The Big Sleep

By Raymond Chandler

The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature detective Philip Marlowe. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los Angeles, California and is noted for its complexity, with many characters double-crossing one another and many secrets being exposed throughout the narrative. The title is a euphemism for death; it refers to a rumination in the final pages of the book about "sleeping the big sleep."

In 1999, the book was voted ninety-sixth of Le Monde's "100 Books of the Century". In 2005, it was included in "TIME's List of the 100 Best Novels."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wildside Press
• Release date: Aug 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781479403776

Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) was best known as the creator of fictional detective Philip Marlowe. One of the most influential American authors of crime novels and stories, his books were considered classics of the genre, and many of them were turned into enormously popular Hollywood films, including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye.

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Reviews for The Big Sleep

[finxy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review from BadelyngeThe Big Sleep is Raymond Chandler's debut novel published in 1939 and it's a corker featuring Chandler's now iconic hard boiled private detective Philip Marlowe. It's filled with memorable characters; tough guys, wise guys, grifters and chancers all playing their roles in the tangled web of a plot. Although complex I really like how much of the detail in the book actually turns out to be connected with everything else. There is no hiding the answers behind piles of irrelevant and unconnected red herrings, which seems to be the the current template for quite a lot of contemporary paint by numbers crime fiction. As more details are discovered and things start to move, stirred by the relentless Marlowe, the picture starts to come together until all eventually becomes clear. Yes I admit, I have seen both film versions many times, though mostly I kept getting flashbacks from the more lurid and inferior 1970s Robert Mitchum version rather than the superior 1940s Humphrey Bogart version. Probably because that version, although set in the wrong country, had more license to depict the more brash and striking elements from the book. And I still haven't mentioned Chandler's colourful and witty similes which are rightly famous and endlessly imitated. Chandler's writing is so much better than the pulp genre it inhabits; there is real heart and emotion here if you persevere to the last page. So if you are stuck for a new detective novel why not give one of the old masters a try. Worked for me.

[ericcostello-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The classic, deeply influential work of noir fiction which introduced Philip Marlowe, private eye. Quite famously, not all of the ends are tied up (who did kill the chauffeur?), but in Chandler's case, he vastly preferred to set a tone, and he does so highly successfully. One could read it for its landmark status, but it can be read for simple pure enjoyment, especially the large number of classic lines.

[anitatally · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun, corny.

[amandrake_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Raymond Chandler was probably responsible for half the detective cliches of the era. Dashiell Hammett was responsible for the other half.Seriously - Chandler was an original with a fantastic knack for setting the "feel" of a scene. His style is easy to read but doesn't feel stripped down like Hemingway. Yes, reading it now, it does seem dated (his treatment of women, for example... and that everyone smokes) but it's not only a great read but an important mark for fiction of the 20th century.

[intemerata · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The prose is lively and original - very spare, and yet full of vivid and unusual metaphors and description, and Chandler has a fantastic turn of phrase - the plot was very entertaining, and Philip Marlowe is an intriguing and sympathetic character. I was rather bothered by the depiction of women, and by the apparent homophobia, but I'm certainly going to be reading more of these.

[page.fault · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The quintessential hardboiled detective novel. While not the first, this novel was close, and I believe has had the strongest influence on the detective noir genre (and its odd stepchild, urban fantasy). Phillip Marlowe is the first of the fast-talking, wise-cracking, constantly beat-up private eyes constantly over his head, obsessed with an old-fashioned chivalry, and, despite his vaunted cynicism, consistently disappointed by the world around him.
I like Marlowe, and I like his books. Despite myself. The books are absolutely the most sexist pieces of fiction you can come across outside of Faulkner and the Vulgate Cycle of the legend of King Arthur. Marlowe encounters an absolutely embarrassing surplus of femme fatales. Women in Marlowe's world are not immoral; they are amoral. They are animals, without the wits or humanity to even have a sense of morality and the will to reject it. The book (and its sequels) are full of animalistic descriptions of the women Marlowe meets, and despite his attempts to rescue the damsels in distress, they always end up being the cause rather than the victim.

