First printing of the second novel by the master of the hard-boiled, a worthy follow-up to THE BIG SLEEP (1939).
Fine in near-fine jacket.
Price: $7,000.00
"When I turned the manuscript in they howled like hell about the title [...] which is not at all a mystery title, but they gave in." – Chandler, June 27, 1940 letter to George Harmon Coxe
Detective Philip Marlowe investigates the murder of a Black nightclub owner in this gritty tale of stoic despair set in Los Angeles. Published one year after THE BIG SLEEP, it has many of the same strengths and weaknesses; Chandler remains a surgeon in shaping the tiny details of his prose to build a larger atmosphere of surreal dread. A remarkably fresh copy of a major work of mid-century American fiction.
Read more: Gardiner and Walker, editors, Raymond Chandler Speaking.
First edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. 7.5'' x 4.5''. Original full orange cloth, boards and spine stamped in blue. Original unclipped light red dust jacket designed by Hans J. Barschel. [8], 275, [3] pages. Jacket spine lightly sunned, closed tear at foot of front flap: overall fresh.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Priority. International orders over $500 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
