Declare Books In Pursuance Of Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man
| Original Title: | Complete Novels |
| ISBN: | 1883011671 (ISBN13: 9781883011673) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Dashiell Hammett
Hardcover | Pages: 969 pages Rating: 4.4 | 1991 Users | 170 Reviews
Particularize About Books Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man
| Title | : | Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man |
| Author | : | Dashiell Hammett |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 969 pages |
| Published | : | 1999 by Library of America (first published 1942) |
| Categories | : | Mystery. Fiction. Noir. Crime. Classics. Detective. Literature |
Ilustration In Favor Of Books Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man
Complete in one volume, the five books that created the modern American crime novelIn a few years of extraordinary creative energy, Dashiell Hammett invented the modern American crime novel.
The five novels that Hammett published between 1929 and 1934, collected here in one volume, have become part of modern American culture, creating archetypal characters and establishing the ground rules and characteristic tone for a whole tradition of hardboiled writing. Drawing on his own experiences as a Pinkerton detective, Hammett gave a harshly realistic edge to novels that were at the same time infused with a spirit of romantic adventure.
Each novel is distinct in mood and structure. Red Harvest (1929) epitomizes the violence and momentum of his Black Mask stories about the anonymous detective the Continental Op, in a raucous and nightmarish evocation of political corruption and gang warfare in a western mining town. In The Dain Curse (1929) the Op returns in a more melodramatic tale involving jewel theft, drugs, and a religious cult. With The Maltese Falcon (1930) and its protagonist Sam Spade, Hammett achieved his most enduring popular success, a tightly constructed quest story shot through with a sense of disillusionment and the arbitrariness of personal destiny. The Glass Key (1931) is a further exploration of city politics at their most scurrilous. His last novel was The Thin Man (1934), a ruefully comic tale paying homage to the traditional mystery form and featuring Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated inebriates who would enjoy a long afterlife in the movies.
Rating About Books Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man
Ratings: 4.4 From 1991 Users | 170 ReviewsAssessment About Books Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man
I'm gonna be honest right up front and say that my favorite of these novels is The Thin Man. I read the others with interest, but I'm unlikely to read them again. The Thin Man may get added to my stack of comfort reading. (I think it's not a coincidence that nobody made more Sam Spade movies, but Nick and Nora had a very long life in Hollywood, even if in warped form.)So. Dashiell Hammett, generally considered the founder of the hard-boiled mystery genre. Having read his novels, my feeling isComplete Novelsby Dashiell HammettThere are five novels in this collection; Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key & finally, The Thin Man. The first two feature the anonymous detective of the Continental Op Detective Agency. The Maltese Falcon features Sam Spade, The Glass Key "tells the story of gambler and racketeer Ned Beaumont". The Thin Man features Nick and Nora Charles, a pair of dipsomaniacs; Nick, a retired detective & Nora a wealthy heiress. I was one
Any of these books make a good read, but they aren't fine literature in the sense that Raymond Chandler is fine literature. Hammett's first psychological novel, "The Dain Curse," is over thought, but compelling, while his second attempt, "The Thin Man," falls all over itself and the random tawdriness of the protagonists distracts from the plot at large. Lots of red herrings, none of which are remotely compelling. Hammett's Sam Spade has half the soul of Chandler's Marlowe and a quarter the soul
UPDATE: I spent most of 2018 and 2019 reading Mid-20th Century North American Crime novels (about 275). I've gone back to my favorites for a 2nd, and sometimes a 3rd, reading. Why? Because after reading all 7 of Chandler's novels and The Annotated Big Sleep, most of Ross Macdonald's novels, dozens of "Hard Case" publications, much of Patricia Highsmith, Cornell Woolrich, etc., there are 2 Hammett novels that have just floored me during the third read. So here, Weakest to Best, is my new ranking:
Dashiell Hammett is a go to author in the mystery genre. How great is it to find five books in one collection. Some of the tales are familiar and others more obscure, but all take the reader on a mystery ride.
I read "Red Harvest" and "The Glass Key" in the first week of this year.In "Red Harvest", the Continental Op comes inland from San Francisco to a western mining town called Personville (loosely based on Butte, Montana, I see) on a request from a journalist who is murdered before they even meet.Dashiell Hammett's settings often involve a town or city, control of which has been apportioned by a set of warring gangs, corrupt politicians and monopolistic industrialists. In this case, a wealthy
This Library of America Volume N° 110 contains the following five Hammett novels: 1. Red Harvest (January 2011) 2. The Dain Curse (May 11, 2012)3. The Maltese Falcon (March 2011)4. The Glass Key (May 15, 2012)5. The Thin Man (March 21, 2011)I read all five of these novels between January 2011 and May 2012. They were fantastic, but I wasn't super engaged in review writing. I've hyper-linked to my individual reviews for your viewing pleasure. I might need to go back and review Red Harvest and
0 Comments:
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.