The Big Sleep Study Guide

Philip Marlowe, a 33-year-old Los Angeles-based private investigator and the first-person narrator, has been summoned by General Sternwood for a case. The Sternwood family is very rich and Marlowe pauses at the entrance to admire their sprawling house, the magnificent entrance, and the impressive Packard convertible that the chauffeur is dusting. On the whole, it is not hard to be impressed with the opulence of their estate. (read more)