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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
This was a lot better than I expected! I love the movie and noir in general, but I was expecting this to be pulpy; something churned out on a deadline, a little thin. It's actually a solid story written with a keen and observant eye. The story is interesting and engaging, every character is richly filled out, and the narration is an endless series of observations that range from helpfully insightful to cute and clever to downright poetic. The detail presented is refreshing. This story was written by someone with a passion for the craft, for character, and for the setting. All these decades later I can feel the authenticity of the southern California vibe presented throughout this book.
The edition I read was extensively illustrated with a series of photos done by Lou Stoumen in the 80s. This initially felt a little hokey to me, and added to the sense that this might be more young adult fiction, but actually the photos were well done and added a lot to the story. Though seeing an unfamiliar face as Marlowe did wrestle with my mental images of Bogart and Gerald Mohr. One note: Not having to worry about strict censors, the book is racier than the movie and does not shy away from the issue of pornography at the center of much of the story. The photos also do not hesitate to present every important or particularly vivid scene, so some readers might be surprised to encounter substantial nudity.
The edition I read was extensively illustrated with a series of photos done by Lou Stoumen in the 80s. This initially felt a little hokey to me, and added to the sense that this might be more young adult fiction, but actually the photos were well done and added a lot to the story. Though seeing an unfamiliar face as Marlowe did wrestle with my mental images of Bogart and Gerald Mohr. One note: Not having to worry about strict censors, the book is racier than the movie and does not shy away from the issue of pornography at the center of much of the story. The photos also do not hesitate to present every important or particularly vivid scene, so some readers might be surprised to encounter substantial nudity.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Big Sleep is the first Marlowe novel and Chandler gives him all the bits you expect from the famous detective: he's more interested in the job than dames and about as equally interested in chess as he is in booze.
The plot is pretty convoluted, but it mostly involves him protecting the two Sternwood daughters. The rest of the time he spends protecting himself from the Sternwood daughters.
The plot is pretty convoluted, but it mostly involves him protecting the two Sternwood daughters. The rest of the time he spends protecting himself from the Sternwood daughters.
Homebound with shingles and no yarn for knitting or new books to read, I picked up this book that a friend had passed along long ago. And it turned out that I sort of enjoyed it. I've never read one of these old crime / detective books and I felt like I kept slipping into auditory reading, where my pace slowed down and I could hear the narrator's deep voice saying things like, "It was a dark and stormy night. I sat alone in my office waiting for a lead, when the dame called..." etc. (That's not from the book -- his dialogue and monologues are much wittier.)
Chandler's descriptions of rooms (he seemed mildly obsessed with describing carpets and evaluating the level of luxury based on them) were amazingly detailed. I felt like I had stepped back into the 1920s or 30s reading his descriptions of what he was seeing. Not sure I'll look for more of these in the future, but I was entertained by this one.
Chandler's descriptions of rooms (he seemed mildly obsessed with describing carpets and evaluating the level of luxury based on them) were amazingly detailed. I felt like I had stepped back into the 1920s or 30s reading his descriptions of what he was seeing. Not sure I'll look for more of these in the future, but I was entertained by this one.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For a book as old as it is, I had no trouble following it. Expect lots of grit and betrayal. It's not one of those detective novels you can really solve, just a tense romp through an uncharacteristically rainy Los Angeles in the late 1930s. I'm not sure if I wish I could've gotten more attached to the characters; aside from the Sternwoods, nobody really stood out too much. They were all just pretty seedy and awful, but not necessarily in a way that made me not want to read about it.
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a real struggle. I finished it because it was part of a summer reading challenge, but otherwise it would've been on my DNF list. Even putting aside the sexism etc, nothing about this story ever caught my interest.
Good detective novel. Nothing special storywise from today's perspective, but this is the beginning of hard-boiled detective character.
medium-paced
really boring plot. extra star for immaculate vibes tho