Literary Masters V3 Hammett (Gale Study Guides to Great Literature: Literary Masters) [Hardcover]

Richard Layman (Author, Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This beautifully produced new series of literary reference works, "The Gale Study Guides to Great Literature," is designed to support the literary research of high school and college students. The series in turn consists of three subseries: Literary Masters, Literary Masterpieces, and Literary Topics. These focus on the individual authors, works, and concepts frequently studied in the current literature curricula. Written by well-known scholars, the books all feature original, newly written material, which presents not only the facts about the author, work, or literary topic but also significant cultural and historical material to help put those facts in context. All volumes contain glossaries, lists of study questions, chronologies, annotated bibliographies, indexes, and other study resources. Unlike other ongoing series that cover similar terrain (e.g., Twayne's "Authors," "Masterwork," and "Studies in Literary Themes and Genres" series and Chelsea House's "Modern Critical Interpretations" and "Modern Critical Views"), these books have a more finished and personal feel. The thoughtful and attractive design and convenient layout, comprehensive approach, reliance on original material, constant reference to current research, and ample bibliographic apparatus make this a superior series. Richly illustrated, well printed with broad margins and readable type, handsomely and sturdily bound, these books are highly recommended for public and college libraries and secondary school media centers.
-Paul D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., Maine
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Thomson Gale (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787639648
• ISBN-13: 978-0787639648
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,221,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good and up-to-date intro to Dashiell Hammett and his writings, June 19, 2009

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Vince Emery "Publisher" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Literary Masters V3 Hammett (Gale Study Guides to Great Literature: Literary Masters) (Hardcover)

A brief, well-illustrated (27 photos, including the report card from Hammett's single semester of high school), and handsomely-designed biography of Dashiell Hammett, this hardcover is aimed as an introduction to the creator of Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon, and The Thin Man, but it provides gems to surprise even longtime fans of Hammett. (Such as Hammett's own account, unavailable anywhere else, of who did it in his original, never-completed version of The Thin Man.)

Layman wrote this book after he had done his research for the Selected Letters of Dashiell Hammett : 1921-1960 book, so it is based on more recent research than other biographies.

It starts with a chronology of Hammett's life, then a biographical section, a section "Hammett at Work" giving a history of his writing and how he wrote, a "Hammett's Era" section on how events of the author's times affected him, and 33 pages summarizing "Hammett's Works." A section called "Hammett on Hammett" provides four interviews with Hammett, plus a fellow-soldier's account of being stationed with Hammett in Alaska during World War II, and an article by Hammett's brother.

A 59-page section, "Hammett as Studied," provides what is possibly the best overview anywhere of the shifting critical controversies over Hammett's work. In addition to Layman's own well-informed insights, this section reprints Christopher Metress' introduction to The Critical Response to Dashiell Hammett (Critical Responses in Arts and Letters), David Bazelon's influential essay "Dashiell Hammett's Private Eye," and John Cawelti's "Dashiell Hammett."

Finally, the book wraps up with a list of thought-provoking study questions, a glossary of Hammett-related literary terms, and a very useful annotated bibliography of books by and about Hammett.

If you haven't read any other biographies of Hammett, this book and Dashiell Hammett: A Daughter Remembers are two very good places to start.