Mystery Review: The Big Sleep is not only the first Philip Marlowe novel, but opens with my favorite first paragraph in all of fiction: "I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it." Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) writes with breezy confidence and a quick wit, color and detail are presented in sharp relief. We meet L.A. private detective Philip Marlowe who's 33 years old, cynical, honest, a chess player, probably alcoholic, "went to college once," and is just tough enough to deal with most of whatever comes along. It's possible he sees himself as "a knight in dark armor rescuing a lady." The classic, hard-boiled detective, even if Dashiell Hammett led the way (he'd published all five of his novels by the time The Big Sleep was written). Marlowe meets the wealthy Sternwood family and the plot moves at break-neck speed, unpredictable and complicated. One murder is never solved. Much of the plot is advanced through conversation, in which Marlowe meets corrupt cops, honest crooks, and everyone in between. He encounters pornography, drugs, gambling, and two murders committed by vengeful lovers. Surrounded by corruption he can't be bought. "To hell with the rich. They made me sick." There's constant suspense and sharp dialogue. Whenever the story drags, a man comes through a door with a gun. But the plot is secondary to well-drawn characters, moody cityscapes, and vivid descriptions. This is the book when the detective became more important than the story. This is an L.A. story and Marlowe knows the city like the back of his hand. Chandler didn't know it but he was writing mysteries for those who enjoy literary fiction. I'll just note that there are a few moments of homophobia, which the reader may expect from the times. The Big Sleep is enjoyable all the way through, although at times it was hard to separate it from the classic black and white film with Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. [5★]
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