Tag: Dashiell Hammett

Dashiell Hammett – The Dain Curse | Review

Title: The Dain Curse
Author: Dashiel Hammett

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 192

Rating: 1.5/5

 

 

I was looking forward to picking this book up because I’ve read and enjoyed Hammett before and because the title of this one basically has my name in it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as the other Hammett that I’ve read and my overarching feeling while reading this was just boredom. I didn’t care for the characters or the case.

There were a few redeeming moments here and there when it came to the writing, and I also liked the fact that opium was mentioned, which seems to happen a lot in old school murder mysteries. But while this one did have elements of the private eye style that Hammett is known for, it also had a lot of superstition and mystery thrown in which I didn’t really care for.

All in all, this was a struggle for me to complete, and I ended up tackling it as a bedtime book by reading 25 pages at a time. Even then it was a struggle, so I can’t recommend it.

 

Stephen King

Stephen King

 

Click here to buy The Dain Curse.


Dashiell Hammett – Woman in the Dark | Review

Title: Woman in the Dark

Author: Dashiell Hammett

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 81

Rating: 8/10

 

Dashiell Hammett - Woman in the Dark

Dashiell Hammett – Woman in the Dark

 

This novella is a great introduction to the work of Dashiell Hammett, and it’s a little like Oscar Wilde’s proverbial cigarette – it’s exquisite, and it leaves you feeling thoroughly unfulfilled. I just wish it was a little longer, because I was just starting to sympathise with the characters when the story came to an abrupt and confusing end.

 

Dashiell Hammett

Dashiell Hammett

 

Click here to buy Woman in the Dark.