Sat, 29 Sep 2007
Raymond Chandler
Having got through a few Hiaasen books during the summer, we followed
up with a few more of Raymond Chandler. While comparisons might be odious,
it is a little inevitable that they might be made in such circumstances
and in comparison to Chandler, Hiaasen seems cartoonish and rather lacking
in plot originality after a few reads... or rather, we have a lot of the
same plot - evil politicians and developers seek to massacre yet more of
Florida and are fittingly exterminated in gross ways by somewhat eccentric
forces. The cartoonishness is, of course, one of the likable things
about the books.
Raymond Chandler is a different kettle of fish altogether. Born in the
US, educated in England (Dulwich College), he came third in the Civil
Service exam, worked at the Admiralty for a year, wrote poetry, went back
to the US, served in WWI with Canadian forces, and then ended up in LA.
After some problems with alcohol (which continued) he took up writing
crime novels and his first was The Big Sleep, which like many of his books,
was made into a film.
Dashiell Hammett was said to be the inspiration for his writing style
but Chandler added quite a lot of his own to the so-called hardboiled
style. There is poetry in his loving descriptions of LA in the 30's and
40's and his main hero, Philip Marlowe, is a likable laconic who pursues
truth whatever the cost, and has frequent doomed romances while pouring
hmself endless drinks.
The plots are also suitably and enjoyably devious. All of this adds up
to some pleasant reading. If you happen to be from LA and are somewhere
else, Chandler will make you homesick for the place and for another time.
The fact that these books have migrated from
the Crime sections of bookshops to the Literature section says something
about the regard he's currently held in.
Vintage Books publish a nice range of Raymond Chandler in better than
average quality paperback form. We liked best The Big Sleep and The Long
Goodbye.
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pre Dec 04 reviews are here