Raymond Chandler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raymond Chandler
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Chandler c. 1943
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| Born | Raymond Thornton Chandler July 23, 1888 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1959 (aged 70) La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, San Diego, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, Essayist, Screenwriter |
| Nationality | American (1888–1907, 1956–1959) British (1907–1959) |
| Period | 1933–1959 |
| Genre | Crime fiction, suspense, hardboiled |
| Spouse |
Cissy Pascal
(m. 1924; died 1954) |
Raymond Thornton Chandler (born July 23, 1888 – died March 26, 1959) was a famous American-British writer. He wrote many exciting novels and screenplays. A screenplay is a script for a movie.
Chandler started writing detective stories when he was 44 years old. This was in 1932, during a tough time called the Great Depression. He had lost his job as an oil company executive. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", came out in 1933. It was in a popular magazine called Black Mask. These magazines were known for their thrilling stories.
His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. Raymond Chandler wrote seven novels during his life. Another book was finished by Robert B. Parker after Chandler passed away. Most of his novels were made into movies, some more than once!
Contents
The Hard-Boiled Detective Style
Raymond Chandler greatly influenced American writing. He helped create a style of detective stories called "hard-boiled" fiction. This style features tough, realistic detectives and gritty city settings. Other famous writers in this style include Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain.
Chandler's main character was a private detective named Philip Marlowe. Many people think of Philip Marlowe when they hear "private detective." Another famous detective, Sam Spade, was created by Dashiell Hammett. Both characters were played in movies by the actor Humphrey Bogart. He is often seen as the perfect Philip Marlowe.
Chandler's Best Novels
Some of Chandler's novels are considered masterpieces. These include Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The Little Sister (1949), and The Long Goodbye (1953).
The Long Goodbye was a very important book. It was seen as a serious and meaningful novel that also had a mystery. Four of his novels are on a list of the top 100 crime fiction novels ever published. This list was made by the British Crime Writers Association in 1990.
Awards and Recognition
In the year before he died, Raymond Chandler became the president of the Mystery Writers of America. This shows how respected he was in the world of mystery writing. His stories continue to be enjoyed by readers and movie watchers today.
Images for kids
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A blue plaque marks the house in Cathedral Square where Chandler stayed in Waterford, Ireland.
See also
In Spanish: Raymond Chandler para niños
