One of four books that changed him, as shared at the Sydney Morning Herald:
THE BIG SLEEPRead about another book on the list.
Raymond Chandler
When you begin to fancy your own chances as a writer, the shortcomings of your heroes can be as inspiring as their strengths. Much as I loved Chandler's novels, I thought they held too many things back. There were places they wouldn't go. Finally I stopped blaming Chandler for not writing the kind of novel I'd have liked to write myself, and started writing it. Would I be able to do it without offending a few people? I certainly hoped not.
The Big Sleep also appears on Jeff Somers's list of five famous books that contain huge mistakes, John Sweeney's top ten list of books on corruption, the Telegraph's top 23 list of amazing--and short--classic books, Lucy Worsley's ten best list of fictional detectives, Becky Ferreira's list of seven of the best books set in Los Angeles, Ian Rankin's list of five perfect mysteries, Kathryn Williams's reading list on greed, Gigi Levangie Grazer's list of six favorite books that became movies, Megan Wasson's list of five top books on Los Angeles, Greil Marcus's six recommended books list, Barry Forshaw's critic's chart of six American noir masters, David Nicholls' list of favorite film adaptations, and the Guardian's list of ten of the best smokes in literature.
--Marshal Zeringue
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