WILL UNWOUND #175: “Will’s Mystery Project – ‘Farewell My Lovely’ by Raymond Chandler”
July 17, 2010If you are going to devote your year to reading mystery books, Raymond Chandler has to get on to your nightstand sooner or later.
It’s better to get him on there sooner because he is the author who refined the rough edges of the “hard boiled” style of the early pulp stories and made noir not only a popular niche in the crime genre but one that gained a grudging recognition and then respectability from the tough to please literary critics of the 30s and 40s. Chandler is one of only two American crime writers whose works have been collected and published by the prestigious “Library of America” imprint. Dashiell Hammet is the other.
A whole host of famous mystery authors owe a big debt to Chandler for creating the iconic persona of Philip Marlowe, tough guy private detective. Mike Hammer, Lew Archer, Travis McGee, Spenser, V.I. Warshawski, Kinsey Millhone, and Easy Rawlins are all bastard children of Philip Marlowe.
Who is Philip Marlowe? Well…he’s complicated, and that’s a big part of his charm. On one level he’s the hard drinking, hard brawling, and hard womanizing cynic who has no illusions about life. On another level, he’s the cool, cocky, and flippant wise guy who often deserves the beatings he gets. On still another level, and you have to dig deep to get there, Marlowe is the modern day knight on a charger who has an unshakeable moral imperative to bring order and justice to a stubbornly resistant world.
Chandler’s greatness as an artist of the noir transcends the masterful brush strokes he used to create the dark but alluring portrait of his iconic main character. He also had skill as a pen and ink sketcher of landscapes. His delineations of the canyons and coastlines of Southern California in its unspoiled Hollywood heyday are both subtle and sharp. But portraits and landscapes are often static and boring. Chandler brought them to life with the slashing style of an abstract impressionist. Those random drippings and bold strokes of color with which he overlaid his paintings…what do they mean?
Ah, that’s where Chandler pulls in the reader. His plot lines are to say the least confusing, conflicting, and challenging…just like life. How do you make sense of it all? You don’t. You strap on your seat belt and let Chandler take you for a ride on a roller coaster that runs right through the fun house of life. Take my word for it…he will bring you back safely and you’ll be the wiser for the journey.
Farewell My Lovely had me entranced from beginning to end. For me the key to deciphering the countless clues that Chandler daubs into his plot is to always look behind the surface. This is a book in which things are not what they seem and people are not whom they seem to be. Why should they be? This is Hollywood in the 30s. All the world’s a movie sound stage, and all the men and women merely actors. Yes, in case you’re curious, Chandler tantalizingly drops in several fascinating references to Shakespeare.
So…you want some clues? Start with these: the wealthy and elegant socialite is not who she appears to be, the eccentric fortune teller is not who he appears to me, the suave murder victim is not who he appears to be, and that tough guy, pain in the ass detective…he’s not who he appears to be.
Now you’re on your own.
Farewell My Lovely is a five star masterpiece.
I know you don’t like movies, but Robert Mitchum starred in a great version of this in 1975, one of the few remakes which lives up to the original noir film versions of the 40s, and as I recall, since it has been a number of years since I’ve read the book, was quite true to the book. (Not all are: the 1936 version of The Maltese Falcon with Bette Davis is an atrocity and a real howler!)
Denise, this is a tough one. I love Chandler’s writing and I don’t want anything to spoil it. I need to think about this. I love Robert Mitchum too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Five star masterpiece.
Amen.
I’m glad you liked the Chandler. I liked
Sorry, that was abbreviated. I liked THE BIG SLEEP better, but Chandler’s fun to read. He detested Agatha Christie and most of the mystery writers working at the time.
I’ve seen the Robert Mitchum movie and I’d skip it. The Marlowe in my head was always the best one.
Beth O., I chose “Farewell” because one of the Unwinders told me that it was more polished than “Sleep.” But, there is no doubt that I am going to read ALL of his books when this project is over. Chandler is unique.
Hmmmm … another author to add to my to-read list. You make a great readers advisory librarian, Will!
Thanks, Ellen. I am truly loving this project.
Add to my to read list as well. I’ll second Ellen on saying you do great readers’ advisory. The brain is dead at the moment, due to the crazy hot weather we’ve gotten after close to a month of substantially below average temperatures.
Joan…remember, you lived in AZ.
Will, I just recalled something from a number of years ago … had someone tell me that if you wanted to be a well-rounded reader you should start with the three C’s: Cheever, Chekhov, and CHANDLER(!)
And over the years as I’ve been doing RA work with patrons, I have continued to hear people recommend Chandler, especially whenever the talk comes to mysteries (and suspense).
Lucy, all I can you is that of the mysteries I have read so far, Chandler is by far the best.
Hmmm, I’ve read The Maltese Falcon – which gets very high marks. I guess Farewell My Lovely should be added to my mental Mt. Bookpile.
Hope you’re feeling better.
Will, I can’t help but noticing – you seem to be enjoying all the mysteries you’re reading, more than you thought you would. I think you might have been a closet mystery lover all along, you just didn’t like the label! I appreciate your open mind going into this project, and your enthusiasm as you continue. I am, however, waiting for the book that only gets one star in your rating system…
Kari, You probably know the inner Will better than he does, but check out my mystery project page at http://willmanley.com/wills-favorite-quotes/ . There you will find that James Lee Burke got one star. Also…another one star coming up. Clue…think alphabetical. Guess who, Kari?
Thanks for the link to the reviews, Will. I forgot that they are all posted in one place. I found Grafton to be kind of hit or miss, hot or cold in her series. I keep reading them because my mom reads them too, and we discuss. Plus “Z” is in sight.
[...] that I bought at a used book sale declared that the author, Ross McDonald, was the true heir to Raymond Chandler, and that his detective, Lew Archer, was the bastard son of the great Philip [...]