Standing Night Quote by Raymond Chandler
““Her teeth had the nice shiny look that comes from standing all night in a glass of solution.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Big Sleep, 1939
The description uses vivid imagery to convey a character’s unsettling, almost supernatural appearance, suggesting a haunting, unsettling atmosphere.
In simple terms: Teeth look eerie from being soaked all night.
Key Takeaway
Use vivid details to create mood.
Themes
mystery
gothic
visual
atmosphere
Mood
dark
mysterious
intense
Type
descriptive
literary
When to use this quote
- detective fiction
- crime novels
- character analysis
Key Concepts
darkness
obsession
surrealism
Questions to Reflect On
- What mood does this description set?
- How does visual detail affect reader immersion?
A Different Perspective
Overly graphic detail can distract from narrative flow.
![“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_cain_he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i_41185.jpg)
