pizzamcpin3ppl3's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
darblar's review
5.0
Having only read Hammett's novels, I was taken aback by the skill and mastery he brought to storytelling. I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, but every one of Hammett's tales - be they two pages or ten - develops with such vivid detail that it quickly engrosses readers. His stories come to life; they are worlds briefly inhabited, and with their close they continue to loom large in the mind. Oftentimes, Hammett works with less so that what's unsaid becomes a far more powerful force than in the hands of another author. Each story evokes a filmic sensibility, from the elegantly crafted settings to the understated yet commanding characters, and I would easily and happily watch any of these were they developed into a movie.
jameseckman's review
2.0
Should be called the leftovers or the sad, long unpublished works. Possibly interesting to those who are writing a term paper. Stick to his detective stuff, he had very little written outside of it that was any good.
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