Raymond Chandler

Just finished The Library of America's Chandler Stories and Early Novels, which included 13 "Pulp Stories" and 3 novels, including The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, and The High Window. The stories, particularly, were wonderful - sure, there is lots of vivid tough-guy talk, but also great plotting, amusing dialog and tangled mysteries unwound by Philip Marlowe (or, in some stories, Mallory or Malvern), who has a code of honor but is still tough and wise enough to see through the lies and cheap ambitions.
One discovery - there's lots of humor in these stories! Fascinating and immensely readable. I grew up in LA - was it really like this?
(Art from Steve Weissman)