The Big Sleep and (1939 and ) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los Angeles The story is noted for its complexity, with characters double-crossing one another and secrets being exposed throughout the narrative. The title is a euphemism for death; the final pages of the book refer to a rumination about and quot;sleeping the big sleep and quot;. In 1999, the book was voted 96th of Le Monde and 's and quot;100 Books of the Century and quot;. In 2005, it was included in Time magazine and 's and quot;List of the 100 Best Novels and quot;.