The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

First novel in the critically acclaimed Philip Marlow series, this novel is regarded as the best work of Raymond Chandler to this date and in fact, in 2005 this book was even included in “TIME’s list of the 100 Best Novels.” The story of this magnificent novel opens up as follows:- 

 

Harassed by the wild adventures of his amorous, amoral, young, beautiful daughter, Carmen; the wealthy retired general, General Sternwood, employs the dashing quick witted private detective, Philip Marlow to sort out a blackmailing attempt on Carmen that may ruin the hard earned good reputation of the Sternwood family forever. During his meeting with the general, Philip also learns that the husband of general’s older daughter has vanished without a trace. Now this may or may not be related with the blackmailing business. 

To clean up the mess, Philip first decides to investigate the greedy blackmailer, Arthur Geigor who also happens to be the leader of an underground sex racket.

On a dark lonely night as Philip stakes out the house of Geigor, he sees Carmen Sternwood enter the house and then a little later he hears a blood-chilling scream followed by several gunshots. Before he can comprehend what is really happening, he watches two cars flee from the spot with lightening speed.

Philip runs to the house and discovers a disturbing scene. He finds Geigor in a grotesque state, apparently dead from multiple gunshot wounds and Carmen unconscious, posing nude in front of a camera from which the film has been stolen.

As a favor to the general, and to save the Sternwood family from great embarrassment, Philip rescues Carmen and takes her home, but when he returns to Geigor’s house to check out the crime scene, he is shocked to see that Geigor’s dead body has also been stolen. Fearing the worst, Philip too immediately flees from the house but it does not take cops long to call upon him to question about these morbid incidents.

Set in Los Angeles California, this dazzling hardboiled detective mystery is a fantastic tale of family bond, corruption, debauchery and the persistence of one man, Philip Marlow, to uncover the truth at any price. The complex plot of this astonishing novel is driven at a fast pace by powerful characters, clever dialogue, secret relationships, plenty of unexpected double crosses, and frequent dead bodies that keep piling up.

Contrary to the choice of the title name, this novel keeps the readers on an edge and keeps them from sleeping while they enjoy it.

My rating four out of five stars.

  

The Da Vinci Code

THE DA VINCI CODE by DAN BROWN

Dan Brown’s mystery-thriller novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ pits protagonist, Robert Langdon, a middle-aged professor of religious iconology at Harvard University, a symbologist, an expert puzzle solver and a genius among other things, against the shrewd antagonist, known only as ‘Teacher’  who is relentlessly searching for the ‘Holy Grail’ and aims to destroy Vatican Church forever.

Robert Langdon comes to Paris to lecture on his work, a routine affair but his routine is disturbed drastically when the police comes knocking at the door of his hotel room. They inform Robert that Sauniére, curator of Louvre museum, an acquaintance of Robert, has been found murdered at the museum and they need his assistance in deciphering a cryptic message left at the crime scene.

Unaware of the complication that he is himself the prime suspect in the murder, Robert agrees to police’s request and goes to museum where Sauniére’s dead body has been put on the display by the killer in the manner similar to one of the Da Vinci’s painting, Vitruvian Man.

Police captain Bezu Fache intends to get a confession out of the Robert by confronting him on the crime scene but police cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, who is also the granddaughter of Sauniére, warns Robert of Fache’s plan.

She understands that Sauniére wanted Robert to decrypt cryptic message and that Robert has nothing to do with her grandfather’s murder, a view that is not shared by her superiors.

Robert and Sophie join forces to uncover the diabolical plot behind  Sauniére’s murder, which lead them into dark corners of church, Priory of Sion – a secret organization, hunt for the holy grail, possibility of Jesus married to Mary Magdalene – one of the most eminent disciple of Jesus and ultimately to the hidden identity of witty antagonist, Teacher.

While police and a dangerous assassin is on Robert and Sophie’s trail, Robert keeps on solving one complicated puzzle after another to finally unearth a shocking truth that changes Sophie’s life forever.

The thrilling story of the novel revolves around the struggle of Robert and Sophie to uncover the truth, Church’s attempts to block them in their quest, difficult puzzles, ciphers and labyrinths, shady characters lurking in the dark, secret pagan groups and conspiracy theories.

Dan Brown has used historical events as the building blocks for setting the stage in present time to develop the fictional story as a fact in which boundaries of fiction and reality merge to create an addictive plot.

However, some may accuse Dan of misrepresenting the history but people tend to forget that it is fictional work meant for entertainment; it is not a course material to be taught at schools so it has to be historically correct. 

Moreover, some will be appalled by the alternative life history of Jesus Christ and the negative role in which Vatican Church has been presented in the novel, but it definitely deserves a reading for having a unique absorbing story.

To sum up the review, I can only say that ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is profanely captivating and deserves four out of five stars.