The Long Goodbye (edit title)

• Rated 5 stars

“With each Marlowe book, we see the character mature. This book is Chandler at his disillusioned/hopeful best. I personally divide the Marlowe timeline into 3 (very general) categories: Tough and cynical - the best being Farewell, my Lovely; Disturbed, burnt-out and complex - culminating into Long Goodbye; And in the end-simply burnt-out and begining a sentimental romance in earnest. Maybe he echoed the life and times of his creator. But in Long Goodbye, Chandler brought all that latent potpurri of slime, honour, back-street torpedoes and their lingo and the complex character traits of Marlowe (anger, hope, sentimentality, strength and above all, integrity) out into the open and lay bare his heart. The landscape is painted with subtle and not-so-subtle references to Eliot's Waste Landand the dream of a Utopia is to be arrived at by following a path beyond good and evil. This book is Chandler at his blinding best..!!!!”

• Rated 5 stars

“THE Private Eye "Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid? The detective must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor. He talks as the man of his age talks, that is, with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness." — Raymond Chandler from ‘The Simple Art of Murder’ (an essay) Philip Marlowe is cult pulp fiction at its best. His characters are intertwined and Marlowe deals with all of ‘em with his cool temperament and a style that can be created only by Raymond Chandler. Raymond’s stories may not be as complex and extraordinary as those of established genius detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Poirot. But his tales have emotions and noir elements that are instantly attractive and captivating. The friend who is dead, the rich woman’s known escapades, the drunk author, the rich reclusive father-in-law to the dead friend, the various characters that hit Marlowe and us in a well-crafted detective fiction is beautiful and worthy or re-reading just to relive the moments described so wonderfully. This was the first Chandler fiction I read and have now collected a few others as well. These are a prized collection from an author who has class, style and worldly wit. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“See http://tinyurl.com/yoehsz”

• Rated 5 stars

“More on Chandler in my review of the Big Sleep, but this one's particularly good if you need a recipe for a gimlet... Also the Robert Altman film's great even though it completely changes the plot....”