The Glass Key

I won’t rehash the plot, because that would ruin the story. As Hammett’s favorite novel, The Glass Key involves a buddy trying to help his friend in love and crooked politics. The buddy makes sacrifices, trying to be a true friend and trying to maintain his own moral code, while others with power and wealth hold all the cards.Like all Hammett’s writing, The Glass Key is spare and unemotional, describing scenes and people as you would see them if you were in those same dangerous urban environments. You won’t see inside people’s heads or hearts — you’ll have to read the signs and figure it out for yourself, like you do in real life. If you’re not even a little shocked, you have been taking in more than your share of darkness.DASHIELL HAMMETTDashiell Samuel Hammett was born on a farm in Maryland. He grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Hammett left school at the age of fourteen and held several kinds of jobs thereafter—messenger boy, newsboy, clerk, operator, and stevedore, finally becoming an operative for Pinkerton’s Detective Agency. Fro ages of 21-28, Hammett was an operative for famous Pinkerton’s Detective Agency. Hammett contracted tuberculosis, perhaps while driving an army ambulance in World War I. Because he carried tuberculosis, Hammett was forced to leave his wife, Josephine Dolan, and his child. Writing and alcohol took their places.Hammett described realistic politicians, thugs and murderers in the corrupt city, mostly from experience. Hammett knew and wrote about real people without the cultural glaze, opulent lifestyle, snarky violence, or peculiar quirks that adorn other fictional detectives’ characters, even today. Raymond Chandler compared Hammett’s writing to Hemmingway’s. Hammett is called hard-boiled, but to me it is just realistic. I mean, the people you know are not necessarily as nice as you would like to believe.Overall, Hammett published over 44 stories and incorporated them into novels from 1922-1934 — he mostly stopped writing after age 40. His works found their way into over 14 films, as well as television, radio plays, and comics.Hammett was imprisoned in a West Virginia penitentiary for refusing to name names of Communist sympathizers. After his release, his work was blacklisted for 10 years and he became impoverished. Hammett spent the last 4 years of his life with author Lillian Hellman. He died in 1961 of lung cancer and complications of alcoholism.CONSIDERATIONS:When I picked up this book, I carelessly thought I was going to read a Raymond Chandler novel. With that expectation, I was horrified to find the writing barren, amateurish, and stifled. However, as I continued reading, I regained my appreciation for Hammett’s characters, story organization, and brutal honesty. I enjoyed the second half of the book, after that.RECOMMENDATIONS:I have recommended Dashiell Hammett’s novels and stories to friends for years, and I recommend The Glass Key to you, now. Don’t expect to be transfixed or carried to the clouds with the wordsmithing or the subtle inuendo hiding behind sarcasm — just expect a good, honest story and you will be pleased.

This a a fantastic book. The characters are just perfectly deatailed. I was able to visualize them easily and Ned Beaumont was fascinating.If you really enjoy reading your going to love it. Noir? YES!

Although one of the lesser known of his five novels, I found this to be one of Hammet's best. He is one of my favorite writers so he can do little wrong in my eyes in any case. The story is told mostly thought diamond sharp dialog and repeated references to the look in people's eyes. The plot is intricate and satisfying, but not confusing, and the novel is peopled with memorable secondary characters and vivid scenes. Unlike his other stories this one is set in the realm of city politics and involves the intimate relationship between a politician and his closest adviser. I started reading another book right after this one and the come down from Hammet's prose to a more pedestrian talent was remarkable. He one of the great underrated writers.

The writing was typical of the times (1931). Each movement of the characters was described fully -- almost like it was intended to be a screenplay. Not one of the characters was anything other than criminal at heart, so it was difficult to relate to any of them. Historically, it was very interesting to read about the crime, speakeasies and corrupt Chicago politics. It was what I would consider a "guy's book": tough men, gangster-like loyalties (without real friendships), drinking, gambling and everyone-out-for-themselves. The men and women in this book had big city mentalities and killings were a part of the life they led. Fear and greed is what drove them. The main thing I didn't like was that it had too many things happening with too many characters -- many of which didn't lead anywhere and tended to make it a rather confusing read. I found myself re-reading passages, just to keep things straight. So, I guess there were parts that I liked, it was an easy read, but the poor character development left me disappointed. I never did guess who the murderer was until the end of the book - which probably makes it a good detective novel, in and of itself.

Dashiell Hammett, the legendary writer who singlehandedly made hardboiled crime respectable subject matter for American novelists, pulled no punches when he authored The Glass Key. The pages of this dark, decidedly non-uplifting book are teeming with violent acts and political corruption while vividly showcasing the basest of human instincts. The characters are largely unlikable. And that includes the novel's protagonist, Ned Beaumont. Perhaps especially Ned Beaumont. Ned is a professional gambler and the righthand man to a powerful political boss in the unnamed city in which most of the narrative of The Glass Key unfolds.The unsolved murder of a Senator's son provides the backdrop against which the numerous examples of depravity and hard edged action take place. Hammett unflinchingly tells this brutal tale using crisp, uncomplicated language that flows smoothly. The Glass Key is an ugly story, beautifully written. Highly recommended.

A wonderful suspenseful read by Dashiell Hammett, The Glass Key will not disappoint. The Glass Key is a fantastic tale of loyalty, politics, and power. Ward boss Paul Madvig wants to marry into a pure bread political family, the Taylors. When the son of the Taylor's is found dead all fingers point toward Madvig. Madvig's close friend and confidant Ned Beaumont is loyal but still doubts his friend's innocence. Beaumont goes on an investigation of sorts in order to find the real killer. Even if it is Madvig... The Glass Key is a great read. It even became the basis for the Coen Brother's classic Miller's Crossing. It is a noir style pulp fiction. If you have never read Hammett before, this is a good place to start, the prose is very clean yet descriptive and will have you constantly turning pages.

Liked it but actually a very fine movie was made of this which I found more enjoyable.

die transaktion verlief ohne probleme. ich würde jederzeit wieder da bestellen. alles paletti und wunderbar und jetzt noch zwei wörter

ギャングのボスと流れ者。二人の男の友情というにはあまりに濃厚な関係を描く、ハードボイルドの元祖であり、かつ最高傑作の一つ。このジャンルでこれ以上のものはそうそう書けないだろう。以降の様々な作品に影響を与え続けている。「マルタの鷹」も素晴らしいが、個人的にはこちらの方を推す。

The formatting in this e-book version is truly terrible. Search for the other edition. It's a dollar more and published by Random House, but you won't have to put up with haphazard paragraph breaks and a total lack of indenting. It's like a pirated version created from an MS Word file. Seems preposterous that they're charging anything for this version. I bought this one first then ended up buying the other one, so I'm hoping this review will save others from the same mistake.

I chose this book as an example of highly praised American early 20th C crime fiction. It is well structured, and quite violent, with a final twist that I believe only a minority of today's readers will see coming. The women are accessories to the story, that's all. The unwitting testimony shows an uncomfortable underside of US politicking that, apparently, still exists today.