MobileRead Discussion: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

[CharlieBird]

I liked it better than The Big Sleep (have yet to finish it), but after about the midway point it was all downhill for me. I recall mostly having a problem comprehending the ending. Have to admit I not infrequently feel this way after finishing a mystery so that probably isn't a fault of Chandler and a reason I'm not a diehard mystery fan.

Putting it succinctly, I totally agree w/every negative mentioned so far and I'm sure with any yet to come.

I'll never know of this is the best Chandler book because I surely won't read another.
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[MickeyC]

Just finished this one. Good read but overly long getting to the point. Did like the ending.

[crich70]

I don't think you're supposed to really connect with the female characters in Chandler's books. I remember A&E had his Biography on tv some time back and one man who discussed his works said something to the effect that the women in Chandler's books are basically psychopaths. In his own life Chandler married a woman quite a bit older than he and he might have had a fear of women to an extent. He was born in 1888 remember, the end of the Victorian era. There is also the fact that "The Long Goodbye" was written during the time of his wife's last illness. So he was dealing with depression and drinking while writing.

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Eh, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I put it down a couple of times and read something else, then picked it back up. I just finished it about an hour ago.

What really struck me was that, as a woman, I didn't connect with any of the female characters AT ALL. They were just paper dolls or something. The story was pretty good, but I was handicapped by not being familiar with some of the "tough guy" lingo and the fact that this genre really isn't my cup of tea. I would have liked for Marlowe and Lennox to be friends at the end, but I really didn't expect an upbeat ending.

I doubt I'll read another Marlowe book, but I'm not sorry I read this one. It might even inspire me to do a little research on that place and time.

[Donnageddon]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Just finished this one. Good read but overly long getting to the point. Did like the ending.

I find that with Chandler, I don't worry about the end. It is all the wondrous weaving, dodging, fascinating characters, oddball scenes and vivid descriptions that capture me. His words just roll on the mind's tongue like a smokey brandy.

[GA Russell]

I've been quite busy the past couple of months, and just finished this today. I found the first 1/3 slow going, but the rest hard to put down.

Years ago I read someone say that with Chandler after you've read a book, you're still not sure who did it and what happened. In this case, it is not clear to me why Terry left the country and faked his own death. He said in the last chapter that he was in a jam, but what was the jam?

For me, Chandler is all about the mood, not the plot. That is even more true with Ross MacDonald, who wrote the same book over and over.

I have read a great many Chandler short stories since the first of the year, all of which were written before his Marlowe novels. The Long Goodbye was his last work. I was surprised that I did not find his writing much improved after twenty years in the business. I intend to continue on with his short stories and other novels in the near future.

By the way, I was surprised that here Marlowe engaged in sexual activity. I read all of Chandler's works in 1973, and I didn't recall any of that.

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by Ea

Chandler can do something special with language and writing that I don't feel has diminished at all since this was written.

I agree.

One thing I especially admire is how Chandler gets into the point-of-view character's head and tells us only what that character would notice. There's no "author intrusion", no long summaries. It's tight writing.

And, it might contribute to the "who the heck did it?" factor others have mentioned. If Marlowe doesn't care who killed the chauffeur in The Big Sleep, the reader will never find out either.