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DASHIELL HAMMETT BOOKS AND SHORT STORIES NOVELS: Red Harvest
When Red Harvest was published in 1929 it must have seemed a shocking departure. Sure, big time Gangsters had been making headlines for some time but the kind of world that Hammett chose to portray hadn’t really impinged on respectable art or entertainment. The first successful gangster movie (widely recognised as Little Caesar staring Edward G. Robinson) didn't appear until 1930 and if you can imagine a world in which images of violence are not routine then you can imagine the impact the novel must have had. The story features the culmination of Hammett's development of the Continental Op character; the nameless, overweight, balding detective who is summoned to a job in a town called Personville. The town is out of control and is run by a mixture of corrupt politicians, mobsters and union officials (Hammett's experiences as a strikebreaker in Butte must have been a big influence). The 'Op slowly brings the town to order basically by chucking a spanner in the political workings of the town and then playing one group off against another. Even by today's standards the death count is profligate and Hammett wasn't afraid to spice things up by including the odd explosion between the shootouts and beatings. All of the elements which the writer had perfected during his work for Black Mask were in evidence: the clipped writing, the snappy dialogue and superb characterisation - but this time given a run out in a novel length plot. It was a stunning debut. The Dain Curse
Hammett's second novel also published in 1929 was the last outing for the Continental Op (a couple of short stories aside). The weakest of the four great novels (Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key) in part because the writer's mind was already looking ahead to his next project. Gabrielle Dain believes that she is afflicted with a family curse following her involvement in a series of murders (only eight this time!) The 'Op looks out for her throughout the rather episodic plot that takes in drug addiction and mysticism before finding the culprit. The Dain Curse lacks the polish of Red Harvest and particularly the later novels. The storyline itself is rather awkward and despite some halfhearted tinkering to reduce some of the clumsiness it still reads like a serialisation. The Maltese Falcon
If Hammett had been a little over-ambitious with his plans for The Dain Curse he certainly learned from his mistakes as The Maltese Falcon published in 1930, is an indispensable classic. Sam Spade and Miles Archer are hired to trace Brigid O’Shaughnessy’s sister. Archer is murdered and Spade sets out to find the culprit. The treacherous O’Shaughnessy coyly admits that the story about her sister was a fiction without revealing more but Spade soon finds that she is caught up in a search for a precious jewel encrusted falcon. More characters appear: the effeminate Levantine - Joel Cairo, the fat Englishman - Caspar Gutman and his hired gun - Wilma and finally the Falcon itself in a gripping finale. Everything about this book; the history of the exotic bird, a fantastic cast of well drawn characters expressed through cracking dialogue and even the 'philosophical interlude' about a man called Flitcraft, combine to produce a stunning whole. Running through the whole novel is the unspoken sexual tension between detective Spade and the completely untrustworthy O'Shaughnessy. If you only ever read one Hammett novel make it this one (and we bet you read the rest!). The Glass Key
In his biography of Hammett, William Nolan notes the toning down of violence in the progression of the novels. The Maltese Falcon has only 4 murders and all of them off scene. The trend marks a growing sophistication in his approach to the longer form and this reached its peak in The Glass Key (published in 1931). The background for The Glass Key makes a notable shift - all of Hammett’s previous sleuths had been semi official in working for private agencies. For his fourth novel Hammett put his trust in a much shadier figure - Ned Beaumont. Beaumont is a gambler and fixit man for his friend, a corrupt politician - Paul Madvig. Madvig is in love with a Senator's daughter, Janet Henry but when her brother is murdered suspicion falls on the politician. Beaumont investigates - against his friend's wishes which introduces a question of loyalty, one of the novel's main themes. Beaumont is a complicated character with a strong sense of right and wrong and he deals with this corrupt world with a kind of tired cynicism as events test his moral code to its limits. Where The Maltese Falcon threw together an exotic cast of characters which were almost comic strip in nature, The Glass Key was based firmly in reality. Hammett felt that this was his best novel and we like it too but even those who prefer The Maltese Falcon must agree that it is certainly his most mature work. The Thin Man
Published in 1933 The Thin Man was Hammett’s last novel and during the gap since completing The Glass Key the writer had been tasting the high life. The novel features Nick and Nora Charles, a rather racy couple based loosely on the figures of Lillian Hellman and Hammett himself (Hammett once told Hellman that she was Nora - news which pleased her immensely until Hammett told her she was also the silly girl in the plot and the villainess). Nick is a retired private detective who is asked by Dorothy Wynant to help locate her father who has gone missing, a case the socialite lazily solves in between parties. Hammett portrayed a rather tired world in The Thin Man; the kind of open marriage which Hammett seemed to imply that Nick and Nora had, the colourful dialogue and a world in which people take drinks before breakfast caused a stir at the time but despite their apparent sophistication and cleverness, the Charles’ seem unhappy with their lives. NEW TITLE! Our friends at Amazon are currently listing a hardcover collection of the above novels at a bargain price. Click the button to buy it. Woman In The Dark
Something of an oddity in the Hammett opus is this novella originally published as a serialisation in Liberty magazine in 1933. This short work is a well paced romantic thriller which draws on Hammett's usual strengths; snappy dialogue, strong female characters and questions of loyalty but uniquely there is no central detective figure to hang the story on. It is a good story and enthusiasts will find much of interest. SHORT STORIES When Hammett read back his work for Black Mask he was a little disappointed in the quality of his stories - sure they weren't all The Maltese Falcon in miniature but those that have been collected are all fun and enjoyable and show Hammett working hard at perfecting his art. For many years we were limited to just two volumes but the late nineties has seen publication of many more. The Big Knockover
The Big Knockover, a collection selected by Hellman after Hammett's death including a memoir (which can now be read online here) written by the playwright which serves as an introduction. The collection features nine Mask stories and the semi-autobiographical piece Tulip which Hammett wrote towards the end of his life. The Continental Op
A second collection, The Continental Op features seven more very good Mask stories. Nightmare Town:
Stories Recently published and not before time! The first new collection of stories since the 1970's. It includes seven uncollected 'Op stories and three Sam Spade stories. Crime Stories and Other Writings
We haven't read it yet as we are waiting for the paperback due June 2002 (the publisher is welcome to send us a review copy though!). UNCOLLECTED STORIES AND RARITIES Diehard fans will also find one further short story
descriptively titled Bodies Piled Up in The
Black Mask Boys by William F. Nolan (pub. The
Mysterious Press) which also includes stories by other Black Mask
luminaries such as Carroll John Daley, Raymond Chandler and Erle Stanley
Gardner together with a history of the magazine and its writers. Really committed fans will have to dip into their pockets and seek out copies of the Dell Mapbacks that were published in the late '40s examples of which you can see on this page.
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