The not-so-simple art of imitation: Pastiche, literary style, and Raymond Chandler

This analysis extends the tools of statistical analysis to the challenging task of distinguishing between genuine works by an author, the preeminent American writer of mysteries, Raymond Chandler, and deliberate attempts by others to mimic the author's style. Rendering the task all the more challenging, the analysis focuses exclusively on the main elements of Chandler's style rather than on his minor but telling stylistic idiosyncrasies. Statistical analysis establishes that indicators of these stylistic elements can successfully detect the pastiches.

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