The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep introduces private detective Philip Marlowe, whose tough honesty and sharp wit define the hardboiled genre. Hired by the wealthy and ailing General Sternwood to stop a blackmail scheme involving his troubled daughter Carmen, Marlowe quickly discovers that nothing about the Sternwood family is simple. His investigation leads him into a shadowy Los Angeles underworld of pornography, gambling, corruption, and murder. As bodies begin to fall, Marlowe realizes he’s entangled in a web of lies tied not only to Carmen but also to her sophisticated sister, Vivian, and a host of dangerous criminals. Throughout the case, Marlowe maintains his personal code of integrity, refusing bribes or manipulation despite the moral rot around him. Chandler’s vivid prose, gritty atmosphere, and intricate plotting make The Big Sleep a landmark of noir fiction—an exploration of corruption, desire, and a lone detective’s struggle to stay honorable in a dishonorable world.