Our book choice for April 2008 is The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Summoned to the home of the fabulously wealthy General Sternwood, cynical private investigator Philip Marlowe is hired to deal with a blackmailer shaking down the General’s sensuous, thumb-sucking daughter Carmen.
The Big Sleep is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It was published in 1939. The story is set in Los Angeles and follows Marlowe as he investigates the blackmailing of General Sternwood’s daughter Carmen by Arthur Geiger, a pornography dealer. The investigation soon leads Marlowe into a web of corruption and violence, as he uncovers secrets about the Sternwood family and their associates.
The novel opens with Marlowe being hired by General Sternwood to “take care of” Geiger. Marlowe visits Geiger’s bookstore and meets Agnes, the clerk. Agnes tells Marlowe that Geiger is a pornography dealer and that he has been blackmailing Carmen Sternwood with pictures of her in compromising positions. Marlowe pays Geiger a visit and demands that he stop blackmailing Carmen. Geiger refuses, and Marlowe leaves.
Later that night, Marlowe is called to the Sternwood mansion again. This time, it is Vivian Sternwood, the General’s older daughter, who wants to hire him. Vivian tells Marlowe that her husband, Rusty Regan, has disappeared. She suspects that he has been murdered, and she wants Marlowe to find out what happened to him.
Marlowe begins his investigation by following up on a lead that leads him to a nightclub owned by Eddie Mars. Mars is a gangster who is involved in gambling and prostitution. Marlowe learns that Mars was having an affair with Mona Mars, his wife, and that Regan may have been involved in the affair as well.
Marlowe’s investigation takes him into some dark and dangerous places. He is threatened by gangsters, beaten up, and even shot at. But he persists, determined to find out what happened to Regan and to solve the mystery of Geiger’s murder.
The Big Sleep is a classic hardboiled crime novel. It is full of suspense, violence, and double-crossing. But it is also a complex and sophisticated novel, with a rich and nuanced understanding of human nature. Chandler’s writing is sharp and witty, and his characters are memorable and believable. The Big Sleep is a classic of American crime fiction, and it is still as exciting and relevant today as it was when it was first published.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think that you are able to retell the plot?
- How would you describe Marlow? Why did Marlow do his job?
- Does Marlow deliberately plan his method of investigation or was it luck that he solved it? Was he smart?
- Was it a clear case of good guys vs bad guys?
- Was it really just stylized violence, sex and drugs, or was there more to it?
- Were the people in the book caricatures or did they feel like real characters? Did people like Marlow ever really exist?
- How did you find the books language?
- Is the book dated? Does that help or hinder your reading of it?
- The book was mainly suggestive about some vices rather than direct, is this style or censorship?
- Would you read any more in a hardboiled style or once you’ve read one, you’ve read them all?
- What is the significance of the title The Big Sleep?
- What are the main themes of the novel?
- How does Chandler’s use of setting create a mood of noir?
- What is the role of women in the novel?
- How does Marlowe’s code of honor influence his actions?
- What is the relationship between Marlowe and the Sternwood family?
- What is the significance of the characters of Geiger and Brody?
- What is the meaning of the final scene of the novel?
- How does The Big Sleep compare to other hardboiled detective novels?
- How does Chandler’s writing style contribute to the novel’s atmosphere?
- What is the significance of the novel’s title in the context of the final scene?
- How does the novel explore the corruption of American society?
- What is the role of violence in the novel?
- How does the novel challenge traditional gender roles?
Individual Ratings
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