The Hunter and Other Stories

author: Dashiell Hammett

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.63

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2014/12/03

date added: 2014/12/03

shelves:

review:

'The Hunter and Other Stories' collects 17 short stories and 3 screenplays by Dashiell Hammett. Most have never been published, but they are not unknown among Hammett scholars.



The stories come from various times in Mr. Hammett's career and are grouped into four categories: Crime, Men, Men and Women and Screenplays. Each section begins with a commentary giving origins and any publishing (or attempted publishing) history. You won't find the type of stories that he is known for, but you will find the type of characters he loved to write about. There are detectives and confidence men, blue collar workers and society women



My favorites included 'Sign of the Potent Pills' about a bumbling young detective in love. The story 'Magic' shows an interesting side of Hammett writing about a mystical and strange story about a magician invoking and conjuring. 'An Inch and a Half of Glory' about Earl Parish and the strange turns his life makes after he saves a young child from a burning building. Hammett's screen story 'On The Make' which became the movie Mister Dynamite is a particular favorite because it features a shady detective out to scam money. The collection closes out on a bittersweet note with an unfinished Sam Spade story called 'A Knife Will Cut for Anybody.'



I've always loved the writing of Dashiell Hammett and this writing is just as good as anything else he wrote. He could have written any number of things, but got stereotyped in his writing career. Great stuff for fans of his.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Grove/Atlantic, Mysterious Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1vpGf62