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Farewell, My Lovely [Paperback]

Raymond Chandler , Colin Dexter
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Book Description

28 Oct 2010

Farewell, My Lovely is a classic novel by Raymond Chandler, the master of hard-boiled crime.

Eight years ago Moose Malloy and cute little redhead Velma were getting married - until someone framed Malloy for armed robbery. Now his stretch is up and he wants Velma back. PI Philip Marlow meets Malloy one hot day in Hollywood and, out of the generosity of his jaded heart, agrees to help him. Dragged from one smoky bar to another, Marlowe's search for Velma turns up plenty of dangerous gangsters with a nasty habit of shooting first and talking later. And soon what started as a search for a missing person becomes a matter of life and death . . .

'Anything Chandler writes about grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph

'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times

'Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as Sherlock Holmes' Anthony Burgess

Best-known as the creator of the original private eye, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago in 1888 and died in 1959. Many of his books have been adapted for the screen, and he is widely regarded as one of the very greatest writers of detective fiction. His books include The Big Sleep, The Little Sister, Farewell, My Lovely, The Long Good-bye, The Lady in the Lake, Playback, Killer in the Rain, The High Window and Trouble is My Business.


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Farewell, My Lovely + The Long Good-bye + The Big Sleep: An Philip Marlowe Mystery
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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; Re-issue edition (28 Oct 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0241954355
  • ISBN-13: 978-0241954355
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 49,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

'One of the greatest crime writers, who set the standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times 'Chandler wrote like a slumming angel and invested the sun-blinded streets of Los Angeles with a romantic presence' - Ross MacDonald 'Anything Chandler writes about grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Best-known as the creator of the original private eye, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago in 1888 and died in 1959. Many of his books have been adapted for the screen, and he is widely regarded as one of the very greatest writers of detective fiction. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
farewell my lovely is a superb example of Chandlers works showing that his use of dialogue coupled with his use of first person narrative creates an atmosphere that draws you in and won't let you go . The story itself is enough to keep the reader interested and so it is not surprising that this tail of a missing girl who has disapeared without a trace and one mans search for her can compell you to just keep on reading, I myself was late for work because of it. I think that the main appeal of this book is that it was written some sixty years ago and yet is still capturing peoples imaginations and still has an apeal that can't quite be fully explained, the style is serious dealing with race issues displaying the American polices indifference towards Blacks at the time (late 1930s) and humorous at the same purely because the mian character in this, and many other Chandler stories, Phillip Marlowe, has some superb lines that will make you smile if not laugh out loud. The dialogue is just perfect the banter the narrative and the serious investigative side of it all seeming to show that Chandler has thought alot about what the actual content of the book would be, rather than relying entirely on the story to sell itelf. This book covers alot of ground including many plot twists but still doesn't seem far fetched or ridiculous in fact it is a better book because of the plot complications . All in all one of the best books i have ever read.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars classical black series 17 May 2006
By RAMON
Format:Paperback
This is my first Marlow novel. I cherish its rememberance. I read it when I was about 15 and came like a blow in the stomach. Then I read all Marlow novels in a row.

Marlow is hired to protect a man while he perfoms some business. The man is killed and Marlow begins to investigate. It contains all the good topics of the black series: a honest, tough detective, beautiful gals, tough policemen, dirty politics, runaway gangsters...

This is a detection novel, but also - like good detective novels like Maigret, Waallander, Hammet - a social satire, a raw criticism of USA society and particularly of the affluent, rich, care-for-nothing upper class. The power of money can deform everybody, and little hope is there for the innocent or honest. Morality is nowhere to be found but in some obscure detective, some bitter police officers who cannot do anything about it.

But what I liked best was the clever dialoges, the witty conversation, the inteligent twists in the plot, which takes a new turn in every chapter. In the end, it was not so complicated. It was only a woman and a lot of money. But brother, it was worth the trouble.

In the end, love will take a rush at saving if only poetically those who are foolish enough to belive in love.

Worth the time.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely is Right 30 April 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I don't read a lot of thrillers and this is the first Chandler I've read. As many have said before, this is a step and a half above your average good thriller, the reason being the wit and intelligence of the prose, the elegance of the descriptions and the understanding of character which is compassionate, passionate and cynical all at the same time.

His flip one-liners aren't just clever, but oil the wheels of the plot. Some of the references I couldn't understand, they belong to the period or the locality, but the plot moves along because the characters find common ground by means of their expressions in the shifting sands of what is acceptable and what is not in the way of behaviour.

Another thing is that reading this is a bit like watching a film, Los Angeles comes to life before your eyes.

