Gigi Levangie Grazer's six favorite books that became movies

Gigi Levangie Grazer's new novel, The After Wife, is about the crack-up of a female movie producer who is widowed at 44.

One of her six favorite books that became movies, as told to The Week magazine:

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Chandler's dialogue and description are sharp, masculine, unrelenting, and absolutely delicious. No one evokes L.A.'s seamy side like Chandler, and his first Philip Marlowe remains a classic. In the 1946 movie version, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart practically invented sexual tension.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Big Sleep also appears on Megan Wasson's list of five top books on Los Angeles, Greil Marcus's six recommended books list, Barry Forshaw's critic's chart of six American noir masters, David Nicholls' list of favorite film adaptations, and the Guardian's list of ten of the best smokes in literature.

--Marshal Zeringue