Poodle Springs (1988)* *Started 1958 by Chandler & completed by Robert B. Parker. Anyone who knows about sex, death and violence. It's a love song, a siren's song, and also a dirge, all rolled into an action-packed detective novel that carries you away in its own fantasies and hard-boiled lamentations. 6 of 10 stars. Raymond Chandler first published The Big Sleep in 1939, introducing us to the world of Philip Marlowe. See search results for this author. Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is working for the Sternwood family. 18 min read. Listen good, rich, sick, General Sternwood hired me to help him peel an onion, a shakedown the big squeeze, one of his two quite wacky daughters Carmen got into a little pickle. Prime members enjoy unlimited free, fast delivery on eligible items, video streaming, ad-free music, exclusive access to deals & more. Very late. LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. This is the result of it being a mash-up of several previously published short stories which appeared in a periodical. Marlowe's entanglement with the … Reading a hard-boiled detective novel long past the point when I'd already learned lots of things, In any poll of the greatest private eye novels ever written, there is a great chance that the top 5 would contain, It was a joy to read crime fiction that wouldn't be awkward to review on GR, and which doesn't make me feel like apologising to half the review's likely readers. The Big Sleep is a 1939 hardboiled crime novel by American author Raymond Chandler, the first featuring his iconic character, the private detective Philip Marlowe. Everyone talks in 30's-tastic slang and usually the reader has no idea what everyone keeps yelling about. Quantity available: 1. And that's before he stumbles over the first corpse. The Big Sleep is a novel by Raymond Chandler that was first published in 1939. As difficult as it may be not to imagine Humphrey Bogart as Marlowe, Elliott Gould's performance resonates with truth. The Big Sleep was Chandler’s first novel, and it introduced the world to Philip Marlowe, the archetypal wisecracking, world-weary private detective that now occupies a permanent place in the American imagination. Guns abound and are used. This book, 'The Big Sleep' was his first published novel and also the first book by him that I've read. The Big Sleep and (1939 and ) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. This sentence, from the first paragraph of The Big Sleep, marks the last time you can be fully confident that you know what’s going on. You'll need a big fireman's hose to clean up all the crud, any of you need a little doug. Old man Sternwood, crippled and wheelchair-bound, is being given the squeeze by a blackmailer and he wants Marlowe to make the problem go away. First - Chandler combined two short stories and combined characters in writing the Big Sleep. But first I'll have to dig up some clues to where old Rusty is at, maybe go clay pigeon shooting instead with Carmen sounds like fun and she's cute as a bug's ear, dames can make you dizzy, I stay away but not too far. The Little Sister (1949) 6. Set in Los Angeles, California, the book focuses on a case in which Marlowe is hired by a dying millionaire to handle the blackmailer attempting to extort money from one of his two troubled daughters. It's a violent, fast-paced, garter-snapping (the Depression equivalent of bodice-ripping, I imagine) detective thriller, and you could do a lot worse. In all, he published seven novels during his lifetime, with an eighth being completed by Robert B. Parker after his death. But with Sternwood's two wild, devil-may-care daughters prowling LA's seedy … Some get there much earlier than others. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep Agnes Arthur Gwynn asked big sleep blonde breath brown Canino Captain Gregory Carmen chair Chan mous chin cigar cigarette close coat corner Cronjager croupier dark desk door drink dropped Eddie Mars eyes face feet … Such a looker I damn near tripped over a stack of calf-high hardbacks set next to a stand of morning papers. Most mysteries I've read since joining the site have been recent-ish Scandi noir; it was always tricky, because I have to talk to two sets of people in the same post when I actually want to say different things to each of them, and neither is too fond of the other's perspective. But I just can't stomach giving this more than 2 stars. She was the first thing I saw when I walked into the bookstore. Philip Marlowe here at your service, for scratch, I'm going to tell you a little tale of my last caper punks. Thorndike, Me. Okay, so it wasn't bad. Old man Sternwood, crippled and wheelchair-bound, is being given the squeeze by a blackmailer and he wants Marlowe to make the problem go away. Chandler, like his contemporary Dashiel Hammett, has a gift for gorgeous description and atmosphere, and uses it well. Chandler, who was a well-read and classically educated man, uses a plethora of literary devices to create the appropriate mood and tone for The Big Sleep. The bad guys are crazy, the women are freaks in both the streets and the sheets, and there's a subplot involving a pornography racket. By the time he published his first novel, The Big Sleep (1939), featuring, as did all his major works, the iconic private eye Philip Marlowe, it was clear that he had not only mastered a genre but had set a standard to which others could only aspire. Listen good, rich, sick, General Sternwood hired me to help him peel an onion, a shakedown the big squeeze, one of his two quite wacky daughters Carmen got into a little pickle. None of those three components are heavy in this book but they are present. The story is set in Los Angeles, California and is noted for its complexity, with many characters double-crossing one another and many secrets being exposed throughout the … The story is set in Los Angeles The story is noted for its complexity, with characters double-crossing one another and secrets being exposed throughout the narrative. Raymond Chandler was born in 1888 and published his first story in 1933 in the pulp magazine Black Mask. The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature detective Philip Marlowe. