The Life of Raymond Chandler
by Frank MacShane
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Along with Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler invented the modern detective novel. He was a master of the "wise-crack" and the foremost exponent of the tough-guy school of writing. Raymond was also a writer of distinction in a field where quality was not expected. Dismissed for his unpredictable drinking habits, the mad who revealed California's seamy side in novels such as The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, and Farewell, My Lovely did not turn to fiction until the age of 44. He began with the show more pulps, and five years later tried his hand at novels. Within a few years the hero of his books, Philip Marlowe, had won a passionate international following [as] the tough but sentimental private eye. ... As Frank MacShane's entertaining biography shows, Raymond Chandler was the genuine article: a serious novelist who touched millions of readers. Drawing extensively on conversations with surviving members of the Chandler circle ... and from exclusive access to private correspondence and unpublished papers, Mr. MacShane's book is the first study of the life and times of this lively and influential literary figure. --From dust jacket. show lessTags
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I have been a bit befuddled by Chandler, finding his novels underwhelming. Reading his biography I am still befuddled by him; the biography hits home that he a literary genius and the best thing that ever happened to the mystery genre, making me feel like I should respect his work more but I still can't make the leap. But the biography brings to life a somewhat interesting person who created a larger-than-life detective, but for much of his life he was a miserable bastard and really bottomed out when his wife died, becoming infatuated with a string of women and eventually getting involved with a divorced Australian woman and paying her bills while he couldn't stand her. I suppose it is possible to be a literary genius with arch, show more penetrating takes on American life and also a dimwit in one's personal life, but it also makes me think if maybe his literary reputation is a bit overblown. show less
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