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"Trouble Is My Business": The Raymond Chandler Library

I. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND CONTENT:

The Raymond Chandler "Trouble Is My Business" CD-ROM collects Chandler's novels and short stories, while embedding in the text files audio clips of readings from the text as well as illustrations. The program also contains video clips from film adaptations of Chandler's works. A map of Chandler's Los Angeles, a biographical time line and personal letters are also included.

II. STARTING UP "TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS":

To begin using the program, place the CD-ROM in the computer's CD carrier by pressing the button located below and to the right of it. Click and hold on Start, Programs and Raymond Chandler as the menus open for you. If you have any difficulties, please ask a staff member for assistance.

Click on OK in the first box that comes up (Viewer Font Installation). (Note: Occasionally the program skips this and the next box--the Bpmc box. In this case, you will be taken directly to the Setup Complete Box; click on Continue.) Another box (titled Bpmc) will appear and remain on the screen for a moment. Wait until the Setup Complete box appears. Click on Continue. Two white introductory screens will come up, and then you will be taken to a page containing an opened book with a video screen embedded into the book's right page. Watch and listen to the video--you can't do anything else--until the home page comes up. It contains links to various program categories: About (program credits), Timeline (Chandler bio), Map (map of Chandler's L.A.), Books (list of Chandler's novels and short stories), Galleries (stills, film clips and character sketches and illustrations), Letters (personal letters) and Exit. Click on the category of your choice.

III. USING "TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS":

The Button Bar: At the top of some screens (only those linked to the Books, Galleries and Letters categories) is a button bar that contains the functions that will allow you to use efficiently the more advanced features of the program. Following is a list of those buttons and a description of how each functions:

  • Home: you can often go back to the program's home page by clicking on the red Home link on any given page, but if that option is not available to you, simply click on the Home button on the button bar.

  • Go Back: takes you back a page.

  • History: lists your moves (in descending order) while you peruse the program. Double-click on any item in the list and you will be taken there.

  • Search: allows you to search text (but beware: the text in the dialog box is written in Icelandic).

  • << >>: when available on the screen, the left and right arrows allow you to move forward or backwards through Letters, Chapters and Rogues.

  • List: allows you (unlike the left and right arrow buttons) to go directly to a destination by choosing it from a list of destinations. For example, if you click on Rogues on the Galleries menu, "rogue" Carmen Sternwood comes up. But if you want to choose a specific rogue without running through a long list using the left and right arrow buttons, you can click on List on the button bar and choose the desired rogue by double-clicking on his or her name. (Sidenote: If you are interested in moving to Chapter 1 of the book from which a particular rogue comes, click on the book icon in the text box that describes him or her.

  • Books: takes you to the book list screen. Click on a book and you will be taken to Chapter 1. Use either the List button or the left and right arrows to get to other chapters. In the case of short stories, you will first see a list of story titles on the list menu, rather than the usual list of numbered chapters. Be sure to scroll farther down the list. Just below the short-story titles list, you will see a list of individual works and their accompanying chapters.

  • Letters: takes you to the letters home page, which contains a list of books to which the letters pertain rather than a list of letters. When you choose a book, the first letter connected in some way to that work will be displayed. You can get to other relevant letters by clicking on the List button. (You can also use the left and right arrows.)

  • Map: takes you to a street map of Chandler's Los Angeles. Click on the map and you will zoom in on downtown L.A.

  • Media: takes you to the Galleries site, which contains links to the Rogues, Films and Stills sites.

A Few Other Features:

  • The camera icon: Clicking on the camera icons that appear in the text will bring up an illustration.

  • The book icon: Clicking on the book icons that appear in any given text will bring you to the beginning of Chapter 1 in that particular book.

  • The Play and Stop buttons: At various points in the book text, you will see the familiar Play and Stop button symbols used on most cassette tape recorders. To hear a short reading from the text, click on the right arrow (Play). To terminate the sound clip at any point after you've started it, click on the square black box (Stop).

IV. EXITING AND REMOVING THE CD-ROM:

When you are ready to exit the program, go back to the program's home page by clicking on Home either on the page or on the button bar. Then click on Exit and the program will close. Remove the CD-ROM from the CD carrier by pressing the button below and to the right of the tray.