The plot is also a mess. Chandler earned my ire by taking cheap shots at Agatha Christie in his essay about "rules for detective novels", claiming her books require complete suspension of disbelief and elaborate, unnatural characters and plots. Chandler's books always depend on people doing stupid things and absolutely stupendous concatenations of coincidences. Famously, when they made the movie of The Big Sleep, the screenwriter was unable to untangle the plot and, completely desperate, eventually cabled Chandler to ask him who actually shot the chauffer. He responded with something of the form, "How the hell should I know?"
But for all that, Chandler built a genre, and Marlowe is incredibly likeable, even if you don't want to like him. He was the first of the big-hearted, outwardly cynical, inwardly idealistic, suicidally smart-mouthed, fast-talking PIs with a colorful turn of phrase and simile that was both built upon and parodied by hundreds or perhaps thousands of writers. Chandler's character and world epitomized and engendered a genre.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A classic hard-boiled detective, Marlowe, is hired by a military man to deal with a blackmailer. The General's two daughters, Carmen and Vivian, drive the story. One is a lost soul, constantly getting into trouble; the other is a master manipulator. There's a twisted plot that becomes more complicated as the dead bodies pile up. I preferred The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart plays the detective in the film versions of both books) to The Big Sleep. It came out about a decade earlier and I felt more connected to the story and to the detective, Sam Spade. The Big Sleep was an enjoyable read, but it won't stick with me. There were too many jumbled characters, but I do love the noir atmosphere. I recently heard that The Big Lebowski is loosely based on The Big Sleep. I never would have made that connection, but it does have a similar structure.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had troubles reading this book. I found the private detective, Marlowe, to be a very stereotypical 1940's book. From the way Marlowe treats the two women involved in the blackmail scheme, to the way he describes the pornography producer as a "queen". I also found the way the police department was willing to ignore certain crimes... Of course, this is a book written in 1939, and Marlowe is just a reflection of American values at that time, but it is still makes for a difficult read.The mystery itself is all over the place, with most everyone a stereotype. Marlowe discovers quite a bit in only 24 hours, which seems a bit extreme. There's a lot of weird stuff that is just there for misdirection. I'm glad I read it, but I found it difficult going at times.

[karin7-11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Philip Marlowe,"hardboiled" detective, is hired to take care of a blackmailing situation by the wealthy General Sternwood, father of two risque young women. Along the way he hears one murder and witnesses to more, all intertwined. In the end he works on the case he wasn't hired for in the first place, finding General Sternwood's missing son-in-law.

I just can't bring myself to like "hardboiled" detectives in anything other than a very good spoof or comedy, which this decidedly is not. Chandler was a master at description, which is why I'm giving this two stars instead of one. I was able to get through this book listening to it while driving or working.

[xevver · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic, pure and simple. Not too flashy, not too genre-esq. The perfect blend of story and style for anyone who loves the Noir era.

[john257hopper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book features probably the most famous American fictional detective, Philip Marlowe. The story is quite tightly plotted and there are some good set piece scenes, but I can't say it appealed to me. I didn't a feel a connection to any of the main characters, though I felt sorry for the dying General Sternwood. This was the first Marlowe novel, yet he has no background and doesn't emerge as a rounded character. Not sure if I would try any of the other novels featuring this character.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though this novel has become a classic, the style is fresh, fulsome and gritty. The story is set in the gangster underbelly of LA and introduces an array of colorful characters including the well-known private eye Philip Marlowe. The plot is rather stretched with a few too many coincidences, but the images and discourse are a delightful break from the politically correct.

