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A review by manwithanagenda
Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback / Double Indemnity (screenplay) / Selected Essays and Letters by Frank MacShane, Raymond Chandler
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reviewing the novels separately again, but will give little synopses here plus the review of the essays and 'Double Indemnity' script below.
7/25/2012 - 'The Lady in the Lake': 4 Stars
Self-referential humor and a shift in setting showcases how Chandler's style survives outside of L.A.
2/18/2013 - 'The Little Sister': 3 Stars
L.A. (and Hollywood (and, of course, Bay City)) is getting to Marlowe. Jaded and bitter, he contends with another woman with a problem who can't or won't tell him what he needs to know. A frustrated and dark book.
1/20/2011,
10/22/2013 - 'The Long Goodbye': 5 Stars
A masterpiece that holds up to a rereading.
3/30/2014 - 'Playback': 2 Stars
Underwhelming and slight. It might almost be one of the stories from volume one.
5/5/2014 - 'Double Indemnity (Screenplay)': 4 Stars
Much more like it. Two debased, star-crosseds try to cheat the system, and are no match in the end for the actuarial tables.
10/28/2014 - Selected Essays and Letters: 4 Stars
The man behind the writing comes out in essays published in 'Atlantic Monthly' and in personal notebooks about the craft of the mystery story and why author Edmund Wilson is an old woman. His letters were great fun.
See also:
'Raymond Chandler: Stories and Early Novels'
7/25/2012 - 'The Lady in the Lake': 4 Stars
Self-referential humor and a shift in setting showcases how Chandler's style survives outside of L.A.
2/18/2013 - 'The Little Sister': 3 Stars
L.A. (and Hollywood (and, of course, Bay City)) is getting to Marlowe. Jaded and bitter, he contends with another woman with a problem who can't or won't tell him what he needs to know. A frustrated and dark book.
1/20/2011,
10/22/2013 - 'The Long Goodbye': 5 Stars
A masterpiece that holds up to a rereading.
3/30/2014 - 'Playback': 2 Stars
Underwhelming and slight. It might almost be one of the stories from volume one.
5/5/2014 - 'Double Indemnity (Screenplay)': 4 Stars
Much more like it. Two debased, star-crosseds try to cheat the system, and are no match in the end for the actuarial tables.
10/28/2014 - Selected Essays and Letters: 4 Stars
The man behind the writing comes out in essays published in 'Atlantic Monthly' and in personal notebooks about the craft of the mystery story and why author Edmund Wilson is an old woman. His letters were great fun.
See also:
'Raymond Chandler: Stories and Early Novels'