The Long Goodbye
Score Classic
What it's about
Private eye Philip Marlowe befriends Terry Lennox, a scarred, down-on-his-luck war veteran married to a very wealthy woman. When Lennox's wife is found dead and he flees to Mexico, Marlowe is drawn into a web involving the police, a gangster and a famous, alcoholic novelist and his wife, and he keeps going long after everyone tells him to stop.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and many consider it Raymond Chandler's masterpiece. It's crime fiction at its most literary, about friendship, loyalty and loneliness.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon or The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Good to know
It's longer and more reflective than Chandler's earlier books. It stands alone among the Marlowe novels.
Quick answers
Is The Long Goodbye worth reading?
Yes. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and many consider it Raymond Chandler's masterpiece. It ranks #695 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Long Goodbye about?
Private eye Philip Marlowe befriends Terry Lennox, a scarred, down-on-his-luck war veteran married to a very wealthy woman. When Lennox's wife is found dead and he flees to Mexico, Marlowe is drawn into a web involving the police, a gangster and a famous, alcoholic novelist and his wife, and he keeps going long after everyone tells him to stop.
How long does it take to read The Long Goodbye?
About 11 hours (447 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Long Goodbye won?
Edgar Award winner (1955).
What should I read after The Long Goodbye?
If you liked it, try The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett or The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller20 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Edgar Award winner (1955).
Where it ranks
- #57 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #221 of the 763 classics we rank
- #695 of the 2,819 books we rank
Won
- Edgar Award winner (1955)
Reads as
Gripping
