#64 The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler (Penguin Group)

Finally, I opened the book. It was dark; the only street lamp outside flickered and briefly threw up shadows into the alleyways opposite. The alleyways which produced all kinds of late-night sounds, from screams of joy to screams of pain. But that was the last thing on my mind. Across the room, the wench smouldered as she coolly observed me in the half-light. I always did like a red-haired woman. But first, I had to read this book.

As the above hopefully proves, it’s not difficult to write in the style of Raymond Chandler. But it’s difficult to do it well…

The Big Sleep is the Big Daddy of crime books, inspiring countless film noirs, shady cops, femme fatales and PIs like the uncompromising Philip Marlowe. All too often, those who pave the way for a genre tend to have their work forgotten; it’s easy to argue that Chandler is more respected for his legacy than the books he actually wrote. So it’s good to go back and be reassured that the work itself is of such a good quality.

The Big Sleep has all the elements you’d expect. Sex, violence, double-crossing, naked women, seductions, deaths, gun-shots, conspiracies, gambling and a plot which twists and turns more than Marlowe in search of a drink.

Chandler’s greatest gift is his turn of phrase. Descriptions are quickly dealt with but paint a vivid picture and in the reader’s mind a shady world is carefully constructed full of stakeouts, hurried conversations and damning conclusions: “Whoever had done it had meant business. Dead men are heavier than broken hearts.”

So, rating time:

#64 The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler (Penguin Group) - 8/10

Next up: Adventures on the High Teas, by Stuart Maconie (Ebury Press)

Click here for the full list of books so far, and their rating