I bought a collection of four Philip Marlowe stories and read one a night for four consecutive nights. I rushed to devour each tale and then saddened to see the final page. Now I'm trying to study each one. But it's hard. Because I keep getting sucked into the story.
His style is charismatic. Here are a few samples:
- USING NEGATIVES: ...with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearing of the foothills (p. 3, The Big Sleep).
- IRONY AND HUMOR: I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it (p. 3, The Big Sleep).
- UNIQUE: I was calling on four million dollars (p. 3, The Big Sleep).
- CHOICE WORDS: ...didn't have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair (p. 3, The Big Sleep).
Wow.
And instead of kicking me out of his novels with his in-your-face style, it draws me closer. How is that?
I can only proffer one theory at the moment: sincerity. He wrote from such a depth of honesty that it has to resonate with his readers.
I want to do that.
Anyway, this is a short post today, but I hope you enjoy Raymond Chandler's words as much as I do.
Denise Barker, author + blogger + copy
editor
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