Listening
8-th form
A master
of his craft
Look in the “Thrillers” section of any
book-shop English or German, and you're sure to find books by Raymond Chandler
there. Chandler, who died in 1959, wrote only seven novels, but they became
classics of their kind.
The central character in all of them is
Philip Marlowe, a private detective who lives and works in the Los Angeles
area. One may say that Marlowe is a typical American hero: tough, honest,
quick-witted, always ready to risk his life for somebody who suffers injustice.
Marlowe is poor, because Chandler believes it is impossible for a decent man to
become rich. He is, in a way, a failure. As Chandler writes in a letter: “I see
him always in a lonely street, in lonely rooms, puzzled but never quite
defeated." And Marlowe is an idealist. In Chandler's words: “He doesn't
talk or behave like an idealist, but I think he is one at heart; and I think he
rather hates to admit it, even to himself."
Unlike his hero Philip Marlowe, who was
born in Santa Rosa, California, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois,
in 1888. When his father left the family, his mother took him to England to
stay with her relatives in London. From 1900 to 1905 he attended an English
public school and then spent some time in France and Germany in order to learn
the languages.
After various jobs in London and Los Angeles, and service in France during the
First World War, Chandler returned to the United States to live in southern
California, where he eventually became director of a number of oil companies.
Fired from his job for drinking, he turned to writing, publishing his first
short story in 1933. In 1939 he brought out his first novel, The Big Sleep.
This and the novels that followed, together with the film scripts he wrote for
Hollywood, made him one of America's leading writers.
His books were ideal material for films.
The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946), with Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe, was
one of the best films based on a novel by Chandler. For Chandler, Bogart was just
the right actor to play Marlowe. “Bogart can be tough without a gun," he
wrote in a letter.
Together with his wife - they married in
1924 - Chandler lived a rather secluded life. Perhaps for this reason he was a
great letter writer. His “Selected Letters", like his novels and short
stories, show him as a master of the American language.
A master of his craft
Tasks for
Listening
I variant
1. Mark the following statements true (T) or false (F).
1. Chandler died in
1961.
2. Chandler wrote
only six novels.
3. The central
character in all of them is Philip Marlowe.
4. Philip Marlowe is
a private detective.
5. Marlowe is poor.
2. Choose the correct
variant.
1. Philip Marlowe,
who was born in ________.
a) Los
Angeles; b) Santa Rosa; c) Mexico.
2. . From 1900 to
1905 he attended an_______ public school.
a) America;
b) English; c) Italian.
3. After various jobs
Chandler eventually became________ of a number of oil companies.
a) director; b)
manager; c) secretary.
4. In 1939 he brought
out his first _______, The Big Sleep.
a) poem;
b) story; c) novel.
5. Fired from his job
for drinking, he turned to _________.
a) writing;
b) reading; c) speaking.
II variant
1. Mark the following statements true (T) or false (F).
1.
Chandler
died in 1959.
2.
Chandler
wrote only seven novels.
3.
Raymond
Chandler was born in Chicago
4.
Philip
Marlowe lives and works in the Los Angeles area.
5.
Marlowe
is rich.
2. Choose the
correct variant.
1. Raymond
Chandler was born in__________.
a) 1876; b)
1898; c) 1888.
2. When his father
left the family, his mother took him to _________.
a)
England; b) America; c) Italy.
3. After various jobs in London
and Los Angeles Chandler returned to _________.
a)
France; b) Germany; c) the United
States.
4. Together with his wife - they
married in _________.
a) 1924; b)
1928; c) 1930.
5. His works show him as a master
of the _________ language.
a)
English; b) Italian; c)
American.
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