Dear Bob,
I agree with everything you say. Particularly Hammett's final
assessment of THE GLASS KEY. However, I do believe there was
a time when he did consider Red Harvest his best work.
Shortly after completing it. On occasion he voi8ced his
opinion to Black Mask editors. the problem with any author's
attribution about his work is that like any other human
being, their opinions change at any particulalr point of
time. I believe Fred Dannay, an intimate friend all through
Hammett's later career, confirmed the Glass Key as H's
favorite. In a completly different vein, Hammett was also
proud of The Thin Man, according to Erle Stanley Gardner
(can't remember where I read this) because he proved to
himself a solid relationship between a man hero and a woman
was possible to work in a detective novel. Of course Thin Man
revolutionized detective novels, and particulalry detective
films for mixing froth, elegance and humor into the mayhem.
Hammett soon grew sick of the Thin Man franchise, but it did
keep him going financially.
Bob Toomey wrote:
> Keith Deutsch wrote:
> >
> > A very full description and analysis of the
relationship between Red
> > Harvest, Yojimbo, Last Man Standing, and
Grimaldi (the producer whose name I
> > could not remember but who does own the film
rights to Red Harvest) can be
> > found at:
> >
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/09.26.96/last-man-9639.html
>
> Interesting article with a lot of speculation, no
definitive answers,
> and at least one downright inaccuracy:
>
> Hammett thought Red Harvest his best
> novel; so did highbrow critics. Robert
> Graves called it "a literary landmark,"
> and Andre Gide dubbed it "the last word
> in atrocity, cynicism, and horror" (one
> assumes Gide meant it as compliment).
>
> In fact Hammett considered THE GLASS KEY to be his
best novel.
>
> BobT
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