society, an aloof spectator who seems to leave a wake of chaos when he actually attempts to get involved in the affairs of others.

Philip Marlowe is an enigmatic character, a lone private detective who seemingly drifts unattached through the high and low ends of L.A. Raymond Chandler's true interest is in the players, not the game. Of course, the reason for all of this is that the mystery isn't really the story. Most mystery fans prefer air tight solutions that show meticulous attention to detail, and look at leftover issues like this as lazy craftsmanship. The Big Sleep actually contains the perfect example of the latter, as it is never clearly explained - or indeed, even known by the author - who killed the Chauffeur. I find that fans of straight mystery novels don't enjoy Chandler's works as much as others the convoluted plots full of double-crosses and long-shots tend to defy traditional logic, resulting in dubious conclusions and the occasional loose end. The locations, characters, and atmosphere are as colorful as they are dark, a captivating portrait of the underbelly of Los Angeles that has been luring readers since it was first published in 1939. The Big Sleep is the first Raymond Chandler novel (cannibalized from some of his previously published short stories) to feature the famous private detective Philip Marlowe, and to this day stands as a classic of crime fiction noir.

The raymond chandler omnibus