[bruce_mcnair_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is one of the classics of American crime fiction. Philip Marlowe is a classic model of the hard-boiled private detective. In my opinion, his offhand manner and dry humour endear him to readers while at the same time he gets under the skin of criminals and cops alike. This story is broken into two cases: investigation of a blackmail that ends in murder, and a missing person case. Both cases are the result of Marlowe being hired by a rich man who has young daughters he is concerned about. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

[mcolv9890 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic detective story with action, suspense and excellent prose in all the right areas. It's honest, romantic, bitter, and violent.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a whole lot of fun. Besides the goofy underworld slang, there is a ghastly crew of colorful thugs, pimps, punks, and frails (those are girls in 1930s lingo). You never know what type of creep you're going to run into next, but you can be pretty sure he won't be naked, which is to say he is toting a gat. The plot is as screwy and loopy, but fair for the figuring out; Marlowe doesn't hold back on the necessary clues. Perhaps the best two things about the book are the evocation of Los Angeles in the '30s and the humor, trenchant,even mordant humor. While Marlowe at times seems a cold-blooded SOB, he is at heart a sentimentalist, a compassionate and honest guy trying to live straight in a world that's going to hell.Two things that do sour this book a bit are the taints of misogyny and homophobia.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An elderly, wheelchair-bound millionaire hires private detective Philip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his two troubled (and troublesome) daughters. Before he knows it Marlowe is immersed in a complicated web of crime that involves much more than just extortion. Seduction, gambling, pornography, adultery, and murder are just some of the issues he’s faced with.

This is the novel that introduced readers to Philip Marlowe, and what an introduction it is! Chandler is a master at crafting a plot that is complicated with more twists than a mountain road. The action is quick, but with surprisingly little violence, given the genre. (Well, there IS violence, but it is mostly left to the reader’s imagination; ditto for the sex.) The characters are some of the least savory in crime fiction. Even the “good guys” – i.e. Marlow’s clients – are pretty shady. Marlow, himself, isn’t above bending the law to the breaking point, when it serves his purpose, but he has integrity and professional code of ethics that prohibit him from doing anything that would harm his client.

The star of the novel, in my opinion, is Chandler’s way with words. His style is often imitated, but no one uses the simile and metaphor so well. Some examples:
She brought the glass over. Bubbles rose in it like false hopes.

Beyond the garage were some decorative trees trimmed as carefully as poodle dogs.

The calves were beautiful, the ankles long and slim and with enough melodic line for a tone poem.

She gave me one of those smiles the lips have forgotten before they reach the eyes.

The purring voice was now as false as an usherette’s eyelashes and as slippery as a watermelon seed.

All told, this was a fun, fast read. I’m glad I finally read this book that has languished on my tbr for so many years.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, first published in 1939, is one of the more influential works in the modern mystery genre, and my first real foray into hardboiled crime fiction. I listened to this on audiobook read by Elliott Gould and enjoyed his narration very much. His reading emphasizes a charming innocence about the book; despite the explicit events of the plot, Chandler uses a blank for the F word, which becomes quite noticeable when you're listening to it rather than reading silently. I don't know why but I found this endearing somehow. I wonder if it says something unexpected about a genre known for its gritty plots and complex, conflicted characters. Hmm.The back cover touts Chandler's prose as "muscular" and I think that is the perfect description. It isn't graceful or elegant, and sometimes it's repetitive and too heavily laden with similes. But the similes are vivid and create a very distinct mood: dark, watchful, stoic. Detached.One idea I found striking is the underlying theme that all people are pretty much morally bankrupt, that everyone is either a monster or a victim, and all of us have made ethical compromises along the way. To put it another way, we all have ulterior motives and are on a downward spiral. This unrelenting cynicism is the Christian doctrine of the depravity of man, but without the hope of redemption. There are a few halfway-heroes in the story like Harry Jones and Mona Grant, little points of light on a dark noir background. But they are swallowed up quickly and we're alone in the dark again.Chandler describes the physical appearance of his characters in detail, but sometimes there is a lack of description I found tantalizing. For example, he presents the narrator Philip Marlowe as enigmatic, capable, cold, with never a hint of how the character became that way. What's his history? Often Marlowe gives a straight, emotionless description of a shocking event, completely leaving out any commentary on his personal response to the scene. He's like a machine, efficient and calculating. But he seems to do the right thing most of the time and it's hard to dislike him — the little we know of him, anyways.Because Marlowe narrates the story, we see all the other characters through his eyes. The allegations of misogyny directed at this book and others like it aren't entirely baseless. The women are all described elaborately in terms of their physical appearance and sex appeal; that is their primary identity, at least to Marlowe. Of the four female characters in this story, two are reprehensibly selfish and/or crazy, one is a rather pathetic opportunist, and the last is weak and willfully blind to the sins of her husband. No, they don't fare well, but no one really does in the noir world.Apparently The Big Sleep is just the first in a series featuring Philip Marlowe, and I think I'll look up the sequels. This is definitely not a genre for younger readers; the content, though not raunchy, can be somewhat explicit at times, and the events of the plot aren't G-rated. But for an excursion into a tone and style completely different from my usual reading and as an example of its genre, The Big Sleep is excellent. And there is a strange magnetism to the hopeless darkness of Marlowe's world. Maybe I want to keep reading to find out if redemption is ever possible; maybe I just want to know more about Marlowe's back story. In any case, this was a strong read and I can see why it has been so foundational to today's detective fiction.

