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The Big Sleep is something more than its origins in the detective genre might suggest. Told with Chandler's absolutely inimitable (yet oft attempted) style of bare, sparse, ironic sentences and brilliantly conjured characters, The Big Sleep is a brilliant look into the seedy side of the American dream, and one man's attempt to keep honest.

Strong, brave, and yet enormously fallible, Philip Marlowe became the image of what every man wanted to be.

In 1930s America, Marlowe was the man every woman wanted to love. When he was immortalized on screen by Humphrey Bogart in a film of the same name, the legend that Chandler's novel began became impossible to shake.

Overview: The Big Sleep

The story is an enormously intricate one, and it really seems to have no possible resolution until the final pages. The Big Sleep centers around the rich Sternwood family. General Sternwood is a wealthy, elderly man who hires Philip Marlowe (a private detective) to help him with a little difficulty.

Carmen (one of the general's two daughters), is mixed up with a seedy low-life by the name of Geiger, who runs an illegal pornography racket out of a bookstore. Then, when Marlowe follows Geiger, he witnesses a murder. Marlowe bursts in moments after the moment, and discovers Carmen--naked, drugged, and lying by the body.

To save the Sternwoods from embarrassment, Marlowe evades the police and takes Carmen home. This act of chivalry earns him the respect of Carmen's sister, Viven, a cool blond--willing to do anything to keep Carmen out of trouble.

The plot is further complicated, because Geiger's murderer also has taken pictures of Carmen; and Marlowe must retrieve them.

Sternwood's chauffeur is also missing, and may well have something to do with the plot. As in all great detective fiction, everyone involved in the story has an "angle," and Marlowe is buffeted between the various factions (along with nearly being killed by a love-sick mob boss). In the final pages, Marlowe manages to do what's right (although bending the law a little bit), and manages to come out of the adventure with only a couple of broken ribs.

The Depth of Genre Fiction?: The Big Sleep

Chandler packs a whole lot into his work of genre fiction: intricate plots, tough-talking dialogue, and brilliant characterization. But, Chandler offers something much deeper: a philosophical view of the world. Marlowe faces a hostile world, where money corrupts and anyone can be bought. In this world, most people merely fall into line and give up the fight.

But not Marlowe! He is a man of integrity. But, he also feels no compunction about breaking the law if it's for a good reason. He works for pay, but he is never controlled (or beholden) to his paymasters. Even when Sternwood tells him that the case is over, he is still intrigued by the mystery of the missing chauffeur. Paid or unpaid, Marlowe cares about the truth.

The Beauty of The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep is dazzling in its setting. The novel is brilliant as much for its ideas as for the legendary character to which it gave birth. The Big Sleep is the thinking man's pulp fiction. And, Marlowe's consideration of death (or the big sleep of the title) is rivaled only by Hamlet's famous soliloquy.

The Big Sleep is poignant, yet realistic. The novel is compassionate but also cynical about the satisfaction that life can bring. As much as any other writer in the 20th century, Chandler bridges the gap between high and low culture. The Big Sleep is a work of art that can and should be appreciated for many years to come.