Posted by Sterling on 19/9/2011, 22:31:14, in reply to "Re: Nominations for 2012"
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Yes, let's go with Red Harvest and Farewell, My Lovely. Red Harvest is Hammett's first novel, and it is cruder than some of the later ones. However, it is tough as nails and relentless. And, arguably, it is the earliest example of the modern hard-boiled crime novel. It also provided the plot for Kurosawa's great film, Yojimbo.
Farewell, My Lovely is reported to be Chandler's own favorite among his novels. I think it's a fine example of Chandler's work, packed with his famous similes and remarkable style. One caveat, though, Farewell, My Lovely concerns itself more with race than any of the other novels. This 1940 view can be shocking in ways that Chandler would never have intended. It's one of Chandler's most memorable, though. I think it's a little more polished than his first novel, The Big Sleep.
--Previous Message--
: Sterling, on your first nomination posting you proposed
: a dual selection of Hammett and Chandler, but said you
: weren't ready to name specific titles. However, you
: appeared to be leaning towards Red Harvest and
: Farewell, My Lovely. Those selections are perfect for
: me, and no one else had any comments, so should I go
: ahead and put those two titles on the ballot? Or
: should we just put "Hammett + Chandler TBD".
:
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