The Big Sleep (1939)
0.1411Canon Score · ranked #165 all time
Aggregated from 5 of 14 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the book
Philip Marlowe, a private eye who operates in Los Angeles's seamy underside during the 1930s, takes on his first case, which involves a paralyzed California millionaire, two psychotic daughters, blackmail, and murder
Why it ranks #165
Every list on which The Big Sleep appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Le Monde 100 Books of the Century | Critics' canon | #96 / 100 |
| Guardian 1000 Novels (2009) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Books You Must Read (union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| Observer 100 Greatest Novels (2003) | Editorial list | Selected |
| Telegraph 100 Novels (2009) | Editorial list | Selected |