The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved

Raymond Chandler was among the most original and enduring crime novelists of the twentieth century. Yet much of his pre-writing life, including his unconventional marriage, has remained shrouded in mystery. In this compelling, wholly original book, Judith Freeman sets out to solve the puzzle of who Chandler was and how he became the writer who would create in Philip Marlowe an icon of American culture. Visiting Chandler's many homes and apartments, Freeman uncovers vestiges of the Los Angeles that was Chandler's terrain and inspiration for his imagination. She also uncovers the life of Cissy Pascal, the older, twice-divorced woman Chandler married in 1924. A revelation of a marriage that was a wellspring of need, illusion, and creativity, The Long Embrace provides us with a more complete picture of Raymond Chandler's life and art than any we have had before.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 11/11/2008
ISBN: 9781400095179
Pages: 368
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 7.98h x 5.24w x 0.77d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 12/14/2008 pg. 24