Monday, August 24, 2009

Daylight Noir: Raymond Chandler's Imagined City -- Catherine Corman

In his introduction to Daylight Noir, Jonathan Letham calls the book a "supremely evocative catalogue of haunted places." I couldn't have said it better (or possibly as well) myself. Catherine Corman's stark black and white photographs capture the city of Los Angeles in a way that makes even the ordinary look eerie, lonely, and part of a long-lost noir world.

I've always thought that Raymond Chandler had one of the best eyes for description in the business. These photos, accompanied by snippets of Chandler's prose (not necessarily descriptive) just reinforce that notion. Looking through this book, I could almost hear Philip Marlowe's shoe heels striking a marble floor. Wonderful browsing, the kind of thing Chandler fans will love to look at. Check it out and you'll see what I mean. (You can see for yourself right here.)

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