[madepercy-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's difficult not to like Raymond Chandler's work. This is only the second of his novels I have read, but this time, because I doubted Hollywood would replicate the pornography ring in detail, and it was a wet and windy Saturday night, I watched the 1946 film version of The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It was sufficiently different to the book not to affect my enjoyment of the story, and, I must say, it was good to watch a crisp black and white movie on my television. I watched it on Youtube, but the rented, rather than the pirated, version of the film. I am now off in search of African Queen and other Bogart classics and will follow these up with the novels, too. But The Big Sleep was an excellent read. I am struck by the complexity of Philip Marlowe's character that eludes the Bogart version. Because there is no real love story, as in the Hollywood version, there is much more to explore, and no need to find excuses for Lauren Bacall to appear so frequently. Marlowe reminds me of the Protestant ethic. It is OK to be a booze-hound and to smoke yourself to death, as long as you don't do reefers and you are admirable in your smuttiness towards the upper classes. Chandler's prose is brilliant, and it would appear, for now at least, that this novel is considered his best because it is his best. Not so many wise-cracks and heavy similes as Farewell, My Lovely, but, all the same, a cracker of a story, a likeable character, and a paddock full of fertilizer for the imagination in a mere 250 pages, and a one-page conclusion that brings multiple stories to a neat and satisfying finish.

[michael_drysdale_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know this book is supposed to be a seminal work in crime fiction whose style has been much imitated, but a lot of it was lost on me. The main problem was the 1930s American slang, which I found hard to follow. Not only did I miss a lot of the wisecracks in the dialogue, but also much of Chandler’s descriptive prose. This was mitigated to some extent by Chandler summing up the story so far every now and then.Then for my taste the descriptive passages were too long: I don’t want to know the details of every item in a room unless it’s relevant to the plot.The plot itself is reasonable, but the protagonist Philip Marlowe doesn’t solve the case through any deductive powers but by merely arriving at each scene and bumping into one of the bad (or good) guys. One murder does remain unsolved however.The mood is captured very well. This is not the sunny California of beaches and surfing, but autumn when it’s always raining or threatening to rain. This darkness is present in most of the characters giving a noir feel to the whole book.

[joybee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Raymond Chandler's writing style. This book was written in 1939, and has the feel of the depression era after prohibition, with illegal gambling joints and gangsters. His writing is very cynical and humorous in it's way and very descriptive without being too wordy.Philip Marlowe is a private detective hired by a rich old man to investigate a guy trying to blackmail him because of his youngest daughter's debts. The old man has two daughters, in their twenties, and both are trouble and obnoxious. As Marlowe investigates he runs into ex-bootleggers, mobsters, murderers and all kinds of people working in illegal trade. The story is involved and when you think it's over there is more.The quote from the back of the book explains it well:"Chandler did not write about crime, or detection--as he insisted he did not. He wrote about the corruption of the human spirit, using Philip Marlowe as his disapproving angel, and he knew about it down to the marrow."--George V. Higgins

[the_terrible_trivium · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good, not as great as James Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice or David Goodis's Down There as far as noir goes. Chandler's got an epic style, though, I'll definitely be reading more from him. Surely he's got a masterpiece or two, but this one's just good.

[lberriman_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved this 1920s sleuth detective story.

