As author of Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, and other works, Dashiell Hammett is one of the most popular American writers of detective fiction. The critical response to his work has been diverse. Edmund Wilson saw little merit in his novels, while Raymond Chandler pointed to Hammett's originality and artistry. While some critics have considered it foolish to search for deeper meanings in his novels, many others have praised his writings as profound social and literary documents. Spanning more than 60 years of critical response, this collection includes contemporary reviews of Hammett's novels from the 1920s and 1930s as well as more than 20 full-length essays representing diverse critical approaches and assessments. It is the first collection of critical essays devoted to Hammett's work. Included are essays by major novelists such as Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald, along with pieces by influential literary critics such as Edmund Wilson and John G. Cawelti. Moreover, two of the essays were written specifically for this volume. An introductory essay traces the development of Hammett's literary reputation, and an extensive bibliography lists sources for further reading.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Christopher Metress [has] done an admirable job in providing the reader with a group of essays and selections that not only convey insight into the works of Hammett but also illustrate several critical approaches....The chronology at the beginning of the Metress book is most useful in tracing Hammett's life and his writing career....The book [itself] is substantial, attractively bound, and easy to handle.”–Paradoxa
About the Author
CHRISTOPHER METRESS is Assistant Professor of English at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Collection of reviews and criticism for serious investigators of Hammett's writings,
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This review is from: The Critical Response to Dashiell Hammett (Critical Responses in Arts and Letters) (Hardcover)
A collection of criticism and reviews of Hammett's writings, starting with the reviews that came out when Hammett's books were first published and ending with pieces written in 1994. Includes a section on each of Hammett's five major novels, plus a catch-all "General Studies" section. This is not a book for casual escapist reading, but is a useful reference for in-depth research into Hammett and his writings, especially his five novels.
The book begins with a 23-page introduction by editor Christopher Metress, providing a detailed yet comprehensive overview of changing critical attitudes towards Hammett and his works. Reviews of Hammett's first novel Red Harvest follow; first 3 reviews from the book's first publication in 1929, followed by 7 reviews from later years (1941-1991). Next come 4 1929 reviews and 5 later reviews of The Dain Curse, 2 reviews from 1930 and 9 later reviews of The Maltese Falcon, 5 1931 reviews and 7 later reviews of The Glass Key, and 4 1934 reviews and 4 later reviews of The Thin Man. A section called "General Studies" includes an excerpt from Raymond Chandler's famous essay "The Simple Art of Murder," Steven Marcus' influential piece "Dashiell Hammett and the Continental Op," Ross Macdonald's "Homage to Dashiell Hammett, a 1994 evaluation of Woman in the Dark by Larry Anderson, and 5 additional essays. The book concludes with a very useful 7-page "Additional Readings" section, listing most of the important writings on Hammett's works that were published before 1994, and a helpful index. All in all, if you are serious about investigating Hammett's writings, you will find this anthology a useful tool.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Critical Response to Dashiell Hammett (Critical Responses in Arts and Letters) (Hardcover)
Great book! If you like Dashiell Hammett, this is the book to read. Excellent descriptive passages.
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