The Raymond Chandler Papers: Selected Letters and Non-fiction, 1909-1959 [Hardcover]

Raymond Chandler (Author), Tom Hiney (Editor), Frank MacShane (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2001

Raymond Chandler was the undisputed master of detective fiction, the creator of the iconic private eye Philip Marlowe and the classic novels The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye, as well as the screenwriter for such groundbreaking film noirs as Double Indemnity. But though his books sold more than six million copies and brought him worldwide fame, he remained an intensely private man throughout his life. Because he lived a quiet existence beleaguered by his wife's long illness and his own struggles with alcoholism and his personal demons, Chandler's letters were his sole line of connection to the outside world of friends, fans, publishers, and other writers. The Raymond Chandler Papers brings together a new collection of his correspondence -- much of which has never previously been made public -- revealing all aspects of the great artist's powerful personality and broad intellectual curiosity. Featuring a selection of Chandler's previously unpublished early writings -- including a gripping piece about his combat experiences in World War I -- and an abandoned profile of the infamous mobster "Lucky" Luciano, The Raymond Chandler Papers is a must-have for all true fans and an important contribution toward understanding the life and work of the enigmatic man Evelyn Waugh called "the greatest living American novelist."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chandler, author of such hard-boiled detective classics as The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye, wrote highly entertaining letters on subjects ranging from literature to Hollywood to cats letters, no question, from a poet of the mean streets and an extremely witty curmudgeon. Regarding detectives, he notes: "The real life private eye is a sleazy little judge from the Burns Agency, or a strong arm guy with no more personality than a blackjack." On publishers: "If you start talking about money, they retire coldly to their professional eminence, and if you start talking about literature, they immediately yank the dollar sign before your eyes." Hiney, author of a 1997 biography of Chandler, has gathered this collection largely from the superior The Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler (1981), edited by MacShane (who did the first full biography on Chandler in 1976). Hiney's notes presume a bit too much knowledge for a new reader (and, oddly, he seems to think that Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman were married). Previously unpublished scraps provide fresh material, and the few paragraphs about trench warfare in WWI fought by the young author and a late-life meeting with gangster "Lucky" Luciano that Chandler was too drunk to clearly recall are very nice. Reinventing such a standard author for a new century is only a matter of course; since this is Chandler's writing, quotable, funny, even hilarious comments appear on every page.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

It would be a mistake to brush this work aside as just one more collection of letters written by yet another opinionated author with a drinking problem. This slim volume packs a powerful punch! Examining the selected letters and nonfiction of Chandler (1888-1959) reveals the occasionally softer side of the man behind the hard-boiled mysteries. Readers will chuckle at Chandler's views of Hollywood, television, literary critics, dust jacket designs, and author photographs, and they will be touched by his letters to colleagues showing his compassion for his sickly wife, Cissy, his sense of loss after her death, and the disintegration that followed. Also included are a few fun letters to fans who asked him to divulge more facts about the fictional world of Philip Marlowe, such as the character's fondness for pets, his favorite movies, and the caliber of his guns. Editors Hiney (Raymond Chandler) and MacShane (ed., The Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler) have carefully selected pieces to enable diehard fans and students of literature to watch Chandler's life blossom, unfold, and collapse. Recommended for popular culture collections, this would be an ideal work for book discussion group leaders. Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib., Pinellas Park, FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press; First Edition edition (April 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871137860
• ISBN-13: 978-0871137869
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,529,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Repeat material, July 17, 2001

By 

R. E. Starke (Adelaide, South Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raymond Chandler Papers: Selected Letters and Non-fiction, 1909-1959 (Hardcover)

I was surprised that so much material from a previous collection ('Selected letters of Raymond Chandler', ed. McShane, 1981)is repeated in this book. Maybe I didn't do my homework, but I don't recall this fact being mentioned in promotions or reviews. When you're paying (as I did) [price] for a book, it's disappointing to keep coming across previously published letters. Chandler's writing is still great, but I'm sure he'd have something to say about this practice.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So good it'll make a bishop kick in a stained glass window, June 28, 2001

By 

The Sanity Inspector (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raymond Chandler Papers: Selected Letters and Non-fiction, 1909-1959 (Hardcover)

What a fun collection this is! Another book of letters by another famous author I read recently was embarrassingly boring--it never should have been printed. But Chandler's style and pithy observations make this collection a treat. Though a loner and a lush, he maintained cordial relations with his colleagues, and his comments on the passing scene are keen. From acerbic observations on life in southern California, to wry descriptions of his cat's habits, to sometimes generous and sometimes acerbic appraisals of agents, publishers, and fellow writers, his prose is absolutely sparkling.

His coverage of Oscars night in the mid-Forties for The Atlantic magazine is a masterpiece of scorn for the glitterati. Around the same time he accurately dismisses the new medium of television's supposed threat to the book industry. People who tune in to watch "fourth-rate club fighters rub noses on the ropes are not losing any time from book reading." Just as frequently, Chandler comes across as thoughtful and a good friend--not at all Marlowe-ish, though you get the feeling he could be a tough guy if need be. If you read only one book of collected letters of a famous author this year, etc.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poet Laureate of the Loner, May 24, 2001

By 

"joeccosta" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raymond Chandler Papers: Selected Letters and Non-fiction, 1909-1959 (Hardcover)

Chandler had probably never seen most of the people with whom he corresponded in his letters, but his opinions on everything from the plight of the writer in Hollywood to the merits of housecats are not only witty and memorable, but also indicate an extremely thoughtful man and first-rate analytical mind. The only problem I had with Hiney's editing is that a bit more could have been explained--although some of the context of each letter is provided, additional information would have been helpful. I believe I would have appreciated Chandler's observations even more had this been the case.