Born in 1888 to Irish-American parents, Chandler moved to South London at age seven. After his mother divorced his alcoholic father, the family relied on his uncle, a lawyer in Ireland. Educated at Dulwich College, Chandler’s classical foundation led to a career that unexpectedly shaped him into the voice of 1930s Los Angeles.
At 44, after losing a high-paying oil job due to alcoholism, Chandler turned to writing, creating Philip Marlowe, his tough, poetic detective navigating a corrupt city. Though deeply connected to the English countryside, Chandler’s work explored the vice and desperation of a city in the throes of the Depression.
Chandler’s tumultuous life of alcohol, women, and moments of sobriety produced the iconic The Big Sleep in 1939. His work blended fine writing with brutal violence, earning praise from W.H. Auden, who regarded it as art rather than mere escapism.