A masterpiece of noir, Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep helped to define a genre and remains one of the most celebrated and stylish novels of the twentieth century. Now, this comprehensive annotated edition offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of the novel, bringing the gritty and seductive world of Chandler's iconic private eye Philip Marlowe into full color. Notes on the historical context of Chandler's Los Angeles; excerpts from the author's personal letters and source texts; explorations of the issues of gender, sexuality, and race that permeate the story; and important interpretations and clarifications enrich the reader's understanding and situate the novel within the tradition of crime fiction that Chandler both built upon and made new.