The Long Goodbye – Chandler, ImPress 2005
$42.00
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (1953, Knopf; this ImPress reprint 2005) — Chandler’s sixth and final completed Philip Marlowe novel, widely regarded as his masterwork. This copy is a clean, collector-owned hardcover in the ImPress ̵c;Best Mysteries of All Time̵d series.
QUICK FACTS
- Author: Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)
- Publisher: ImPress (Reader’s Digest Association), Pleasantville, NY
- Year: 2005 (original copyright 1953, renewed 1981)
- Format: Hardcover, no dust jacket, green ribbon bookmark
- Pages: ~400 | ISSN: 1544-4007
- Condition: Very Good / Very Good+ — full report below
THE STORY
Philip Marlowe befriends Terry Lennox, a damaged WWII veteran with a wealthy wife, only to find himself drawn into a web of blackmail, murder, and betrayal that stretches from the mansions of the rich to the Mexican border. Published in 1953, The Long Goodbye was Chandler’s most personal novel — written in the shadow of his wife Cissy’s death in 1954 and his own deepening alcoholism. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1955 and is routinely ranked among the finest crime novels ever written.
THIS EDITION
Published by ImPress, an imprint of The Reader’s Digest Association, as part of ̵c;The Best Mysteries of All Time̵d series. This edition contains the complete text of the original Knopf publication, published by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. The cover design and About the Author note are © 2005 by The Reader’s Digest Association.
COVER ART & DESIGN
Deep blue cloth boards with metallic silver and greenish-yellow detailing. The front cover features five stylized palm trees within a silver rectangular frame — a classic Los Angeles noir motif. The series logo (̵c;The Best Mysteries of All Time̵d with a magnifying glass emblem) appears at the top. Spine carries the author’s name and title in vertical orientation, with the ImPress Mystery imprint at the foot. A green ribbon bookmark is bound into the spine.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Edgar Award for Best Novel, 1955 — one of the most prestigious honors in crime fiction
- Chandler’s most ambitious and autobiographical Marlowe novel, widely considered his finest
- Adapted by Robert Altman in a landmark 1973 film starring Elliott Gould, and again in 1998 with James Caan
- This copy includes charming collector’s insert notes: one referencing William Drawinger (Chandler’s agent) envisioning Cary Grant as Marlowe, and Ian Fleming choosing David Niven as James Bond; another noting the 1955 Edgar Award win
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What edition is this? ImPress ̵c;Best Mysteries of All Time̵d series reprint, 2005. Complete text of the original 1953 Knopf edition, published by permission of Alfred A. Knopf.
What condition is it in? Very Good / Very Good+. Blue boards clean with crisp metallic detailing; light ding on front board upper edge, spine head/tail lightly bumped. Text block tight, uniform, bright. Full condition report below.
Is it signed? No, this copy is not signed.
FOR COLLECTORS
A solid reading copy of Chandler’s masterwork in attractive collector-owned condition, complete with two provenance insert notes that add character. The ImPress series‛ clean design makes it a handsome shelf piece for noir fiction collections.
Condition Report:
Overall Grade: Very Good (VG) / Very Good+ (VG+)
Cover & Spine: Vibrant blue boards with crisp silver and green gilt detailing. No significant shelf wear. Front board upper edge has a light ding; spine head and tail are lightly bumped and the front board lower corner is just a bit, others all sharp.
Text Block & Pages: Block is tight all around, uniform and bright in color all sides. Some neatly, small script, marginal annotations in light pencil, and a few annotation on back free end paper, and 2 small pad note papers are inserted with apparently relevant facts regarding the story and the history of the book included. Fun! No loose, torn or folded.
Binding: Tight, crisp, complete hinges, square block.
HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-09-15
1 in stock
Additional information
| Weight | 32 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 11 × 9 × 3 in |
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