Raymond Chandlers Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep Essay -- Chandl

Raymond Chandler's Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep      Ã‚  Ã‚   I sat at my desk, wondering what I could possibly write about The Big Sleep. I mean, there are so many possibilities. This guy, Raymond Chandler's writing style is so different from anything I have ever read before, that there are many things that I could talk about. I heard that Chandler once said, "I live for syntax!" It does not surprise me that he would say something along those lines. I mean, this writer is all over the page with different writing techniques. Whether it is his use of similes or the lack of punctuation, Chandler's novel is easy to read, process and enjoy.    I wouldn't say that this book requires an in-depth reading to understand the plot. The style that Chandler writes in is easily understood. His narrative voice is almost what I would consider conversational. Conversational, in the sense that everyday speech is very similar to the written language of this novel; it is uncommon to write the same way that one talks. It was easy for me to hear the voices of Marlowe and Vivian in my head; I could hear the sarcastic tones of the protagonist as I read. The flow of this novel does not have the normal novelistic style that most books consist of; that is, layered, detailed and a bit wordy sometimes. It is written very much how people talk to one another. Chandler uses a lot of slang, not in conversations, but in his narrative.    In order to easily describe the way Chandler writes it is best to break down a few bits and pieces of the text. For instance, the lack of punctuation throughout Chandler's text is an example of his style. It takes a while to find a semi-colon or a colon anywhere in the novel. I have already ... ...the spice of life, is it not? Chandler is probably one of the easiest writers to remember; once you have read Chandler, it is not easy to forget the style he writes in. The story itself may be forgotten, but his language, his rhythm, his style, never is. Chandler was lucky in the sense that he was in the right place at the right time, his books became well-known and well read almost immediately after publication.    These days, it is much harder to have such an instant success as Chandler did. Chandler was lucky indeed, but it was not entirely luck that put him at the top of the lists for one of the best hard-boiled detective writers ever. His witty, charismatic style did that for him.    Works Cited    Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Vintage Books, 1996. Kemp, William. The Writing Process: Chandler 202. January 14, 1999