>
>: I meant to comment earlier when the book of the
month was being
>: discussed more heavily. Since, it's the end of the
month, I'll just
throw in my two bits.
I
stood up for _Red Harvest_ a couple of months ago, so I have
been quiet. But I reckon I can say a couple of things.
This
is not Hammett's best book, but it is probably his most fun
book. As I think someone pointed out, it really is just a
western dresed up as a detective story, right down to the
"unrideable horse" scene. The plot could be transplanted to
any setting, though....medieval, high school, anything. The
pacing is nearly perfect and most of the characters are
deftly drawn and sometimes, as in the case of the police
chief, a bit more than just deftly. The Op is almost not a
character but a sort of prism through whom the other
characters are perceived....sort of like Dionysius in "The
Bacchae", if I can be permitted the classical comparison
(blush).
But
snotty lit-crit rantings are a little irrelevant; this is
simply one of the best of the fast pulp novels. Lenny Kaye
once described a record as belonging to the catagory of "put
it on and play it again". That's the way I feel about _Red
Harvest_. Better than this you don't get.
James
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