Grandfield on Chandler

I'm a relatively recent convert to Raymond Chandler: at university I studied psychology (among other things), and as part of our linguistics work we studied some of Chandler's preening, horribly self-regarding letters to a young, female admirer. These put me off him for years, until a burgeoning interest in film noir led me to his movie work, and then back to the books. I then found I had been a fool to dismiss him.

Geoff Grandfield, discussed earlier in connection with Graham Greene and Joe Simpson, has designed covers and interior illustrations for several Raymond Chandler books put out by the Folio Society in recent years. These are the justly famed novel The Big Sleep, and the story collections Blackmailers Don't Shoot and Trouble is My Business.





The covers are lovely things, simple and effective Art Deco-influenced work in black, silver, steely grey and blue that fit the period of the writing without looking remotely dated.

Here are some of the equally evocative interior illustrations--click for bigger versions.


















I only wish Folio books weren't prohibitively expensive, because they really know what they're doing; but then I guess you gots to pays for quality.