Wed 27 Mar 2024
DASHIELL HAMMETT – The Thin Man. Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, 1934. Originally published in abridged form in Redbook (December 1933). Reprinted many times. Film: MGM, 1945, starring William Powell & Myrna Loy. (A total of six films were made based on the characters.) TV series: NBC, 1957-59, starring Peter Lawford & Phyllis Kirk.
Nick and Nora Charles are terrific inventions. Equals at witty repartee. Equals at powers of observation, if not detection. Equals at handling their booze.
That’s what’s fun about the book: Nick and Nora. They’re screwball and they don’t care who knows it. But as screwball and drunk as they are, they’re still more deft than the daft coppers.
Nick’s a retired detective. Retired since he married Nora and her rich uncle died, leaving enough for Nick and Nora to remain comfortably housed and soused from here to eternity.
Nick wouldn’t be drug into any more detection, either, if he could help it. But help it he can’t. For a former client of his, the titular Thin Man, is a murder suspect. He’s disappeared, but leaves word with his lawyer that he wants Nick hired to find the real killer. Price is no object.
Now Nick has no need of the Thin Man’s money. But gangster’s bullets, the cops, and the Thin Man’s ex and kids won’t leave Nick be. So he’s really got no choice but to solve the thing so he can be left alone.
I’d remembered who ‘did it’, as this was probably the 3rd time reading it over the years. But it really doesn’t matter. The wit doesn’t grow old. And like Pound says, ‘art is news that stays news’. And this is art, for sure. At least in my book.
A terrific, witty book. Nick and Nora are great fun to hang out with. The only thing I can’t figure is how the movie sequels got called “….The Thin Man….” (‘After…’, ‘Another…’, ‘Shadow of…’, ‘…goes home’, ‘Song of…’). Not to give anything away, but the Thin Man ain’t having any more adventures after this one.
March 28th, 2024 at 12:57 pm
This is my least favorite Hammett novel, but keep in mind that the worst Hammett novel (your choice) is better than 99% of any other mystery novel ever written. excluding any by a fellow named Raymond Chandler.
I remember enjoying THE THIN MAN tremendously when I read it the first time. I was probably 15 or so. When I tried reading it again last year, I stopped after a couple chapters and woke up the next morning with a hangover from all the drinking going on. And that was only vicariously on my part!
March 28th, 2024 at 5:38 pm
Tony,
Good review of a good book. Better than The Dain Curse (as a novel) which really kills me to say so as I’m an OP fanatic! Also, the first sequel (movie synopsis) to the movie The Thin Man was written by Hammett (as well as the first), so it could be considered his second adventure?
March 29th, 2024 at 4:57 am
Swell review. But I kinda thought ‘Thin Man’ always referred to the appearance of a man’s shadow. Shadows are thin, attenuated, stretched out behind you and any joker you happen to be tailing-down-these-mean-streets.
Thin Man movie: budget $250k, shot in 14 days. Theatrical rentals: a cool $2 mil. Just happened to be reading up on it recently.
Beg pardon if I may have already harped on my favorite “Thin Man bit” around here before, but it’s this:
Nick/Nora seated at a table in a swank club. Nick –already stewed –orders drinks for them both.
Nick to waiter: “Two rum collins”
Nora: “The same”
Lurv that dame …
March 30th, 2024 at 1:18 am
The novel is a favorite though I recognize in terms of quality that it isn’t anywhere near the other novels (though better than DAIN which is a bit of a mess).
That last chapter always bothers me a bit as it pours cold water on the tone of the rest of the book. Nick’s bitter line taking Nora and Dorothy Wynant to task for thinking murder ever has a point is almost as dark as Sam Spade telling Effie he’ll talk to Archer’s randy widow.
It frankly feels like Nick kicking Asta the way Spade kicks Effie when she is down. In the FALCON it works. In THIN MAN not so much.
AFTER THE THIN MAN is, well, after the Thin Man while ANOTHER THIN MAN is a reference to the murderer, tall thin James Stewart. After than no one paid too much attention until SONG OF THE THIN MAN where the thin man is amnesiac band leader Don Taylor. …GOES HOME you can make of what you will.