Noir literature is not meant to win literary awards. Film Noir is not meant to win the Oscars. The point of noir literature and film is to reach out to the average person. The Black Masques’ readers wanted action packed detective stories that showed a reality that was true to what the readers themselves lived. Film noir is meant to be dark and pessimistic. It is meant to contrast the typical Hollywood movie, that is full of glamour and false depictions of reality. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler is very much a classic noir novel but has elements that set it apart from noir literature. There have been many film adaptations of the novel that take unique twists on Chandler’s story. The very first adaptation in 1942 was called The Falcon Takes Over. This adaptation did not even feature the main character Phillip Marlowe and was set on the east coast instead of the west. There was another film adaptation in 1975 that held the same title as the novel. This version was …show more content…
Chandler is different from the average Black Masque writer. Chandler is highly educated. He was classically educated. He studied fine arts. He attended university in England and was far more educated than most Pulp Fiction writers. This is clearly shown in his writing. Chandler’s use of simile and metaphor is an attribution to his high education. Chandler also adds references to Shakespeare throughout the novel. He quotes the play King Richard III several times. He also refers to one character as Hemmingway. ‘“Who is this Hemingway person at all?” ‘A guy that keeps saying the same thing over and over again until you begin to believe it must be good.’” (154). This is an obvious jab at Ernest Hemmingway and Chandler clearly did not appreciate his writing. The style of writing that Chandler used is very unique. Chandler very much writes in the voice of his hardball detective Phillip