Why people recommend it
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is a classic 1939 hardboiled detective novel that introduced private investigator Philip Marlowe and defined the noir genre. Ghislaine Bogdanove discussed reading Chandler's debut novel on The Book Review, while Sarah Weinman explored how the author developed his romantic detective style by drawing from his background in the oil industry. On The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Andrew Klavan credited reading The Big Sleep as the definitive moment that inspired him to pursue a career as a mystery writer, praising the book's cinematic influence. Klavan and the host also analyzed a memorable scene where Marlowe plays a solitary chess game and knocks over the board while reflecting on the nature of the game. Additionally, Natasha Lyonne referenced Chandler's contributions to literature and film noir during an appearance on SmartLess.
Who recommended it
- Andrew Klavan Discussed
- Sarah Weinman Discussed
- Ghislaine Bogdanove Recommended
- Jordan Peterson Discussed
Andrew Klavan — 2 mentions
“Well, the moment I became a mystery writer was when I read 'The Big Sleep'.”
“And one of the great scenes in 'The Big Sleep' is when the detective is playing a chess game by himself—a solitary chess game—and he knocks over the board and says, 'This is not a game for knights!'”
Sarah Weinman — 1 mention
“he worked in the oil industry and he was writing stories on the side and this is how he developed his extremely romantic style detective Philip Marlo who traveled the Mean Streets of Los Angeles and so the big sleep is the first introduction in novel format”
Ghislaine Bogdanove — 1 mention
“and uh and I've been reading his first novel The Big Sleep from 1939”
Jordan Peterson — 1 mention
“He is also the instigator of several great movies, like 'The Big Sleep'.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“If anything, even, you know, John Fonte or Raymond Chandler books, which I'm, he knows all of that too.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I'm reading the committed by Viet tanw and I I'm reading Raymond Chandler's the big sleep and I read Beijing payback by Daniel n and yoga by Emanuel career”