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Review
'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
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
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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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
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.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
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!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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 case.Recommended
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 8 months ago by M. D. Jenkins
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 14 months ago by Mr. Gribbs
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 18 months ago by Claire716
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 20 months ago by Dr. David M. Williams
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
Classic crime.
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... Read more
For some time I had been meaning to read one of his books and the opportunity presented itself quite recently... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2009 by Mr. A. M. Provasoli
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
Best book ever?
This may well be the best book I have ever read. I know of no one who uses English as well as Chandler. If there is a more noble hero I have yet to read his/her stories. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2006 by popestar
Timeless Classic Noir - A Great Book For Reluctant Readers
A murder mystery, seen through the eyes of Phillip Marlowe a private detective. The only thing is, the murder is solved, the husband did it and then killed himself. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2006 by Ardee
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