<<to reiterate, i would appreciate hearing anything you
can tell me about the differences between the THH and
chandler style.>>
One notable difference is the use of metaphor and simile.
Chandler uses them constantly, mainly but not only for comic
effect. That is why I read and grasp Chandler sentence by
sentence, whereas THH can be gulped by the paragraph. By
slowing down the reading, time and action are perceived
differently. This, in turn, helps Marlowe's voice dominate
the psychological space of the story or novel.
Beyond figures of speech, there is Chandler's peculiar phrase
structure (very hard to imitate well), and the internal rhyme
of his prose. THH doesn't rely much on those devices. The
sentences are straightforward and the movement more linear,
even in psychologically complex novels such as Hemingway's
_The Sun Also Rises_.
I once took a page of Chandler and pared it down to sound
like Hammett. The effect is remarkable. The rewritten text
sounds better as a whole but duller piecewise, which is the
point.
I am sure others will be able to elaborate on this stylistic
difference, and of course set me right if I've goofed.
Best,
MrT
=====
"The skill of man is unequal to the formation of a new man
from old materials, but the battered tenement may, with care,
be long sustained by props" -- From Becklard's
Physiology.
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