Art Quote by Raymond Chandler
““And there are still a number of people around who say that Hammett didn't write detective stories at all-merely hard-boiled chronicles of mean streets with a perfunctory mystery element dropped in like the olive in a martini. (The Simple Art of Murder)””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler, 1950
Chandler argues that hard‑boiled novels are more about gritty street realism than classic puzzles.
In simple terms: Detective stories focus on harsh reality over mystery.
Key Takeaway
Value gritty realism.
Themes
detective fiction
hard‑boiled
realism
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
literary
critical
When to use this quote
- reading classic crime novels
- writing gritty narratives
- teaching literature
- discussing genre evolution
Key Concepts
genre criticism
literary analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you prefer mystery or atmosphere?
- How does setting affect tension?
A Different Perspective
Some readers still prefer traditional whodunits.
![“Hammett was the ace performer... He is said to have lacked heart; yet the story he himself thought the most of [The Glass Key] is the record of a man's devotion to a friend. He was spare, frugal, hard-boiled, but he did over and over again what only the best writers can ever do at all. He wrote…” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/882/raymond-chandler-629_dashiel-hammett_hammett-was-the-ace-performer-he-is-said_20171.jpg)
![“He [James Cain] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and a board fence and nobody looking.” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/614/raymond-chandler-629_writing_he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i_41185.jpg)
