A review by cherrie_bluhd
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

3.0

Entertaining and compelling. The sheer density of phrases in the book was astounding. Really communicated a tone, and an ambiance -- everyone in chaos, everyone corrupt, everyone witty as fuck, battling against each other to see who can have the flashiest intellect. Of course, it's treatment of women feels chaotic, derisive, overly sexual, and wholly dismissive. At the same time, the power (?) of a woman fucking up everything under everyone's noses is kind of enticing. Some plot holes and drawn-out conflicts kind of lost me at times. I wish, like in other detective novels, I could have found clues that led me to the killer in the text, but there wasn't much there. Overall an engaging read from a witty, dense, observant writer.