![]() ![]() When it comes to films, I am happy with lots of action and snappy dialogue. (It’s very obvious in reading Hammett that Hemingway was a fan, by the way.) These days, I prefer less focus on action and more quiet reflection and internal dialogue, at least in the books I read. ![]() ![]() I might have liked this more in my youth when I was a big fan of Hemingway and his highly-restrained style. The book is nearly all action and dialogue with little to no reflection. Hammett’s writing is high quality but aesthetically minimalist, almost terse at times. I read people like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers when I’m in the mood for vintage mysteries. I haven’t read many of these types of books before. Hammett was apparently the hard-boiled writer par excellence, the one to whom all others were compared. I think whether readers enjoy Hammet’s writing must depend on whether they are truly a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel because it’s a specific kind of fiction, stylistically. I found the book to be a real page-turner, in many ways. Hammett’s writing is as crisp and clean as fresh-pressed linen, which suits his material. I suspect this would be the case, too, with Hammett’s other famous novels, in which his snappy detectives are the most enjoyable and memorable aspect of the stories. I had never read a Hammett novel until now and, while I did enjoy it, I would be lying by omission if I did not say I like the movies so much better. Book Review: The Thin Man, by Dashel Hammett td Whittle Posted on September 12, 2018 ![]()
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