Essay Raymond Chandlers Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandlers Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep 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 Chandlers 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, Chandlers novel is easy to read, process and enjoy. I wouldnt say that this book requires an in-depth reading to understand the†¦show more content†¦In places that he could use a dash, the reader will see a comma. This is a strange style because it makes the reader think that he did not know how to use the other kinds of punctuation so he just stuck to the comma. I think that Chandler was a bit comma happy because every paragraph, consisting of about six sentences on average, probably has six or seven commas at least-thats a lot for one small paragraph! Small paragraphs are also a characteristic of Chandlers style. Not including the conversational paragraphs, I would say that Chandlers average paragraph was six sentences. The sentences say what they say; they are not long-winded, layered sentences, but quick and to the point sentences. The words in the sentences are not by any means elaborate either. It might take longer to find a word with more than two syllables than a colon! This technique is very effective to let the reader follow the plot easier; the words are not ones that an average intellectual person would stumble over. Possibly the most famous of Chandlers techniques is his use of similes. The man must eat, sleep and breathe similes because they are everywhere! If the reader were to open the book to any page, most likely there will be a simile on it. For instance, randomly opening my copy of The Big Sleep, I turn to page 81 and find this: People who spend their money for second-hand sex jags are as nervous as dowagers who cant find the restroom (81).Show MoreRelatedThe Crime On Cote Des Neiges By David Montrose952 Words   |  4 PagesSark’s wallet up to the Island in the Laurentians. We know that Teed is following a lead he found at the first crime scene because Montrose has given us that bit of information. When comparing Montrose’s work to that of Raymond Chandler’s novel and the film adaptation, The Big Sleep we can see that the narration of detective Philip Marlowe is not very telling of where the story is to go or any insight into the detectives mind. Almost as if C handler deliberately left out those clues due to the fastRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagestercets linked by common rhymes: ABA BCB CDC etc. Dante pioneered terza rima in The Divine Comedy. The form is hard to maintain in English, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Percy Bysshe Shelley’s â€Å"Ode to the West Wind.† Other Techniques Punctuation: Like syllable stresses and rhyme, punctuation marks influence the musicality of a line of poetry. * When there is a break at the end of a line denoted by a comma, period, semicolon, or other punctuation mark, that line is end-stopped