"The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler (1939)

 

While still on vacation, I randomly selected old fashioned noir detective story "The Big Sleep" because the beginning seemed nice, I loved the idea of reading a classic "hardboiled" novel and I have previously never read Chandler before, so it fits with my decision to devote 2026 to authors I am not really familiar with. To be honest, I am vaguely acquainted with the genre more trough the film noir that explored many of its famous novels - there was a time when I was totally on a roll with film noir and loved everything about it, but as novels go, I read maybe "The Postman Always Rings Twice", "Strangers on a Train" and just a handful more titles, but I know hardboiled detectives from the movies. Fast talking detectives, cops, journalists and sexy dame somewhere in the background - the cliché was well known and extremely entertaining, capable of creating literally countless hours of  pleasure. 

Well, initially I was amused with Chandler's style - he had a wonderfully witty way with words and it was clear from the start that this is someone original, someone with a very specific, naturally hip and sarcastic tone. The main character is a private detective Philip Marlowe, summoned by wealthy, dying general Sternwood who gives him task of dealing with a blackmailing bookseller. General also has two wild daughters, Vivian and Carmen who are both completely spoiled and unmanageable. So far, so good and first few chapters were wonderful, however very soon it became clear that Chandler is actually not interested in a plot itself, but he really loves and enjoys creating the atmosphere and toying with witty sentences. And before you know it, I became totally lost in the labyrinth of double crossings, cheating ladies, more and more characters who would come in shortly, just to never be seen or heard again. There were even murders that never got solved because Chandler forgot all about them. It became so complicated that I had to re-read some chapters just to remember who is who, until eventually it became really incoherent - I had to leave it aside for almost a month, to finally muster up the determination to finish the darn novel. I suspect that film version smoothes over all the rough edges and perhaps makes more sense, however as much as I admire Chandler's style, novel itself is a mess.