#He pines after a guy for a whole 120 000 words novel (The Long Goodbye)

[maybeitsalive]

Sam Spade vs Philip Marlowe

Learn the difference:

Both

Iconic hard-boiled detectives from the 30-40ies

Drink and smoke waaay too much for one human being

Sharp, tough boys

Smartasses, too snarky for their own good

Don’t get along with the police

Lone wolves

Played by Bogart in movie adaptations

Sam Spade

Created by Dashiell Hammet, hero of the Maltese Falcon and other short stories

Smooth, charming, polite

Almost always in control

Keeps his head cool, a little cold

The third-person narration hides most of his thoughts and emotions to the reader

You’re not so sure about his morals (or if he has some) before the end

Solves the case even if there wasn’t really a case to begin with

Straight, sort of loves one (1) woman

Dashiell Hammet's style is cold, precise, eloquent yet simple, perfect

Philip Marlowe

Created by Raymond Chandler (fan of Hammet), figures in many novels and short stories

Begrudgingly stuck with morals

Has more compassion and emotions than he wishes

Heartbroken and tired

Worst luck ever

Gives very few fucks about what people thinks about him, including his clients

Homophobic repressed bi disaster; will thirst after any bad woman or man in his way, might fall in love with troubled women or men who are kinda nice to him

The first-person narration will show each of his thoughts in detail to the reader

Overpowered, outnumbered, constantly beaten up, drugged and/or kidnapped by half the city in every novel

Solves the case even if 50% of the characters die before the end and himself barely survives

Chandler's style is messy and should not work but will actually haunt you

In an actual fight: Marlowe would have the biggest crush on Spade, so Sam would win. Hope that clears things up.