The Big Sleep

Description

 Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep is the definitive hardboiled detective story and Philip Marlowe the perfect expression of the cynical, world-weary gumshoe. Hired by the crippled General Sternwood to shake off a blackmailer, Marlowe also has to deal with the general's two rebellious daughters, the gamblers and pornographers they run with and, soon enough, some inconvenient murders. Chandler's LA and the gutter-life that populate it made crime fiction what it is today and remain unmatched.

Reviews

Nobody writes like Chandler. The writing is so good you stop caring about the plot – you read on because each sentence is a little gem, with a hundred gleaming facets. Of course, the plot is fantastic too (if you like that kind of thing). If you’ve never read any Chandler, this is a great place to start – The Big Sleep was now-iconic detective Philip Marlowe’s first outing, and the original noir. –Steph, The Book Grocer