Chandler, Raymond

The Raymond Chandler Papers: Selected Letters and Nonfiction, 1909-1959

ISBN: 0871137860
New York, NY: Grove Press, 2002. First Printing. Hardcover. “In The Raymond Chandler Papers, Chandler biographers Tom Hiney and Frank MacShane bring together a new selection of his correspondence—much of it never before made public—that reveals all aspects of his powerful personality, artistic sensibility, and broad intellectual curiosity. These include such gems as a blistering critique of James M. Cain’s (1892-1977) ‘faux-naif’ hardboiled style, an analysis of the pleasures of California life and the failures of the public school system for S.J. Perelman (1904-1979), and a letter from Alfred Hitchcock [1899-1980] excoriating him for mishandling the script for Strangers on a Train” (from Front & Back Cover flaps). A volume of correspondence and related writings by the great Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), the American-British novelist and screenwriter famous for his legendary hardboiled detective fiction and his co-writing of classic films noir like Double Indemnity, featuring the alluring and lustrous Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990) as the murderous Phyllis Dietrichson. A stupendous collection from a true master of the genre. From the collection of Laurence Goldstein (1943-2023), a renowned American author, film critic, poet, editor & academician here at the University of Michigan. In the volume, we have found and have retained a few makeshift bookmarks (made of ripped bits from the end of a newspaper) evidently placed there by Goldstein; these, of course, given Goldstein’s esteem as a scholar, make this listing all the more unique. Hardcover in unclipped dust-jacket: “First American Edition,” per copyright page; First Printing, as indicated by number sequence thereon. Book in Very Fine condition with only minute-to-moderate shelf-wear, some light bumping & generally minute-to-mild rubbing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; otherwise, clean. Dust-jacket in generally strong Fine condition with only correspondent light shelf-wear, rubbing, some light bumping, & a few low visibility crease-indentations present along fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge at varying locales; otherwise, generally clean. . Very Fine / Fine. [Item #8839]

Price: $25.00