All Over the Board… » Entries tagged with "Dashiell Hammett"
(Formerly) on my Bookshelf: The Continental Op
I just finished Dashiell Hammett’s collection of short stories titled The Continental Op. They were published individually in pulp fiction magazines like Black Mask beginning in 1923. The central figure in the stories is The Continental Op, a middle-aged private investigator who works for The Continental Detective Agency. Unlike Sam Spade, the Op is under a more stringent policy and often enlists the aid of other Continental agents. These stories are matter-of-fact, emotionless, and gritty. I’ll end with this passage from “The Whosis Kid” that describes the Op’s thoughts while hanging out with a pretty woman waiting for inevitable trouble to make its way to her apartment. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reads, Screens, and Sounds
The Glass Key redux
I finished The Glass Key last night with a martini by my side. I checked out some articles on it and it turns out that Ned Beaumont was the inspiration for Gabriel Byrne’s character in Miller’s Crossing. For those of who have read (or conversely, never plan to read) the novel already, here is a great article by a lit professor at Case Western Reserve University. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reads, Screens, and Sounds
On my bookshelf: The Glass Key
As mentioned before, I don’t read fiction too much, as I am busy enough to stay in a book for extended periods of time. However, I do read fiction in spurts, and right now I am in a Dashiell Hammett mode. I read (and wrote a paper on) The Maltese Falcon in college, and I am currently listening to the audiobook version. We have a box set of the Thin Man series that the kids love. Anxious to read another of his novels, I got The Glass Key from the library. I am almost done with it, and I hope to finish it tonight. Since I would never divulge an ending, I am far enough into the book to give you a brief rundown. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Food & Drink, Reads, Screens, and Sounds