Weekend Buff

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

When The Big Sleep was published in 1939, the mystery genre had already established its conventions - logical puzzles, tidy conclusions, and detectives who solved crimes through cool, calculated deduction. Raymond Chandler brought a brand new perspective to the genre. He did not write genteel mysteries. Instead, he reimagined crime fiction as a deeper piece of literature. His novels were psychological, disturbing, morally ambiguous, writings that took place amid the grit and glitz of Los Angeles. The Big Sleep is no dime-store novel.

This book was written as Chandler himself was down on his luck and unemployed as the country was in the throes of the Great Depression. The book captures the desperation and trauma of the era. It marks the early development of what would be called the “noir” style – a dark, foreboding, and hopeless piece of literary genius.

Chandler’s writing style is nothing short of magnificent here. His use of intricate and original metaphors, dark imaginative imagery, and witty satirical dialogue is fantastic. You will keep turning the page, not only for the great mystery, but just to see what Chandler will come up with next. The Big Sleep is truly a masterpiece.

Chandler keeps you on the edge of your seat with the development of characters as well. Private investigator Philip Marlowe has become a classic American character. Chandler accomplishes this, in part, by developing Marlowe slowly as the book proceeds. We don’t even get his first name for several chapters. Chandler develops Marlowe into the rough, down-and-out, dirty but noble anti-hero. The same holds true for other characters in the book. The personas themselves are a mystery that the reader can enjoy unravelling.

One can see the influence of Raymond Chandler in most American police and mystery writers. He is a literary icon, and this is where you can read him at his freshest and most innovative.

The book runs about 270 pages, but it is a quick read. Short succinct bursts of dialogue combined with quick impactful metaphors that paint a jaded and cynical picture of the world. Truly a perfect book for a cop!

You can pick up The Big Sleep at almost any library or buy it on Amazon for about $6. Take this weekend to read an American classic. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!