Raymond Chandler — The Long Good-Bye

London, Hamish Hamilton, 1953 . First edition. Cloth. The first edition of Raymond Chandler's seminal work of detective fiction, featuring the private investigator Philip Marlowe. The first impression of the true first edition of this work, published prior to the first US edition. In the publisher's original unclipped dust wrapper, priced 10s 6d to the front flyleaf, as called for.Considered by many to be Chandler's best work, and his sixth to feature Private Investigator Philip Marlowe. 'The Long Good-Bye' uses detective fiction as a vehicle for social criticism, including autobiographical elements of Chandler's own life. Chandler, in a letter to a friend, called the novel "my best book" and was certainly his most personal, written while his wife was dying.In 1955, the novel received the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Bound in the publisher's original cloth, with the original, unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, excellent, with light bumping to the extremities and a little fading to the spine tail. The odd light mark to cloth. Very light spots to endpapers and fore edge. Dust wrapper is sound, with significant loss to the head and tail of the spine and tears to the front joint and flyleaf flaps. Light marking to the wrap rear and small tide marks to the verso. Internally, firmly bound with bright, clean pages. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: None. Very Good Indeed/Fair.