The Big Sleep or Long Goodbye?

Long Goodbye without a doubt. Marlowe's stoicism and integrity in the face of all the chaos elevate it from detective schlock, although to be honest i havent read the big sleep since high school.

>>8455244
The Long Goodbye is a better work but The Big Sleep is seminal noir. i haven't read both in ages, but i remember laughing a lot more while reading Sleep than Goodbye.

>>8455244
honestly i might like Farewell, My Lovely the most.

that fucking opening of the first chapter with the description of Moose was so fucking witty. hell, that whole chapter had me in awe.

>>8455244
The Big Sleep, unquestionably. Fast, atmospheric and funny, with a plot so tangled you have to read it twice to put it together.

The Long Goodbye is more languid and maudlin.

Big Sleep to start. Then you're ready for Long Goodbye, and then Farewell. But if you haven't read Maltese Falcon, it might be worth doing that first to have some entry-level noir.