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. He sees the city in its stark white light and also in its shadows, he sees the glory and the rottenness and the flimsiness of the city's facades. The story is set in Los AngelesThe story is noted for its complexity, with characters double-crossing one another and secrets being exposed throughout the narrative. There's lots of fistfights and shooting and dames, and our detective hero is appropriately jaded and tight-lipped. In The Big Sleep, author Raymond Chandler represents life in the dark, criminal world of 1930s L.A. as total war. Okay, so it wasn't bad. It’s very much set in the Real World. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell. Welcome back. Thorndike, Me. Many of his books have been adapted for the screen, and he is widely regarded as one of the very greatest writers of detective fiction. A thousand clams to find this ex bootlegger, which isn't hay and the booze will wet the whistle my friends. Chandler/Marlowe have many imitations, but this is the real thing: gritty, painful, existential and seriously human. But I’ve seldom delved further back in time to the heyday of the hard-boiled mysteries. The Big Sleep and Other Novels (Penguin Modern Classics), A Wizard of Earthsea: The First Book of Earthsea (The Earthsea Quartet 1), "His thin, claw-like hands were folded loosely on the rug, purple-nailed. The Big Sleep is a novel by Raymond Chandler that was first published in 1939. He sees the city in its stark white light and also in its shadows, he sees the glory and the rottenness and the flimsiness of the city's facades. The Simple Art of Murder (1950) (short story collection) 7. The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times 'Chandler grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times 'Chandler is an … Year Released: 1939. Chandler, Raymond; Published by Hamish Hamilton, London (1953) Used. The Big Sleep is Raymond Chandler's first novel featuring laconic PI Philip Marlowe. Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression.His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a popular pulp magazine.His first novel, The Big Sleep, … I’d always heard that Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe series was the genesis of the modern day police procedural. But Chandler gets at the dark underside of it all in a way that few writers do. The Big Sleep features Philip Marlowe as the private detective hired by an old wealthy man, General Sternwood to investigate a blackmail involving his younger daughter, Carmen. I’ve long enjoyed American crime fiction but my diet has mostly been that of contemporary novels. 'Anything Chandler writes about grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times'Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as Sherlock Holmes' Anthony BurgessBest-known as the creator of the original private eye, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago in 1888 and died in 1959. I’m not complaining though as I found it to be a momentary relief from the restraints of contemporary barriers. The High Window (194. Marlowe is an independent worker, having been kicked out of the police. Writers like Lawrence Block, Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke have kept me entertained for endless hours. He was first published in 1933 in the pulp magazine Black Mask, and The Big Sleep was his debut novel. Does this book contain inappropriate content? Summary. : Center Point, 2002. The mugs kicked hard but I kicked harder, they shot but I didn't miss the torpedoes, their pushing up daisies now, just another day at the office, I sure needed the moolah. But Chandler gets at the dark underside of it all in a way that few writers do. At any rate I would never recommend the book to them personally, and if I ever mentioned it to them individually I'd say, "This is fairly decent writing by the low bar of this subgenre, but you'd probably hate it.". The High Window (1942) 4. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. A modern, noir like detective story, The Big Sleep changed the genre from passive interactions to action packed thrills between the private eye and criminals. Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression.His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a popular pulp magazine. There was a sulky droop to her lips and the lower lip was full." Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2020. This is evident at the 2/3 mark when the case makes a major turning point. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. There’s a story regarding the movie version of, Edited March, 2019: I've just finished reading, This is a classic noir novel, yet what elevates it above the ordinary, for me, is that it's also a song about Los Angeles, a place I once called home. Are you an author? --This text refers to an alternate, This first Philip Marlowe novel hasn't been diminished by time. So...my point is that this book has a shelf life and in my opinion has passed it. “You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that, oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. So it was with a slight sense of unease that I set about exploring the world of Philip Marlowe. