Weird

NOIRTRASH

Literotica Guru
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Aug 22, 2015
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I've read THE LONG GOODBYE of Raymond Chandler twice. But the 3rd time is like a book I never read before. All start the same but now its different. Very different.
 
Mystery solved maybe.

Chandler re-wrote 200 pages of THE LONG GOODBYE. I may have an original and the re-write. The re-write seems much improved tho Chandler is never bad. THE LONG GOODBYE is reputed to be Chandlers effort to elevate noir to literature. Its his last book not counting the unfinished POODLE SPRINGS.
 
I read the 200 page re-write to a section I recall well. The re-write is significantly better than the original. I use SIGNIFICAN's science meaning of ALL MUST AGREE EXCEPT FOR PILLETTE. The difference is, in the original Philip Marlowe goes on a quest to find a missing friend, and in the re-write Marlowe goes to jail charged with FELONY ACCOMPLIS to murder. The book features other quests, so Chandler likely pared one quest from the manuscript.

Those familiar with Chandler know he assembled novels like Detroit makes cars. His novels are made from stand alone novella mated to a common chassis. I imagine the re-write existed as an unpublished novella already. And his openings and endings work well with all kinds of changes in the middle. Almost anything fits between the bumpers. Chandler was a screenwriter, and his novels are like movies. Oddly, he never learned to assemble short stories the same, and his short stories are mediocre (except for a horror story called PROFESSOR BONGO'S SNUFF).
 
Did NOT know there was a re-write.

Correction, might have known when I was sixteen and a living genius. God, the stuff you relegate to the back-benches because you foolishly go along with the crap of the adult human population when you are a working adult!

Bad idea. Any kids around here - never take the bulk of adults seriously or at their word. I only ever met as many as I could count on one hand that were truly smart.
 
Did NOT know there was a re-write.

Correction, might have known when I was sixteen and a living genius. God, the stuff you relegate to the back-benches because you foolishly go along with the crap of the adult human population when you are a working adult!

Bad idea. Any kids around here - never take the bulk of adults seriously or at their word. I only ever met as many as I could count on one hand that were truly smart.

I read the original, and am reading the re-write. After a few pages I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore. In the original Marlowe drives Terry to Mexico, to escape arrest for murder. Then Marlowe returns to mexico to bring Terry back but finds Terry dead. The cops remain ignorant of Marlowe's involvement. Marlowe then tries to identify Terrys killer. In the re-write Marlowe is arrested as an accomplish and jailed until Terry is found, dead, with a suicide note. Marlowe is re4leased and hired to find a missing actor.
 
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