"Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic"
About this Quote
The subtext is a noir writer’s suspicion of institutions. Chandler came up through pulps and Hollywood, worlds where taste could be purchased, alliances mattered, and reputations were managed like brands. In that ecosystem, “professional standing” becomes a kind of subtle censorship. You don’t say what you see; you say what keeps you employable, invited, quoted, on the right side of the tastemakers. The line also skewers a particular performance of expertise: the critic who uses polish, theory, or snark as a credential, writing less to illuminate a book or film than to signal membership in the guild.
What makes the sentence work is its moral reversal. It treats “professionalism” not as a guarantee of rigor but as a temptation toward cowardice. Chandler isn’t arguing against standards; he’s arguing that the only standard that matters is fidelity to the object. Anything else - the careful hedging, the consensus-chasing, the posture of authority - is just criticism as career maintenance, a review that reads like a networking email.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Chandler, Raymond. (2026, January 16). Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/good-critical-writing-is-measured-by-the-83252/
Chicago Style
Chandler, Raymond. "Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/good-critical-writing-is-measured-by-the-83252/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/good-critical-writing-is-measured-by-the-83252/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