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2017. Marlowe's voice is often censorious, but he is intelligent and wise enough to see people for what they are, and the reader infers that he does not feel himself to be morally or humanly superior to others. It makes the novel seem a little disjointed. Note! by Vintage Crime. Something went wrong. First Edition. The second problem is more modern - some of the descriptions and actions (especially the women in the story) are at best problematic or at worst offensive. The experience is similar to being transported back in time and from the very start, it's understandable how influential his work has become over time. The Big Sleep de Chandler, Raymond sur AbeBooks.fr - ISBN 10 : 0194791653 - ISBN 13 : 9780194791656 - Oxford University Press - 2009 - Couverture souple Despite - or precisely because of - the seaminess and moral anarchy of the world Marlowe descends into, the book is ultimately about preserving and protecting a sense of humanity. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark little clocks on them. … January 13, 2021. Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) Langue : anglais: Genre ou forme de l’œuvre : Œuvres textuelles: Date : 1939: Note : Roman policier. So many other people have reviewed this book in past years I probably can find nothing new to say. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978. I’d always heard that Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe series was the genesis of the modern day police procedural. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. July 12th 1988 Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? As Marlowe, he manages Sternwood's daughters with seeming disdain for their charms; and as the daughters, he switches from the troubled Carmen to the mysterious Frances with the sureness of the gifted actor that he is. Playback (1958) 9. The main characters of this mystery, fiction story are Carmen Sternwood, Philip Marlowe. Raymond Chandler was a distinct and versatile writer. US$ 7.35. Los Angeles Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wheelchair-bound General Sternwood to discover who is blackmailing him. The two gay characters here are criminals: one is a pornographer, the other a murderer. The Big Sleep Raymond Chandler No preview available - 2015. This no doubt helped to give the producers of the film ideas for sets which are recognizable. Often imitated but never bettered, it is in Marlowe's long shadow that every fictional detective must stand - and under the influence of Raymond Chandler's addictive prose that every crime author must write. The Streets. Anyone who knows about sex, death and violence. Directed by Howard Hawks. Writers like Lawrence Block, Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke have kept me entertained for endless hours. I’ve long enjoyed American crime fiction but my diet has mostly been that of contemporary novels. It's a violent, fast-paced, garter-snapping (the Depression equivalent of bodice-ripping, I imagine) detective thriller. I'll not spill the beans but say it's kind of a blue bedtime story with pictures, the sort polite society keeps on the Q.T. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Most mysteries I've read since joining the site have been recent-ish Scandi noir; it was always tricky, because I have to talk to two sets of people in the same post when I actually want to say different things to each of them, and neither is too fond of the other's perspective. 18 min read. Published in 1939, when Raymond Chandler was 50, this is the first of the Philip Marlowe novels. The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe.It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978.The story is set in Los Angeles. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 231 pages and is available in Paperback format. The book has been awarded with , and many others. I'll not spill the beans but say it's kind of a blue bedtime story with pictures, the sort polite society keeps on the Q.T. He constantly provides lush descriptions of environs, especially as regards the weather: rain drenches gun-filled nights, murders, and possible suicides; thunder almost always sounds in the background as a sign of foreshadowing. It was the first of seven novels to feature the famed detective Philip Marlowe. The Big Sleep is Raymond Chandler's most famous and popular novel of allLos Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is working for the Sternwood family. The Lady in the Lake (1943) 5. The Big Sleep. When Harry Jones , a small -time con man was rubbed out by a big gorilla named Canino that's dirty pool , I kind of liked the bum, must be getting soft I guess. After he starts the investigation, he gets drawn into a world of deceit, ugly … After a few killings throwing the lead and one hemlock, people nobody will miss just a bunch of dirty scum (I earned my 500 bucks) . The Big Sleep was Chandler’s first novel, and it introduced the world to Philip Marlowe, the archetypal wisecracking, world-weary private detective that now occupies a permanent place in the American imagination. The film makers chose to leave it out of the film completely. Thanks, See all 13 questions about The Big Sleep…, when Bogart married Bacall... nice pics, too, The Big Sleep First Impressions *No Spoilers*, The Big Sleep Discuss Everything *Spoilers*, October 2019 Group Read - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, Tracking down all the real life LA locations from The Big Sleep, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - (No