Bookworms comments
Ca: Both plot and language are excellent, but got bored towards the end. The women seem barking mad. Didn’t really care for the characters.
Interesting pace and rhythm to the writing – reminds of locomotive
Sh: Loved it. Ian Rankin says it has the best of opening paragraphs. The one liners were often laugh-out-loud funny. Seemed to be about 3 plots and began to flag towards the end.
D: Big fan of Raymond Chandler – like sitting in front of a log fire. Portrays all human frailties. Characterisation v. good but treatment of women is very dated.
A cracking read – real literature.
Ce: Like the character of Phillip Marlow – likeable, strong, new his own mind. Like the fullness of the descriptions which filled the mind with lots of nice pictures. Don’t really enjoy this genre – too much death and violence. There was too much re-capping of events and he said, she said and the story didn’t really hold me. But the sharp turns of phrase made you sit up with admiration
Ro: Chandler not so much concerned with plot. His books are about characters and how they interact with each other. Marlow is a hard-boiled detective and books are full of harsh situations yet also contain small incidents that show Chandler’s compassion.
What did it matter where you lay once you are dead? In a dirty sump put in a marble tower on top of the high Hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you are not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell.
Je: I think I enjoyed it. Had to read in a rush – the last 60 pages this afternoon. I want to go back and read it more slowly. Started to make a list of the telling phrases and similes but quickly realised there were just too many. Didn’t enjoy the plot but did enjoy the language. Wanted more depth to the characters. I want to know where they come from and what makes them tick. It goes at a fantastic pace with great economy of language. Did get lost from time to time and didn’t totally understand the story. Don’t think I would read another.
Pi: Read in fits and starts so had to keep going back to remember who’s who and what happened. Very punchy writing and very fast pace – couldn't keep up. Also thrown a bit by the American jargon Loved the detailed descriptions, especially of people’s faces. Also liked the way the title was revealed right at the end. Really enjoyed and would read again.
Jo: Read last year and really enjoyed. Had just bought “Farewell My Lovely” so read that instead of re-reading The Big Sleep. Loved the detailed descriptions of people and places – he really sets the scene. The amazing similes and metaphors punctuate the narrative and almost make you gasp with admiration.
“It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
Agree that the books are not so much about plot as about the characters and their interaction.
Ca: Both plot and language are excellent, but got bored towards the end. The women seem barking mad. Didn’t really care for the characters.
Interesting pace and rhythm to the writing – reminds of locomotive
Sh: Loved it. Ian Rankin says it has the best of opening paragraphs. The one liners were often laugh-out-loud funny. Seemed to be about 3 plots and began to flag towards the end.
D: Big fan of Raymond Chandler – like sitting in front of a log fire. Portrays all human frailties. Characterisation v. good but treatment of women is very dated.
A cracking read – real literature.
Ce: Like the character of Phillip Marlow – likeable, strong, new his own mind. Like the fullness of the descriptions which filled the mind with lots of nice pictures. Don’t really enjoy this genre – too much death and violence. There was too much re-capping of events and he said, she said and the story didn’t really hold me. But the sharp turns of phrase made you sit up with admiration
Ro: Chandler not so much concerned with plot. His books are about characters and how they interact with each other. Marlow is a hard-boiled detective and books are full of harsh situations yet also contain small incidents that show Chandler’s compassion.
What did it matter where you lay once you are dead? In a dirty sump put in a marble tower on top of the high Hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you are not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell.
Je: I think I enjoyed it. Had to read in a rush – the last 60 pages this afternoon. I want to go back and read it more slowly. Started to make a list of the telling phrases and similes but quickly realised there were just too many. Didn’t enjoy the plot but did enjoy the language. Wanted more depth to the characters. I want to know where they come from and what makes them tick. It goes at a fantastic pace with great economy of language. Did get lost from time to time and didn’t totally understand the story. Don’t think I would read another.
Pi: Read in fits and starts so had to keep going back to remember who’s who and what happened. Very punchy writing and very fast pace – couldn't keep up. Also thrown a bit by the American jargon Loved the detailed descriptions, especially of people’s faces. Also liked the way the title was revealed right at the end. Really enjoyed and would read again.
Jo: Read last year and really enjoyed. Had just bought “Farewell My Lovely” so read that instead of re-reading The Big Sleep. Loved the detailed descriptions of people and places – he really sets the scene. The amazing similes and metaphors punctuate the narrative and almost make you gasp with admiration.
“It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
Agree that the books are not so much about plot as about the characters and their interaction.