Scan barcode
A review by hernamewaslily
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
3.0
Having previously read and enjoyed Dashiell Hammett’s ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ perhaps his most popular novel (which was no doubt helped by its filmic adaption that starred Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade, as well as the mystery concerning the whereabouts of the prop falcon used in the film), when I picked up a copy of ‘The Thin Man’ I had high expectations. Unfortunately, these weren’t quite met.
The premise of the novel concerns Nick Charles, who has since retired from detective work after having married Nora, a wealthy, young socialite, being drawn back into the line-of-duty following the murder of a young woman. At the centre of this investigation is the dysfunctional Wynant family, where each member is under suspicion as having dunnit.
It makes sense that this translated well to film and TV (the book has had a number of adaptions) because nearly all of the novel is conversations between the various cast of characters, which after a while becomes tedious; it’s all tell and no show. Hammett does switch up the settings a bit, from hotel rooms to speakeasys to lawyers’ offices, but he does little to really set the scene. They are simply places convenient to the story.
The best thing about this book was Nora, a ‘lanky brunette[] with [a] wicked jaw[]. With her witty commentary that is sharp, pointed, and hilarious, steals every scene she is in and pairs nicely with Nick’s ‘I’m too old for this shit’ persona. The partnership between Nick and Nora definitely works overtime to keep the energy of the novel up.
I have a soft-spot for anything pulpy and/or noirish; I relish in tales about fast dames and crooked cops and hard-edged men with a chip on their shoulder, and whilst I do think I’m more of a Raymond Chandler gal – he just ticks all my boxes for what I want out of a mid-century detective tale – I wouldn’t say no to trying out another Hammett tale. This book in particular just wasn’t what I wanted out of a detective story. It is a light-hearted comedy of errors that does the job just fine.
The premise of the novel concerns Nick Charles, who has since retired from detective work after having married Nora, a wealthy, young socialite, being drawn back into the line-of-duty following the murder of a young woman. At the centre of this investigation is the dysfunctional Wynant family, where each member is under suspicion as having dunnit.
It makes sense that this translated well to film and TV (the book has had a number of adaptions) because nearly all of the novel is conversations between the various cast of characters, which after a while becomes tedious; it’s all tell and no show. Hammett does switch up the settings a bit, from hotel rooms to speakeasys to lawyers’ offices, but he does little to really set the scene. They are simply places convenient to the story.
The best thing about this book was Nora, a ‘lanky brunette[] with [a] wicked jaw[]. With her witty commentary that is sharp, pointed, and hilarious, steals every scene she is in and pairs nicely with Nick’s ‘I’m too old for this shit’ persona. The partnership between Nick and Nora definitely works overtime to keep the energy of the novel up.
I have a soft-spot for anything pulpy and/or noirish; I relish in tales about fast dames and crooked cops and hard-edged men with a chip on their shoulder, and whilst I do think I’m more of a Raymond Chandler gal – he just ticks all my boxes for what I want out of a mid-century detective tale – I wouldn’t say no to trying out another Hammett tale. This book in particular just wasn’t what I wanted out of a detective story. It is a light-hearted comedy of errors that does the job just fine.