The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Wow. What a great novel. The Big Sleep was published in 1939 and is the first of Chandler's eight novels featuring private investigator Philip Marlowe. Marlowe is hired by a wealthy, dying, paraplegic General Sternwood to take care of a blackmailer named Arthur Gwynn Geiger, who claims that the General's daughter Carmen owes him $1000 in gambling debts. Marlowe is such an entertaining character to follow; his wit as a detective is unsurpassed. I won't give anything away, but this novel is definitely a page-turner, with its intricate plot and quick dialogue. This novel is what The Big Lebowski is loosely based on, which I was anxious about at first, because I felt like knowing how the movie ended would ruin any suspense the book has to offer. I was wrong. The only parallels I can draw between the book and the movie are: a moribund old man hires a detective, and at some point in the tale pornography is involved. That's it. What a relief. Anyways, definitely pick this novel up, you won't be disappointed.

*****

Demian, the Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth by Herman Hesse

This book was... interesting. It follows the childhood of a boy named Emil Sinclair from elementary school to college. The book is a very abstract, spiritual book, a kind of coming-of-age novel. Sinclair meets a boy named Demian with whom he's acquainted throughout the entire novel. Demian is smart as shit and has a lot of interesting things to say. I don't want to spoil too much, but if you like very dense books with lots of powerful quotations and life lessons, try this one out.

****