On the downside there's a slight sense of not looking very far beneath the surface, it would slow the book down.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Moose Malloy is out of the slammer 14 Sep 2009
By Eileen Shaw TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
The wonderfully gritty language and menacing atmosphere of any Chandler novel is ever-present in this deep-noir adventure, to immediately grip the reader and dazzle her on every page. Characters come with a sizzling edge of hyper-reality - dames, dicks, shysters and poodles in a litany of love for the reeking underworld of Los Angeles in its heyday.

On a nothing of a job, Marlowe gets caught up with a brute in love - Moose Molloy is out of the slammer and looking for his lady, Velma. But Velma doesn't want to be found and the trail Marlowe is accidentally forced to follow runs cold before taking a distinctly dangerous angle.

As always the plot is labyrinthine and unguessable until well-over halfway through, but it's the wisecracks that make it all worth while as Chandler takes us on a thrill-packed roller-coaster ride, complete with enough twists, tunnels, and turns to satisfy any reader. But it is in the quieter moments of meditation that come with a high literary value that Chandler reveals a poetic sensibility and intelligence that might suggest he is wasted on crime. I would argue, however, (and many critics would agree with me) that it is also here that we find the crossover abilities that put his merit too high for any banal classification. Chandler is always more than just a crime writer. Reading his work is always pure, unalloyed pleasure.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sticks out like a tarantula on angel food 9 Jun 2011
By Officer Dibble VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
And you think 'The Big Sleep' is complicated? I dont know what is happening in the plot of this novel but, after a while, who cares anyway? Marlowe wisecracks his way around late 1930's Los Angeles taking a succession of sappings, druggings, pistol-whippings whilst consuming gallons of hard liqour.

There are five expositions of the plot before a befuddled Anne Riordan accuses Marlowe of 'guesswork'. Some of the one-liners and dialogue are just priceless. Of the gorgeous Mrs Grayle he says, 'she gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket' before topping it with, 'Whatever you needed, wherever you happened to be - she had it'.

Other reviewers rate this as Chandler's finest but I have reservations. Occasionally, the wisecracking is almost intrusive, 'I know I talk too smart' and even Grayle admonishes with, '..this isn't a bunch of gag lines , Mr Marlowe'. I feel guilty saying it, but at times 'Dead Men Dont Wear Plaid' flashed before me!Such reservations are akin to a speck of dust on the Crown Jewels.

Be aware that the novel has some unpleasant baggage, as various nasty prejudices are stridently espoused. Chandler cannot resist some nods to the detective novel genre (Sherlock, Philo Vance and Dr. Fell) as well as giving Ernest Hemingway a right kicking.

It's dark, corrupt and hard-boiled, yet it sparkles with wit and is beautifully paced.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Detective Story
Always like this authors novels and can recommend them if you like crime with L A based detective.Will be buying more of them.
Published 1 month ago by E.Dollery
3.0 out of 5 stars GOOD BUT GETS OVER COMPLICATED
This book is a good rather than a great read. The story got a little over complicated as Chandler tries to tie in and link too many threads - all connected to the gigantic villain... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Rocke Harder
5.0 out of 5 stars Farewell,My Lovely
This item was bought as a present. It arrived quickly and was in good condition as described in the product information.
Published 13 months ago by nic31
5.0 out of 5 stars Searching for Velma
Farewell My Lovely is perhaps my favourite of all Raymond Chandler's books, although he was not a prolific author and there aren't too many to choose from. Read more
Published 14 months ago by T. Bently
5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless!
With thousands of crime thrillers to choose from, I was a little apprehensive about reading one written over 70 years ago; but this is a true classic. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Jonisuncle
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT STORY BUT DON'T BUY THIS EDITION!
DO NOT BUY THIS TITLE!!!

Classic Raymond Chandler novel, great read.

Don't make the same mistake I made and buy this edition - search for the Big Sleep and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Blinkinmarvellous
5.0 out of 5 stars More hardboiled
More Raymond Chandler and his PI Philip Marlowe - and they get better. I've read four of them now. With this book I think Chandler really gets into his stride, his lead character... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2011 by Mr. Gribbs
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Classic Chandler
"'Cute little redhead,' she said slowly and thickly. 'Yeah, I remember her. Song and dance. Nice legs and generous with 'em. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2011 by M. D. Jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Tough, gritty detective book
Raymond Chandler has written one of the greatest noir novels ever. A dark mystery story with so many intriguing characters. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2011 by Sean Wilson-blake
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding dialogue and description
I often wonder if Chandler ever structured the plot before he started. He wrote a lot of short stories for the pulps before he moved on to novels. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2008 by Peter Wade
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