--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "jacquesdebierue"
<jacquesdebierue@...> wrote:
>
> Now some comments about the quality of Hammett's
stories and
novels. I
> think Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon and The Glass
Key are all
> masterpieces. The Dain Curse reads like a series of
pulp stories,
> nothing wrong with that. And The Thin Man is a good
traditional
> mystery, not a masterpiece when compared to earlier
and later
mystery
> writers, but respectable enough. The stories, in my
opinion, are of
> very high quality, including my favorite hardboiled
short story,
The
> Gutting of Couffignal. If Hammett had written
nothing but short
> stories, he would be just as great a
writer.
I agree with all of the above with the possible exception of
"just" as I think Hammett's novels added to his reputation.
But I agree that even without the novels, he would be ranked
very highly.
>
> Sometimes I get the impression that readers value
the novel much
more
> than the story; with me, it's the other way around.
For example, I
> don't think Chandler ever surpassed his best stories
with any of
his
> novels, good as they are. A long short like _Bay
City Blues_ is a
> masterpiece of the genre. It's perfect. Its
cannibalization did not
> improve it.
>
> Best,
>
> mrt
I agree with your high opinion of Chandler's novelettes but
some of the novels--certainly THE LONG GOODBYE--rank among
his best work.
Richard Moore
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