The World of Raymond Chandler: In His Own Words (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

Raymond Chandler never wrote a memoir or autobiography. The closest he came to writing either was in—and around—his novels, shorts stories, and letters. There have been books that describe and evaluate Chandler’s life, but to find out what he himself felt about his life and work, Barry Day, editor of __The__ __Letters of Noël Coward__ (“There is much to dazzle here in just the way we expect . . . the book is meticulous, artfully structured—splendid” —Daniel Mendelsohn; __The New York Review of Books__), has cannily, deftly chosen from Chandler’s writing, as well as the many interviews he gave over the years as he achieved cult status, to weave together an illuminating narrative that reveals the man, the work, the worlds he created.Using Chandler’s own words as well as Day’s text, here is the life of “the man with no home,” a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, and the changing vernacular of the cultural psyche that resulted. Chandler makes clear what it is to be a writer, and in particular what it is to be a writer of “hardboiled” fiction in what was for him “another language.” Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, W. Somerset Maugham, and others (“I wish,” said Chandler, “I had one of those facile plotting brains, like Erle Gardner”).Here is Chandler’s Los Angeles (“There is a touch of the desert about everything in California,” he said, “and about the minds of the people who live here”), a city he adopted and that adopted him in the post-World War I period . . . Here is his Hollywood (“Anyone who doesn’t like Hollywood,” he said, “is either crazy or sober”) . . . He recounts his own (rocky) experiences working in the town with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others. . .We see Chandler’s alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armor who walks the “mean streets” in a world not made for knights (“If I had ever an opportunity of selecting the movie actor who would best represent Marlowe to my mind, I think it would have been Cary Grant.”) . . . Here is Chandler on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol—and loneliness) . . . and here are Chandler’s women—the Little Sisters, the “dames” in his fiction, and in his life (on writing __The Long Goodbye__, Chandler said, “I watched my wife die by half inches and I wrote the best book in my agony of that knowledge . . . I was as hollow as the places between the stars.” After her death Chandler led what he called a “posthumous life” writing fiction, but more often than not, his writing life was made up of letters written to women he barely knew.)Interwoven throughout the text are more than one hundred pictures that reveal the psyche and world of Raymond Chandler. “I have lived my whole life on the edge of nothing,” he wrote. In his own words, and with Barry Day’s commentary, we see the shape this took and the way it informed the man and his extraordinary work. When you write a novel, said Saul Bellow, you hear a voice, or more significantly, an individual tone under the words. It is more musical than verbal, and it is the characteristic signature of a person, of a soul. [Raymond Chandler] did not write about crime or detection. He wrote about the corruption of the human spirit.George V. Higgins Raymond Chandler never wrote a memoir or autobiography. The closest he came to writing either was inand aroundhis novels, shorts stories, and letters. There have been books that describe and evaluate Chandlers life, but to find out what he himself felt about his life and work, Barry Day, editor of The Letters of Nol Coward (There is much to dazzle here in just the way we expect . . . the book is meticulous, artfully structuredsplendid Daniel Mendelsohn; The New York Review of Books ), has cannily, deftly chosen from Chandlers writing, as well as the many interviews he gave over the years as he achieved cult status, to weave together an illuminating narrative that reveals the man, the work, the worlds he created. Using Chandlers own words as well as Days text, here is the life of the man with no home, a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, and the changing vernacular of the cultural psyche that resulted. Chandler makes clear what it is to be a writer, and in particular what it is to be a writer of hardboiled fiction in what was for him another language. Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, W. Somerset Maugham, and others (I wish, said Chandler, I had one of those facile plotting brains, like Erle Gardner). Here is Chandlers Los Angeles (There is a touch of the desert about everything in California, he said, and about the minds of the people who live here), a city he adopted and that adopted him in the post-World War I period . . . Here is his Hollywood (Anyone who doesnt like Hollywood, he said, is either crazy or sober) . . . He recounts his own (rocky) experiences working in the town with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others. . .We see Chandlers alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armor who walks the mean streets in a world not made for knights (If I had ever an opportunity of selecting the movie actor who would best represent Marlowe to my mind, I think it would have been Cary Grant.) . . . Here is Chandler on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcoholand loneliness) . . . and here are Chandlers womenthe Little Sisters, the dames in his fiction, and in his life (on writing The Long Goodbye , Chandler said, I watched my wife die by half inches and I wrote the best book in my agony of that knowledge . . . I was as hollow as the places between the stars. After her death Chandler led what he called a posthumous life writing fiction, but more often than not, his writing life was made up of letters written to women he barely knew.) Interwoven throughout the text are more than one hundred pictures that reveal the psyche and world of Raymond Chandler. I have lived my whole life on the edge of nothing, he wrote. In his own words, and with Barry Days commentary, we see the shape this took and the way it informed the man and his extraordinary work. Raymond Chandler never wrote a memoir or autobiography. The closest he came to writing either was in—and around—his novels, shorts stories, and letters. There have been books that describe and evaluate Chandler’s life, but to find out what he himself felt about his life and work, Barry Day, editor of The Letters of Noël Coward (“There is much to dazzle here in just the way we expect . . . the book is meticulous, artfully structured—splendid” —Daniel Mendelsohn; The New York Review of Books ), has cannily, deftly chosen from Chandler’s writing, as well as the many interviews he gave over the years as he achieved cult status, to weave together an illuminating narrative that reveals the man, the work, the worlds he created. Using Chandler’s own words as well as Day’s text, here is the life of “the man with no home,” a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, and the changing vernacular of the cultural psyche that resulted. Chandler makes clear what it is to be a writer, and in particular what it is to be a writer of “hardboiled” fiction in what was for him “another language.” Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, W. Somerset Maugham, and others (“I wish,” said Chandler, “I had one of those facile plotting brains, like Erle Gardner”). Here is Chandler’s Los Angeles (“There is a touch of the desert about everything in California,” he said, “and about the minds of the people who live here”), a city he adopted and that adopted him in the post-World War I period . . . Here is his Hollywood (“Anyone who doesn’t like Hollywood,” he said, “is either crazy or sober”) . . . He recounts his own (rocky) experiences working in the town with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others. . .We see Chandler’s alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armor who walks the “mean streets” in a world not made for knights (“If I had ever an opportunity of selecting the movie actor who would best represent Marlowe to my mind, I think it would have been Cary Grant.”) . . . Here is Chandler on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol—and loneliness) . . . and here are Chandler’s women—the Little Sisters, the “dames” in his fiction, and in his life (on writing The Long Goodbye , Chandler said, “I watched my wife die by half inches and I wrote the best book in my agony of that knowledge . . . I was as hollow as the places between the stars.” After her death Chandler led what he called a “posthumous life” writing fiction, but more often than not, his writing life was made up of letters written to women he barely knew.) Interwoven throughout the text are more than one hundred pictures that reveal the psyche and world of Raymond Chandler. “I have lived my whole life on the edge of nothing,” he wrote. In his own words, and with Barry Day’s commentary, we see the shape this took and the way it informed the man and his extraordinary work. The First Book To Give Us The Life And Times Of Raymond Chandler Through His Own Writing-from The Acclaimed Editor Of The Letters Of Noël Coward. Chandler Never Wrote An Autobiography Or A Memoir. Now Barry Day, Making Use Of Chandler's Novels, Short Stories, And Letters As Well As Day's Always Illuminating Commentary, Gives Us The Life Of The Man With No Home, A Man Precariously Balanced Between His Classical English Education With Its Immutable Values And That Of A Fast-evolving America During The Years Before The Great War, With Its Resulting Changing Vernacular. Chandler Reveals What It Was Like To Be A Writer, And In Particular What It Was To Be A Writer Of Hard-boiled Fiction In What Was For Him Another Language. Along The Way, He Discusses The Work Of His Contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Somerset Maugham, Among Others. Here Is Chandler's Los Angeles, A City He Adopted And Which Adopted Him In The Post-world War I Period ... Chandler On His Hollywood, Working With Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, And Others ... Chandler On Organized Crime And On His Alter Ego, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, The Incorruptible Knight With Little Armor Who Walks The Mean Streets In A World Not Made For Knights ... On Drinking (his Life In The End Was In A Race With Alcohol--and Loneliness) ... And Here Are Chandler's Women-the Little Sisters; The Dames-in His Fiction-and His Life-- A Man With No Home -- Writing (i): Turning Pulp Into Gold -- Philip Marlowe Investigations -- Cops...and Crime -- The City Of The Angels -- Hollywood -- Dames...the Little Sisters -- Writing (ii): Making Magic -- Envoi: A Long Goodbye...to The Big Sleep. Edited By Barry Day. Includes Index. "The first book to give us the life and times of Raymond Chandler through his own writing-from the acclaimed editor of The Letters of Noël Coward. Chandler never wrote an autobiography or a memoir. Now Barry Day, making use of Chandler's novels, short stories, and letters as well as Day's always illuminating commentary, gives us the life of "the man with no home," a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, with its resulting changing vernacular. Chandler reveals what it was like to be a writer, and in particular what it was to be a writer of "hard-boiled" fiction in what was for him "another language." Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Somerset Maugham, among others. Here is Chandler's Los Angeles, a city he adopted and which adopted him in the post-World War I period ... Chandler on his Hollywood, working with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others ... Chandler on organized crime and on his alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armor who walks the "mean streets" in a world not made for knights ... on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol-and loneliness) ... and here are Chandler's women-the Little Sisters; the dames-in his fiction-and his life"-- Provided by publisher The first book to give us the life and times of Raymond Chandler through his own writing-from the acclaimed editor of The Letters of Noel Coward. Chandler never wrote an autobiography or a memoir. Now Barry Day, making use of Chandler's novels, short stories, and letters as well as Day's always illuminating commentary, gives us the life of "the man with no home," a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, with its resulting changing vernacular. Chandler reveals what it was like to be a writer, and in particular what it was to be a writer of "hard-boiled" fiction in what was for him "another language." Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Somerset Maugham, among others. Here is Chandler's Los Angeles, a city he adopted and which adopted him in the post-World War I periodChandler on his Hollywood, working with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and othersChandler on organized crime and on his alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armor who walks the "mean streets" in a world not made for knightson drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol-and loneliness)and here are Chandler's women-the Little Sisters; the dames-in his fiction-and his life "Chandler never wrote an autobiography or a memoir. Now Barry Day, making use of Chandler's novels, short stories, and letters as well as Day's always illuminating commentary, gives us the life of "the man with no home," a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, with its resulting changing vernacular. Through his fiction and letters, brilliantly woven together, Chandler reveals what it was like to be a writer, and in particular what it was to be a writer of "hard-boiled" fiction in what was for him "another language." Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Somerset Maugham, among others. Here is Chandler's Los Angeles, a city he adopted and which adopted him in the post-World War I period ... Chandler on his Hollywood, working with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others ... Chandler ... organized crime and on his alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armour who walks the "mean streets" in a world not made for knights ... on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol--and loneliness) ... and here are Chandler's women--the Little Sisters; the dames--in his fiction--and his life"-- Provided by publisher