Spoilers) - September 2019, The 100 Most Popular Mysteries and Thrillers on Goodreads. His books include The Big Sleep, The Little Sister, Farewell, My Lovely, The Long Good-bye, The Lady in the Lake, Playback, Killer in the Rain, The High Window and Trouble is My Business. There is also a loose end in that one of the murders remains unsolved. I paid 258 for the product. ― Raymond Chandler, quote from The Big Sleep “It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2018. The writing is sharp, sophisticated, often funny and memorable. It struck me as horribly sad how homophobic the book is. Chandler's 1939 classic crime novel is the first that featured Phillip Marlowe, the famous private detective who would appear in 7 of Chandler's novels. To my ears this is hilariously bad, but somebody specifically requested it and I was able to source it, so here it is! Everyone talks in 30's-tastic slang and usually the reader has no idea what everyone keeps yelling about. The Big Sleep, classic hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, published in 1939. Published in 1939, it tells the story of the Sternwood family, as dysfunctional a group as you're likely to run into this side of Yoknapatawpha County. Get instant access to all your favorite books. 'I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. I did try Hammett once but I confess I didn’t much enjoy the experience. Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. LA presents many surfaces for many people--to see and be seen, to fantasize and be the objects of fantasy. Holy Moses! A chief agent of this transformation was Raymond Chandler himself. Though they're not the sole wrongdoers, the relationship they share is viewed with untempered abhorrence. A broken, weary old man, Sternwood just wants Marlowe to make the problem go away. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double … No monthly commitment. The collection of characters are a very mixed bunch. The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. The Big Sleep is Raymond Chandler's most famous and popular novel of all Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is working for the Sternwood family. Learn about Author Central. Raymond Chandler was a distinct and versatile writer. They aren't sophisticated characters … Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959, The Big Sleep. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. Hardcover. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Very late. Humphrey Bogart brought him to life on the silver screen in the 1946 production of The Big Sleep. Good writing almost always equals good novel. Marlowe's entanglement with the Sternwood family - and an attendant cast of colourful underworld figures - is the background to a story reflecting all the tarnished glitter of the great American Dream. Story drags as one reads on, it's story-telling rhythm is from an earlier era.. I can say is that the descriptive writing is brilliant. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Marlowe's … The plot is complex and at times difficult to follow. My very first introduction to Marlowe and a welcome one at that. We’d love your help. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be.” This sentence, from the first paragraph of The Big Sleep, marks the last time you can be fully confident that you know … Some get there much earlier than others. A beautifully written but complex storyline, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2019. --This text refers to an alternate. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine--, Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888 - 1959) was the master practitioner of American hard-boiled crime fiction. This is a classic noir novel, yet what elevates it above the ordinary, for me, is that it's also a song about Los Angeles, a place I once called home. Me, I was part of the nastiness now. The experience is similar to being transported back in time and from the very start, it's understandable how influential his work has become over time. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The Raymond Chandler MEGAPACK®: 14 Clasic Mysteries, Wolf Hall: The Man Booker Prize Winner and Magnificent Best Selling Work of Historical Fiction (The Wolf Hall Trilogy, Book 1). I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. MLA Citation (style guide) Chandler, Raymond. Listen online or offline with Android, iOS, web, Chromecast, and Google Assistant. eBook cart, There was a problem adding this eBook to the cart, Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The bad guys are crazy, the women are freaks in both the streets and the sheets, and there's a subplot involving a pornography racket. Marlowe's investigation leads him through various demimondes of Los Angeles, where nothing is what it at first seems to be. Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Set in 1930s Los Angeles, then a sleepy town controlled by the mob as much as the police, The Big Sleep is a non stop action thriller. The Big Sleep is Raymond Chandler's first novel featuring laconic PI Philip Marlowe. With Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. To get the free app, enter mobile phone number. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman co … I had developed a bad habit of eating regularly so accepted the gig. I had read it twice before—once twenty years, once forty years ago—and have admired it ever since for its striking metaphors, vivid scenes, and tough dialogue. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2020. