The Big Sleep
(Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep is a return to the gritty, slick, and hardbroiled Southern California of the late 1930's; the setting of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe series. Marlowe, the tough talking private detective, is hired by General Sternwood. Sternwood, a living corpse of a man confined to his wheelchair, is the patriarch of a dysfunctional, yet filthy rich family comprised of two spoiled daughters and one missing son-in-law. Rusty Regan, the missing son-in-law, had his flaws. Fresh off of the boat, he boasted of having ties to the IRA. Furthermore, upon his arrival to America, he made some quick money through bootlegging. Despite his flaws, the old man liked the Irish rogue his older daughter had married and was hurt when he took off without notice. However, it is not Regan's disappearance that led to the hiring of Marlowe's services. Carmen Sternwood, the General's wild and wealthy daughter, has a tendency to run out of control every once and a while, which attracts the attentions of the seedy side of Southern California, the side of humanity that feels perfectly fine in capturing pretty girls in compromising positions. The General is being blackmailed over something young Carmen did, and Marlowe's investigation leads him through the underground world of pornography. Soon, he uncovers evidence that Regan's disappearance has a lot more to do with Carmen than the family was expecting. One of the things that drives this novel is the development of character. On the surface, Chandler starts his novel with a series of stock characters: the slick talking "noir" detective, the sexy rich vixen who likes to slum around, hard nosed cops with attitude. However, the reader has to remember that this series set the standard for these (now) stereotypical characters. Furthermore, Chandler's influence is pervasive in our culture, affecting everything from current detective television programs to Batman comic books. Anyway, The Big Sleep is an excellent read, if one is looking for a quick read.
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