On the subject of breackneck speed, I don't think Hammett was
one of the most prolific pulp writers. Certainly not when
compared to writing machines like Frederick Faust, Robert
Leslie Bellem or Erle Stanley Gardner. I recall seeing a
total figure for his short stories and it was not that high.
I am sure someone here (is Eddie still around?) can cite
chapter and verse on this.
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.
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
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