Reviews

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

lucas_lex_dejong's review

fast-paced

3.0

annashiv's review

4.0

I was able to guess who the killer was, but not why or how. Very fun read, especially if you listen to jazzy noir music as you read it. It was a bit slow for me in the middle, but otherwise a good time

jprocino's review

funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

missyjohnson's review against another edition

4.0

Quick and easy read. Even though this story was written in the 1930’s, it was not too dated. There certainly seemed to be a lot of drinking going on and no one gets out of bed before noon but no different than many teens and young adults now. the lack of concern by the women for the the infidelity of the men was interesting. This included the assumption that men had mistresses everywhere and all the time. I will read more in this series.

valsplace's review

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was stylish and satisfyingly snappy but also felt a little dated, especially in its portrayal of women besides the impossibly cool Nora and a few comments from Nick that I suspect came off as part of the cool touch guy act in the 1930's but just seem creepy now. I did really enjoy the lightning-fast banter between Nick and Nora, the blend of a twisty mystery with a screwy comedy of manners, and the New York noir atmosphere. 

grayson38's review

funny mysterious fast-paced

3.0

cr4nkyp4nts's review

3.0

I'm glad I read this classic but have no desire to read anything else by the author. Although I was told that his other books aren't like The Thin Man in tone so maybe, someday, I'll be persuaded to try another.

I didn't have any idea who did it - and honestly couldn't have - until the very end, which was nice. But I also didn't like any characters, so that wasn't nice at all. Nora was the closest I came to liking someone and there really wasn't much more of her besides getting Nick drinks.

Between the shrewish women and the sexist men (yes, I know it's the cultural atmosphere of the time), I didn't like the book as much as I had hoped I would.

deanna_rigney's review

5.0

Hammett gives with the dialogue...the short, choppy noir dialogue you would expect, full of hard-boiled slang. I loved it. It made me want to watch Miller's Crossing again, because I know the Coen brothers had to have read Hammett's stuff. I like that Nick and Nora crack jokes while dealing with murder and mayhem...there's just something cozy about it. A fun and short read.

oliviakoeppen's review

Could not finish - every page was a reminder of how much Dashiell Hammett seems to hate women