[branimal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

General Sternwood, a millionaire in 1930s Los Angeles, hires Phillip Marlowe to investigate a man who claims to have controversial photos of his socialite daughter. However, as Marlowe's investigation progresses, he finds himself in for a little more than he bargained for (excuse the cliche).

In the last few years, I have developed quite an appetite for detective fiction. However, in the past few months, I've wanted to dig deep into the hard-boiled and noir sub-genre. What better place to start than with one that is considered one of the founding fathers of all modern detective fiction.

Chandler not only presents us with a great mystery but also his much revered original style. After finishing this book, I can see why his prose was so influential on a generation of writers. So many memorable quotes are contained within this book! I've selected just a few of my favorites but there are more than I can possibly remember.

It must have been something to be an avid reader when this hit shelves back in 1939. To read this and take in something special that rarely existed must have been refreshing to say the least. With so many signature characters and series' that clutter bookstores nowadays, it's hard to imagine seeing something like this for the first time.

I've certainly become a Marlowe fan after just this one outing and I can't wait to get my hands on subsequent novels.

[alcracka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chandler's a better writer than Hammett, but I find Spade a more interesting character than Marlowe.

[clfisha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's impossibly hard to write a review of an author you love so much and a book you have read so many times. No one comes close to Raymond Chandler, his style is unique, his pitch perfect, his plots fun and importantly his idea of what noir should be is (for me) wonderful. Anyone with an interest in crime fiction should try him at least once and this, his 1st novel is not a bad place to start.As Chandler says himself in his definitive essay A simple art of murder: "..down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective in this kind of story must be such a man." Amen to that.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first novel with Philip Marlowe by Chandler. A deep, dark tale of double-cross piled on Double cross. Even Chandler lost track, and one of the murders ends up unsolved. Oh there is blackmail fuelled by nude photographs.Little known fact ignored by Hollywood, Marlowe's English! Published in 1939.

[krbrancolini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The Big Sleep" actually reads like two novellas stitched together. One mystery is solved by the middle, then detective Philip Marlowe takes up another related mystery. Both involve the truly messed up Sternwood sisters. I have read about Chandler for years; I just finished two other books about Los Angeles published in 1939, "Day of the Locust" and "Ask the Dust." Time to read "The Big Sleep." I confess that I had trouble sustaining my interest because I've seen the Bogart film several times. The film is very true to the novel, so there were no plot surprises. But it's thrilling to read how Chandler creates minor characters like Harry Jones and Mona Grant, creating instantly sympathetic characters with just a few brushstrokes. Chandler's writing kept me reading. It poured rain today in Los Angeles and all I could think about was how Chandler evoked this rare experience. This is probably not his best book, but it hints of things to come.

[alllgood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first experience with the genre. In the beginning, it felt cliched and over the top. But this is what all the cliches are based on. This is the original! It was so much fun to read the witty banter and explore Marlowe's twisted world. I couldn't help to hear Garrison Keillor's Guy Noir voiceovers in the background.

[ahs7wolfy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic noir mystery as Philip Marlowe gets a début outing where the body count is almost as high as the amount of raindrops that fall. He has been hired by General Sternwood to look into a simple case of blackmail and the general mentions that he hopes the missing husband of his eldest daughter isn't involved. Someone has some gambling debt notices from one of his daughters and wants to collect on them. The case isn't too difficult for Marlowe to track down but just as he's about to confront the blackmailer he turns up as the first in a long line of stiffs. Marlow follows the trail through the seedy world of pornography and gambling joints while fending off the attentions of both the general's daughters as well as the cops who aren't too happy about Marlowe keeping secrets from them. Will he find who's at the end of the trail while staying in one piece? And how many guns will he collect from people who insist on sticking them in his face?A thoroughly enjoyable novel from one of the instigators of the hard-boiled detective stories that now seem to abound on the mystery section of bookshops. It will be interesting to compare with Dashell Hammett's Maltese Falcon when I eventually get around to reading that. Great fast paced pulp fiction full of one-liners that refreshed some of the bleakness of the situations that Marlowe found himself facing.

[stige_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

5 for style, 1-2 for plot. Love the voice of the character, utterly dull plot.