Drunk kills wife (or did he?) and Marlowe (who doesn't think he did) helps him flee to Mexico. Enter an alcoholic writer and his 11/10 blonde wife. It's all the Chandler tropes turned up to eleven. Also it's about masculine friendship. What things can it survive; what things kill it?
— Playback (1958)
Much weaker (Chandler was old and sick by this point). Some decent moments but it’s only for the completionists really.
After Hammett the next big name is of course Raymond Chandler. Like Hammett, he first wrote a bunch of short stories (of varying quality) and later stitched them together, rewriting and expanding, to make novels. All these novels are narrated by Philip Marlowe, the quintessential wise-cracking, world-weary but idealistic P.I. whom everyone has copied ever since:
— The Big Sleep (1939)
One of the best so you might as well start with it. It only becomes clear towards the end what the most important murder really was.
— Farewell, My Lovely (1940)
Roughly on a par with TBS. Not really a murder mystery, but never mind. Giant not-entirely-unlikeable tough guy just out of prison is hunting for his old girlfriend. She’s moved on; it can’t end well.
— The High Window (1942)
Definitely weaker. Girl has traumatic memory, but what really happened? (In several letters Chandler said he was worried about the lack of action, but felt he had to follow where the story went.)
— The Lady in the Lake (1943)
Better than THW but slightly below FML in my opinion. Woman runs away from husband, woman is found drowned in lake, is it same woman, what's going on?
— The Little Sister (1949)
This one is pretty good although you have no idea what is going on at any point. Hollywood milieu. Shy small-town girl is worried about her black-sheep photographer brother with a penchant for blackmail.. BONUS: includes a great sexy evil woman. We like evil women. She's not even really that evil.
-— The Long Goodbye (1953)
Many people's favourite. The longest, the coolest. Marlowe befriends oddball drunk traumatized war veteran married to a rich slut. Drunk kills wife (or did he?) and Marlowe (who doesn't think he did) helps him flee to Mexico. Enter an alcoholic writer and his 11/10 blonde wife. It's all the Chandler tropes turned up to eleven. Also it's about masculine friendship. What things can it survive; what things kill it?
— Playback (1958)
Much weaker (Chandler was old and sick by this point). Some decent moments but it’s only for the completionists really.
6/21/2025, 6:30:51 PM
What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a high hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell.
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