The Annotated Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler’s original 1939 novel The Big Sleep has long been recognized as one of the classic hard-boiled detective novels. Following the principled PI Philip Marlowe as he makes his way through the seedy underbelly of 1930s Los Angeles, looking for a millionaire’s missing son-in-law, readers are soon immersed in a troubling and mysterious world of glamor, blackmail, corruption, and greed. As the questions and bodies keep piling up, will Marlowe and his morals survive?

While Chandler’s novel is obviously the product of a particular time period, it remains an outstanding detective story, and Chandler’s unique similes and snappy dialogue are clear high points. The annotations that are new to this edition, however, provide incredibly helpful context and commentary, both historically in terms of Los Angeles at the time and in terms of The Big Sleep as a work of literature. Using pictures, maps, and footnotes that discuss everything from Romantic literature’s influence on Chandler to 1930s gangster slang, the annotations enhance the experience of reading the novel by helping readers unlock the novel’s many layers and influences. On its own, The Big Sleep is certainly compelling, but this annotated edition makes an already fascinating novel even more worthwhile.