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Michael's Reviews > The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1)
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This is a classic noir novel, yet what elevates it above the ordinary, for me, is that it's also a song about Los Angeles, a place I once called home. LA presents many surfaces for many people--to see and be seen, to fantasize and be the objects of fantasy. But Chandler gets at the dark underside of it all in a way that few writers do. He sees the city in its stark white light and also in its shadows, he sees the glory and the rottenness and the flimsiness of the city's facades. It's a love song, a siren's song, and also a dirge, all rolled into an action-packed detective novel that carries you away in its own fantasies and hard-boiled lamentations. I love this book the way I love LA--not uncomplicatedly, but fully nonetheless.
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Finished Reading
August 2, 2017
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Jaline
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Aug 02, 2017 03:01PM
Great review, Michael!
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Excellent, succinct review.
Jaline wrote: "Great review, Michael!"Thanks, Jaline! It's a great book, one I return to time and again.
Forrest wrote: "Excellent, succinct review."Thanks so much, Forrest! I appreciate your kind words.
Nice review Michael. I just finished this one myself.
Thanks, Duane. I hope you enjoyed it. Every time I read it, it brings me back to LA.
Great review! This book is still one of my all time favorites.
Outstanding review. No other writer has captured the dark underbelly of 1930's-40's LA quite like Chandler.
Steven wrote: "Great review! This book is still one of my all time favorites."Thanks, Steven! It's one of my favorites, too--much copied but never matched.
Gary wrote: "Outstanding review. No other writer has captured the dark underbelly of 1930's-40's LA quite like Chandler."Thanks so much, Gary. I appreciate it, and I couldn't agree more!
Thanks so much, Molly!
I so agree with you about it being a love song to LA. Interesting review. I must finish the series..
Love this review, Michael! You truly expressed what is so amazing about Raymond Chandler's writing.
Emma wrote: "I so agree with you about it being a love song to LA. Interesting review. I must finish the series.."Thanks, Emma. I've got to re-read the rest of them too. It's a quite a world to immerse yourself in.
Tara wrote: "Love this review, Michael! You truly expressed what is so amazing about Raymond Chandler's writing."Thanks, Tara! I truly appreciate it. He really is an amazing writer.
Hi Michael. I really love reading Chandler for the reasons you described so well. Also, for the sheer cleverness and humour in the language. I recently read Farewell, My Lovely and delighted in his similes so much. So memorable.
I agree with all the superlatives mentioned above. You really nailed it, Michael.
Robin wrote: "Hi Michael. I really love reading Chandler for the reasons you described so well. Also, for the sheer cleverness and humour in the language. I recently read Farewell, My Lovely and deli..."Thank you, Robin! I too appreciate Chandler's understated humor, and those similes can make me laugh at loud, sometimes at inopportune moments!
Howard wrote: "I agree with all the superlatives mentioned above. You really nailed it, Michael."Thanks so much, Howard, for your kind words!
Thank you for the review. I must say my favourite line of the entire book was the very last line:On the way downtown I stopped at a bar and had a couple of double Scotches. They didn’t do me any good. All they did was make me think of Silver-Wig, and I never saw her again.
Thank you, William, for bringing a smile to my face. It's a wonderful last line indeed.
