After 35 years, the most influential full-length look at
Dashiell Hammett's 5 novels is finally available as a
book.
Hammett's Moral Vision was originally written in 1972 by
George J. "Rhino" Thompson as his doctoral dissertation. It
was the first full-length critical analysis of the Hammett
novels, and also the first to evaluate what other critics
said about them.
The dissertation was serialized in 7 early issues of The
Armchair Detective magazine, and affected, directly or
indirectly, most subsequent analyses of Hammett's work. Some
issues heatedly debated on Rara-Avis today were first raised
by Rhino Thompson.
These days, those 7 issues of The Armchair Detective are
collector's items at collector's prices. (I paid $178 for my
copies.) And darned hard to find.
But now Hammett's Moral Vision is available as a more
affordable hardcover book. Rhino and I worked to update and
expand it, and William F. Nolan contributed an
introduction.
I don't agree with every point Rhino makes, but am proud to
have published this book. After 35 years, his analysis of The
Glass Key is still the best thing ever written about that
novel, and the controversial section on The Thin Man is the
most important piece ever written about that book.
I am sure the Hammettophiles on this list will find it a
stimulating read.
Hammett's Moral Vision is available from bookstores and
online booksellers now. Favorable reviews are scheduled to
appear in the Feb. 15 Library Journal and in a future issue
of Gary Lovisi's Hardboiled magazine.
I look forward to wrestling with any questions about it from
my fellow Rara Avians.
Vince Emery
Vince Emery Productions Publisher:
- LOST STORIES by Dashiell Hammett
- DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND
SAM SPADE edited by Richard Layman
www.emerybooks.com Box 460279, San Francisco, CA 94146 USA
vince @ emery.com Phone 1.415.337.6000
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