Raymond Chandler

The Profile

Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888–1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter, creator of private detective Philip Marlowe. His landmark hardboiled novels include The Big Sleep, Farewell, My Lovely, The High Window, The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, and Playback. He also co-wrote Double Indemnity (1944) and wrote The Blue Dahlia (1946).

Born in Chicago and educated in England; returned to the U.S. and published his first story in 1933. A defining voice of hardboiled crime fiction whose influence spans literature and film noir.

Four enthusiastically positive reviews dive into Chandler’s Marlowe novels, praising the caustic wit, atmospheric Los Angeles, and moral melancholy. The Long Goodbye is highlighted as a devastating elegy to friendship and illusion. The Big Sleep is hailed for razor-sharp dialogue and cinematic clarity. The Little Sister earns renewed respect for its style and cleverly seeded resolution.