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The Long Good-Bye cover art

The Long Good-Bye

By: Raymond Chandler, Jeffery Deaver - introduction
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A city no worse than others, a city rich and vigorous and full of pride, a city lost and beaten and full of emptiness. It all depends on where you sit and what your own private score is. I didn't have one. I didn't care.

Down-and-out drunk Terry Lennox has a problem: his millionaire wife is dead and he needs to get out of LA fast. So he turns to his only friend in the world: private investigator Philip Marlowe. He is willing to help a man down on his luck, but later Lennox commits suicide in Mexico and things start to turn nasty. Marlowe is drawn into a sordid crowd of adulterers and alcoholics in LA's Idle Valley, where the rich are suffering one big suntanned hangover. Marlowe is sure Lennox didn't kill his wife, but how many more stiffs will turn up before he gets to the truth?

©1988 Raymond Chandler (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Chandler gave birth to a different kind of detective." (The Times)

"Chandler grips the mind from the first sentence." (Daily Telegraph)

"One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain." (Sunday Times)

What listeners say about The Long Good-Bye

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Previous reader was better.

Probably Chandler's best novel, which makes it one of the best novels of the 20th Century, but it's let down by Scott Brick's narration He has some odd mannerisms (the falling tone at the end of sentences being the most annoying but he has others) and I get the impression that he doesn't fully understand the depth of Chandler's writing. Chandler is the most poetic writer of detective fiction ever and Marlowe is a knight errant in a modern setting but Mr Brick doesn't seem to be able to reflect that.
The previous reader had a genuine understanding of the hard-boiled style and lyricism needed to read Chandler, I have no idea why they swapped readers.
That said this is still a great listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good Story, but a bit too long

Overall I suppose the story was entertaining, but for me it lacked something. Maybe it was too drawn out. Or maybe there wasn’t the murder mystery one might have expected after a novel like The Big Sleep. Or maybe the plot is just showing it’s age, and was a little obvious in parts. Whatever it was, for me, the story wasn’t as good as some of Chandlers’ earlier novels.

Having said all that it’s still a great book, and worth getting especially if the genre is to you taste.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good performance - lose the music

I’ve been reading, watching and listening to Raymond Chandler’s writing for fifty years - and his style never gets old. This is a good performance - with one minor grouse. They have, for some reason, decided to end each chapter with some schmaltzy muted-trumpet music. It doesn’t need it. I found it irritating.
Otherwise, good value…

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

at last an unabridged (as far as I could tell) narration of a brilliant novel

the music between chapters was a little cheesy but that is being picky

I rationed the chapters to make it last longer

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great narration of a classic.

listened to nearly all of the Raymond Chandler books with Scott Bricks narration. I really enjoy them, very atmospheric and will return to them over and over again.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

an interesting portrait of late '50s Californian life.

interesting story, if a little over extended and laboured in places. Scott Brick, a talented narrator, made the best of the dialogue, but slightly over-egged. worth the read though. Dasheil Hammet a better read generally. one credit well spent though.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Intrusive music

Unfortunately at the end of every chapter there is a brief blast of intrusive music at a volume higher than the narrative, for me that is a big negative. It shouldn't be too difficult to change this, we all know the difference between a radio play and an audiobook so don't try and style it out and make something of a weird cross genre experiment., it's just not required or conventional.

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