403. The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler

1939
Around 280 pages

I have a theory that noir fiction was the primary source of wish fulfillment for men of the 1930s, which has now taken the form of  those grueling Avenger movies. Seasoned detective Philip Marlowe is constantly turning down hot women for sex, holding his liquor to a worrying degree, and cracking wise. The everyman, in other words.

I had previously seen the movie, but that didn't really spoil the story for me, as I always have a hard time recalling the convoluted plot threads of noir movies. The wealthy General Sternwood calls Phillip Marlowe to his mansion to help him deal with a blackmailer. A bookseller is blackmailing the General over his youngest daughter Carmen, who is a wild child. His other daughter, Vivian, is in a loveless marriage with a man who disappeared, which is why she assumes Phillip is hanging around. I wonder if these women will make advances to our leading man...

I'm obviously not the intended audience for these novels, but they still hold a sort of charm for me. It's fun to see the exploration of such dark characters. And the pacing is always good. Every once in a while, it hits the spot.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Raymond Chandler wrote The Big Sleep by combining two previous short stories that he wrote for a pulp magazine.

In 2005, it was included in Time magazine's "List of the 100 Best Novels."

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