Book Report: The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler: Torgo approves

There were several key things about this book I liked. First, the narrative arc felt unconventional. The plot that drives the story initially is resolved about midway through. Marlowe, a private detective, is hired by a wealthy oil barron to look into an extortion scam. But the extortionist winds up dead early on, as does his killer, and while the killer's murder never gets resolved, the book shifts from that point. It doesn't necessarily go into something different, which too many books do when they seem directionless after 150 pages or so, but it drifts for a few chapters in seeming discontent resolution before picking up again with new but related plot twists.

So the plot builds to a climax, somewhat resolves itself, then has this outgrowth into another building arc. Ultimately, that arc is resolved, but then the story continues into another, final build.

It's tied together nicely by the narration, the second thing I particularly enjoyed. Though I'm just repeating what's on the book jacket, it's worth repeating: though this is Chandler's first novel, he'd mastered Marlowe's voice, the plethora of similes, the sarcastic sneer. It's been imitated endlessly since, but The Big Sleep is still captivating. I was distracted at first by the imagery: "She looked like a woman who was like a cat in need of milk like a bear needs Charmin." The similes pile on like that, but it's done with consistency.

I don't remember having seen the movie, but realizing William Faulkner wrote the screenplay, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall starred, and Howard Hawks directed, it's going on the Netflix list. Although, I think Lauren Bacall took the wrong role. She plays one of two sisters central to the plot. In reading up on the movie on imdb, the original actress playing the younger sister apparently upstaged Bacall to the point where they cut her scenes. But I think it's the role, not the actress. The younger sister is a better part. Oh well, I need to see the movie.