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978. For anyone interested in the development of private eye fiction it is a must read work. Print. I am sure many others disagree as I know this is considered a classic. All about The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Farewell, My Lovely (1940) 3. She was tall and rangy and strong-looking. Lisez « The Big Sleep » de Raymond Chandler disponible chez Rakuten Kobo. I might want to say those who read that sort of genre crim, It was a joy to read crime fiction that wouldn't be awkward to review on GR, and which doesn't make me feel like apologising to half the review's likely readers. Chandler writes with a purpose: to put you right in the shit. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. 'Raymond Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since' Paul Auster, author of The New York Trilogy Raymond Chandler was America's preeminent writer of detective fiction, and this edition of The Big Sleep and Other Novels collects three of the best novels to feature his hard-drinking, philosophising PI, Philip … In the end, perhaps, all these people are, like Marlowe himself, looking for something to give their lives shape and meaning. The experience is similar to being transported back in time and from the very start, it's understandable how influential his work has become over time. This item has a maximum order quantity limit. The background is based in Prohibition US America. She had a good mouth and a good chin. Chandler creates a powerful and saturating sense of the anarchy that lies below the mansions and glitter of 30s Los Angeles, and the emptiness of the lives of both the wealthy, and the assorted crooks, chancers and victims who feature in his story. The Big Sleep Mass Market Paperback – January 1, 1976 by Raymond Chandler (Author) › Visit Amazon's Raymond Chandler Page. Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe: #1 – The Big Sleep with Toby Stephens as Philip Marlowe Raffles – S01E04 – The Gold Cup – Anthony Valentine Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt – John Mortimer with Leo McKern as Rumpole In answer to Salley, I believe Philip Marlowe's story chronology goes... 1. Free download or read online The Big Sleep pdf (ePUB) book. Since I've been reading a lot of detective-type urban fantasy lately, I decided to pick up one of the original texts of the genre, just to see what it was like. The title is a … The old man is concerned to find out what happened to his son-in-law, who has disappeared. The Big Sleep finds the world-weary, wisecracking investigator consulted by a wealthy family man with two big problems: his children. And after reading The Big Sleep, which is the first book in the series, I can see why people say that. None of those three components are heavy in this book but the. Please try your request again later. From New Zealand to U.S.A. … The Big Sleep, written by Raymond Chandler in 1939, was the first in a series of novels, featuring the detective Philip Marlowe as the main protagonist. Summary In Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, private investigator Philip Marlowe goes to the wealthy General Sternwood's home on a job. Chandler's writing is moody, sexy, and down to earth. With clever detectives, missing jewels, murderous women, daring spies, and more, mysteries and thrillers deliver page-turning delight with... To see what your friends thought of this book, In answer to Salley, I believe Philip Marlowe's story chronology goes... 1. This was my first dip into Chandler, and early 'hard-boiled' crime fiction and I was surprised by the frank treatment of sexuality, as well as by the instances of what we coyly call 'swearing', conveyed int he book by suggestion. Shipping: US$ 24.21. The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature detective Philip Marlowe. Raymond Chandler created the fast talking, trouble seeking Californian private eye Philip Marlowe for his first great novel The Big Sleep in 1939. . I might want to say those who read that sort of genre crime at least occasionally "this is well-written" by which I mean in the context of contemporary police procedurals (there are some right clunkers out there). He has his own moral code and protects his clients' interests. Although he was born in Chicago, Chandler spent most of his boyhood and youth in England where he attended Dulwich College and later worked as a freelance journalist for, Toby Stephens stars in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Raymond Chandler’s first Philip Marlowe mystery. raymond chandler * * * the big sleep vintage crime/black lizard vintage books a division of random house, inc. new york contents title page one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty twenty-one twenty-two twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five twenty-six twenty-seven twenty-eight twenty-nine thirty thirty-one thirty-two about the … “Dead men are heavier than broken hearts.”, “It seemed like a nice neighborhood to have bad habits in.”, Anthony Award Nominee for Best Novel of the Century (2000), Is there a particular line up of these books that one should start with? He sets the novel in his present, during the depression, so money influences all the action, and everybody is disillusioned and cynical, including Marlowe, but Marlowe owns his morality, a white cavalier alone in the noir, and Chandler’s control of … The Big Sleep (1939) 2. 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times 'Chandler grips the mind from the first sentence' Daily Telegraph 'One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain' Sunday Times 'Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as … This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for … Convert currency.