The Metaphysics of Detective Marlowe: Style, Vision, Hard-Boiled Repartee, Thugs, and Death-Dealing Damsels in Raymond Chandler's Novels

Raymond Chandler's role in the reshaping of hard-boiled literature can hardly be exaggerated. He shattered the dogmas of a genre content to be popular, and paved the way for a noble, complex and aristocratic destiny. He implemented his revolutionary vision by radical changes in style, manner, and character construction. Like his hero, Philip Marlowe, he was fascinated with the metaphysical features of existence: honor, pride, loneliness, disenchantemnet, futility, failure, horror, boredom, alienation, rebellion, fear, moral paralysis. Mircea Mihaies reexamines the major contradiction of Chandler's hero: though in the service of truth, he is often forced to realize that truth is sordid, repulsive, malicious, aggressive, and rapacious. Out of this baffling position, a new American genre and type of hero have emerged.



Author: Mircea Mihaies
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 12/20/2013
Pages: 230
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.60d
ISBN13: 9780739186572
ISBN10: 0739186574
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Mystery & Detective Fiction
- Literary Criticism | American | General

About the Author
Mircea Mihaies is professor of English and American literatures at the University of the West, Timisoara, Romania, and the director of its American studies MA program. He is a four time recipient of the prestigious Romanian Writers' Union prize for literary criticism.