Finished: The Big Sleep (Chandler) Considered one of the best of the private eye genre, though no where near my favorite genre, The Big Sleep held my attention as I read through the crisp prose and dialogue with the deep, monotonous, baritone voice of Philip Marlowe in my head. :-) I liked the opening paragraph, and the writing, though the story itself was a little predictable. Millionaire General Sternwood hires Marlowe to find out who's blackmailing his whackadoodle youngest daughter, Carmen. In the process, Marlowe gets himself in deeper than he thought as the story becomes less about blackmail and more about the possible murder of the missing husband of the oldest Sternwood daughter, Vivian. Of course, Marlowe comes out on the other side all right, and in the process, maintains his regard for the General, while gaining the respect of the General as well. It's hard to tell whether Marlowe falls a bit for Vivian, but he's awfully smooth and swell with the women. :-) In all, I'm glad I finally read this one, but I probably won't be actively looking for more private eye books to read. Here's a snippet of the writing that I did enjoy though....the opening paragraph:

It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.

I just loved that, lol. :-)