Hey folks this is Justin, and this is my first blog here at Lemuria. I can’t say that I’m up on a lot of current mystery novels, but I still love the old harboiled detective stories of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. It probably comes from growing up watching lots of 40’s and 50’s noir films on the public tv station.
I am currently reading The High Window by Raymond Chandler. While Hammet had the iconic Sam Spade as his sleuth, Chandler had the equally iconic Phillip Marlowe. Chandler was a true student of the pulp detective genre, but these books step beyond the stereotypes of noir. The characters are well built and diverse. Mr. Marlowe is a character with callous and sensitivity, realism that was not typical of the masses of pulp novels produced at the time. His quick wit is as much a form of self defense as his colt 45. Chandler’s attention to detail builds a believable world of dingy offices, peeling paint, hot streets, and smoke filled rooms. His writing style is very lyrical, and figurative, but to the point-as much a character as those in the books. It was pulp for thinking readers.
One thing I appreciate about Chandler’s brand of mystery is that he doesn’t reveal the culprit secretly, early in the story, letting the reader play detective. You are forced to question the motives of every character-no one can be trusted. You can, in a strange way, count on Marlowe’s self determined moral compass. So if you’re in the mood, put on your fedora, light a cigarette, and enjoy one of the great masters of crime fiction.
-Justin
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