Down-and-out drunk Terry Lennox has a problem: his millionaire wife is dead and he needs to get out of LA fast. So he turns to his only friend in the world: Philip Marlowe, Private Investigator. He's willing to help a man down on his luck, but later, Lennox commits suicide in Mexico and things start to turn nasty. Marlowe finds himself drawn into a sordid crowd of adulterers and alcoholics in LA's Idle Valley, where the rich are suffering one big suntanned hangover. Marlowe is sure Lennox didn't kill his wife, but how many more stiffs will turn up before he gets to the truth?
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'Anything Chandler writes about grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph '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
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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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
As the last novel about the immortal PI Philip Marlowe, "The Long Good-bye" has a lot to live up to. It delivers superbly. The story, a complex web of high society scandal and dark secrets which leads to murder and suicide, is confidently handled and plotted to perfection. Marlowe begins by helping a young drunk out of a car but events soon begin to spiral out of control. As the novel progresses, Marlowe tries to act decently in a world that refuses to play fair. However, what raises this, and most of Chandler's work, above the pulp thriller genre, is the concise and relaxed brilliance of the style and the central character.
Reading the novel is a joy: a sardonic smile or bitter laugh a constant companion. Every sentence is steeped in cool and dark humour; every page contains a witty aphorism or observation. The descriptions are economical and precise, but spiced with a spin of disappointed intelligence: more often than not Marlowe describes something as "not" like something else. This clever use of negative simile reflects the tone of the novel: dark and uncompromising about society with a pitch black sense of humour. One interesting fact is that Chandler's observations about society, and particularly American society, are as devastatingly accurate as ever. The message is clear: corruption, whether personal, social or political, is timeless.
The character of Marlowe is similarly timeless: his dry wit and bruised idealism still sympathetic and engaging. He has lost none of his appeal despite being reimagined and reivented so many times by so many writers in the last fifty years. Marlowe remains the most important and impressive protagonist in noir, and in "The Long Good-bye" Chandler confirms that he doesn't just easily attain the accolade of king of noir, he also makes a strong case to be considered among the greats of mid 20th century American literature.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had obviously heard of, but never read, Raymond Chandler.
For some time I had been meaning to read one of his books and the opportunity presented itself quite recently when Hamish Hamilton re-printed 5 of his better known novels to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.
I have now read all 5 including "The Long Good-bye".
At first I was concerned that I might find the books somewhat dated but it became clear very early on in my reading that this would not be the case.
These books are master-pieces of crime fiction and are ageless.
The topics that they deal with are just as relevant today as they were when the books were written. The characters are very realistic as is the society that they portray.
For those who enjoy the crime genre these books are a must.
For some time I had been meaning to read one of his books and the opportunity presented itself quite recently when Hamish Hamilton re-printed 5 of his better known novels to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.
I have now read all 5 including "The Long Good-bye".
At first I was concerned that I might find the books somewhat dated but it became clear very early on in my reading that this would not be the case.
These books are master-pieces of crime fiction and are ageless.
The topics that they deal with are just as relevant today as they were when the books were written. The characters are very realistic as is the society that they portray.
For those who enjoy the crime genre these books are a must.
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having picked up by chance, and really enjoyed "The Big Sleep" I subsequently bought "The Last Goodbye" - and suffice to say it absolutely blew me away. Make absolutely no mistake about it, this is a superb book.
It is as dense and complex as other comments on this page suggest. This was absolutely without question Chandlers finest hour - Marlowe was never more bitter, caustic and cynical than in this book, and Chandler finally reached his peak with his most brutal writing, which was as sparse and unadorned as you could possible wish for. He'd saved every plot twist and every scathing, bitter Marlowe put down for this, and the end result, which stinks of cigarette smoke and whiskey, is glorious.
Frankly, this is the absolute epitome of "Noir" - ice cool, dangerous and moody, and Marlowe is the finest 'anti-hero' around.
Every American crime writer to this day is still left flapping in comparison.
Buy without hesitation!
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, not great
I guess I was expecting more. Marlowe does deliver a good line here and there, but there's not much in the way of an investigation and some of the stuff he does figure out, seems... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Frank
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
For some people, the USA in the 50s was a golden age when values were simpler, the country was top dog and people believed in the 'American way'. Chandler hated it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Tony C
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb, classy detective fiction of the very best quality
I can't tell you how much I love Chandler's poetic, vivid 1940s LA, and his magnificent creation, PI Philip Marlowe, through whose eyes you see that world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Louise the book worm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Chandler Noir
"'Alcohol is like love,' he said. 'The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you just take the girls clothes off. Read more
Published 20 months ago by M. D. Jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chandler's master work
This is Chandler at his best. To me, this book isn't just a crime book, it's a meditation on the nature of friendship, loyalty, and alcoholism. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2011 by Mr. Gribbs
3.0 out of 5 stars
Product ok but not exactly what i ordered
Product will do and cant complain about delivery but wasnt stated that product cover and intro was actually different from what i believe was ordered- should be stated clearly even... Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2010 by Claire716
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read to counter long winter nights.
The theme of Raymond Chandler's novel is set in the first page;a similar vein to the opening chapters in Dashiell Hammet's novel-The Thin Man. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2010 by Dr. David M. Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!
This is classic Chandler. The characters are charming yet edgy, prone to violence and tough enough to handle it.
Published on 25 Feb 2010 by Mr. Peter T. Carr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Down these mean streets a man must go...
A crime classic,read this then read the rest of his works.Chandler has the knack of putting you in Marlowes shoes has he tries to use every instinct he has to crack this... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by John Richardson
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed with printing
I just bought the Hamish Hamilton hardcover edition of this book. Chandler's writing is excellent. The paper, however, is low quality - like a paperback - and I can't read the book... Read more
Published on 18 May 2009 by Bob
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