Vice, Henry James, Raymond Chandler, etc.

[Carvill John]

Foax 


I'm tuning out now for a week or so. Don't want any more anxiety of influence (or bullshit) to affect the writing of my IV review. Didn't think too much of Dugdale's Times piece, I see he's still panning ATD. That's the last review I'll read till I've written whatever I come up with.




Anyway, browsing through an old copy of Raymond Chandler's 'Speaking' - an edited selection of his letters, well worth a read in its own right - I found this quote about Hollywood, and the pros and cons of adopting the Hollywood technique of writing by dictation.....


 
"I can see where a special vice might also come out of this kind of writing [...] My revered Henry James went to pieces a bit when he began to dictate."


you can read it on google books, here (page 115 et seq):
http://books.google.com/books?id=FRPk5m7Oq9YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=raymond+chandler+speaking

A great line I fully intend to steal, regarding the need to have the murderer revealed, or a mystery solved, in a crime novel or film (but also to my mind applicable to whether or not you need a believable, 'three dimensional' character who 'grows' etc.) Chandler calls that 'the olive in the martini'.


Also just wanted to second what Doug said about Tim Ware's work on Pynchon, the wikis in particular, they're a terrific resource, and he deserves massive credit for putting in so much work. Look forward to discussing IV here, and also to the invaluable IV wiki.




Cheers


JC


_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Store, access, and share your photos. See how.
http://windowslive.com/Online/SkyDrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_CS_SD_photos_072009