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Raymond Chandler Quotes

Powerful Raymond Chandler for Daily Growth

About Raymond Chandler

Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 25, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was a prolific American writer and screenwriter, renowned for his hard-boiled detective fiction set in the grim underbelly of post-Depression Los Angeles. Born in Chicago, Chandler spent much of his youth in England after his parents moved there when he was nine years old. He returned to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College but dropped out without graduating. His writing career began in earnest during World War I, where he worked as a military intelligence officer and produced propaganda. After the war, Chandler struggled financially, working various jobs while writing short stories for pulp magazines. It was not until 1933 that his first novel, 'The Big Sleep,' featuring his iconic character Philip Marlowe, was published. The book, praised for its crisp dialogue and intricate plotting, solidified Chandler's place as a leading figure in the hard-boiled detective genre. Chandler's works are known for their cynical, morally complex protagonists, vivid portrayals of Los Angeles, and witty, insightful dialogue. Other notable novels include 'Farewell, My Lovely' (1940) and 'The Long Goodbye' (1953). In addition to his literary work, Chandler was a screenwriter for film studios like Warner Bros., where he collaborated on films such as 'Strangers on a Train' (1951) and 'Double Indemnity' (1944). His impact on both literature and film is immeasurable, influencing writers like Ross Macdonald, Elmore Leonard, and James Ellroy. Raymond Chandler died in 1959 of a heart attack at the age of 70. Today, he remains one of the most celebrated authors of crime fiction.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption."

This quote by Raymond Chandler suggests that artistic creations have an inherent power to uplift or redeem, providing a sense of purpose, hope, or healing in some way. In essence, art has the capacity to transform and elevate human experience, offering a form of salvation or redemption from life's challenges and complexities.

"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid."

The quote by Raymond Chandler implies that one should navigate through difficult or morally questionable situations with integrity and courage. It suggests that those who are upright in character, not compromised or fearful, must venture into challenging environments and confront the gritty realities of life without losing their moral compass.

"I didn't have time to feel lucky; I was too busy feeling smart." - Philip Marlowe

This quote highlights a character, Philip Marlowe, who is known for his intelligence and intuition, often solving complex cases that others cannot. Instead of appreciating the serendipity or luck associated with uncovering solutions, he finds satisfaction in his intellect and problem-solving skills. Essentially, this quote suggests that he values his own intelligence over feelings of good fortune, as he is too engrossed in his work to acknowledge luck.

"The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter."

This quote by Raymond Chandler suggests that the less genuine or trustworthy a person is (in this case, a 'crook'), the more elaborate their speech or actions will be to distract from their true intentions or character flaws. The gaudier the patter refers to the flashy and extravagant nature of their words or behavior, intended to impress or deceive others.

"Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."

Raymond Chandler's quote underscores the idea that daydreaming or envisioning the future is an essential component of strategic thinking and goal-setting. It suggests that our dreams serve as blueprints for our aspirations, guiding us towards creating a plan to achieve them in reality. This perspective emphasizes the significance of both imagination and ambition in shaping one's life trajectory.

Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic.

- Raymond Chandler

Bad, Critical, Measured, Critic

He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food.

- Raymond Chandler

Funny, About, Looked, Slice

Woe, woe, woe... in a little while we shall all be dead. Therefore let us behave as though we were dead already.

- Raymond Chandler

Dead, Shall, Though, Woe

The law isn't justice. It's a very imperfect mechanism. If you press exactly the right buttons and are also lucky, justice may show up in the answer. A mechanism is all the law was ever intended to be.

- Raymond Chandler

Law, Lucky, Very, Imperfect

The creative artist seems to be almost the only kind of man that you could never meet on neutral ground. You can only meet him as an artist. He sees nothing objectively because his own ego is always in the foreground of every picture.

- Raymond Chandler

Artist, Own, Almost, Foreground

Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you take the girl's clothes off.

- Raymond Chandler

Love, Alcohol, Magic, First Kiss

The moment a man sets his thoughts down on paper, however secretly, he is in a sense writing for publication.

- Raymond Chandler

Thoughts, However, Sets, Publication

An age which is incapable of poetry is incapable of any kind of literature except the cleverness of a decadence.

- Raymond Chandler

Literature, Which, Decadence, Incapable

Television is just one more facet of that considerable segment of our society that never had any standard but the soft buck.

- Raymond Chandler

Television, More, Standard, Segment

It is pretty obvious that the debasement of the human mind caused by a constant flow of fraudulent advertising is no trivial thing. There is more than one way to conquer a country.

- Raymond Chandler

Mind, Country, Pretty, Flow

At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable.

- Raymond Chandler

Law, Inevitable, Half, Novels

A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled.

- Raymond Chandler

Good, Good Story, Cannot, Distilled

I do a great deal of research - particularly in the apartments of tall blondes.

- Raymond Chandler

Deal, Particularly, Blondes

She jerked away from me like a startled fawn might, if I had a startled fawn and it jerked away from me.

- Raymond Chandler

She, Away, Like, Startled

The moment a man begins to talk about technique that's proof that he is fresh out of ideas.

- Raymond Chandler

Begins, About, Technique, Fresh

Most critical writing is drivel and half of it is dishonest. It is a short cut to oblivion, anyway. Thinking in terms of ideas destroys the power to think in terms of emotions and sensations.

- Raymond Chandler

Think, Cut, Half, Oblivion

I think a man ought to get drunk at least twice a year just on principle, so he won't let himself get snotty about it.

- Raymond Chandler

Think, I Think, Principle, Ought

Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency.

- Raymond Chandler

Chess, Waste, Elaborate, Human Intelligence

Everything a writer learns about the art or craft of fiction takes just a little away from his need or desire to write at all. In the end he knows all the tricks and has nothing to say.

- Raymond Chandler

Art, Desire, Away, In The End

The challenge of screenwriting is to say much in little and then take half of that little out and still preserve an effect of leisure and natural movement.

- Raymond Chandler

Natural, Still, Half, Screenwriting

A really good detective never gets married.

- Raymond Chandler

Good, Never, Gets, Detective

From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.

- Raymond Chandler

Feet, Away, Looked, Class

She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket.

- Raymond Chandler

Smile, She, Could, Pocket

When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.

- Raymond Chandler

Door, Gun, Through, Hand

The English may not always be the best writers in the world, but they are incomparably the best dull writers.

- Raymond Chandler

World, Always, May, Dull

The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring.

- Raymond Chandler

Process, Print, Turned, Flood

When I split an infinitive, God damn it, I split it so it will stay split.

- Raymond Chandler

God, Will, Damn, Split

I guess God made Boston on a wet Sunday.

- Raymond Chandler

Boston, Made, Guess, Sunday

If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come.

- Raymond Chandler

Hollywood, Been, Had, Invited

I knew one thing: as soon as anyone said you didn't need a gun, you'd better take one along that worked.

- Raymond Chandler

Gun, Need, Knew, Worked

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