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pizzamcpin3ppl3's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
The novellas were clearly written in order to be turned into screenplays, and so lacked the polish and finesse of an actual Hammett novel, but it was still fun to see where the finished movies came from, what was kept in, what was changed, and what did and didn't translate.
holtfan's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't been able to track down a copy of The Thin Man movie so I decided to assuage my sudden obsession with Nick and Nora by listening to Return of the Thin Man. It isn't really a sequel so much as the rough screen play for the second and third Thin Man movies. Before each story there is an essay of sorts about the movie production and the difficulties between the movie studios and Dashiell Hammet. While this made a wonderful audio book, this separation of story and essay was hard to picture, since it felt repetitive and jarring sometimes.
I really enjoyed the first of the two screen plays (After the Thin Man). It involves Nora's relatives and gives a fascinating glimpse into their relationship. It lacked some of the darker elements of The Thin Man and replaced it with more humor. I didn't care as much for Another Thin Man. While Baby Nickey had great promise and the story occasionally felt charming, the overall presentation felt less pulled together and it had more gruesome elements.
Throughout, I often struggled with remembering who was who as a host of young men dot the pages only to fade into obscurity and then come bursting forth as relevant to later plot points.
Overall, though, engaging and satisfying enough to fill my cravings for more of this delightful detective duo. I wish there were more. (But from the way Hammett behaved towards his characters and in his personal life, it probably is a good thing there were not.)
I really enjoyed the first of the two screen plays (After the Thin Man). It involves Nora's relatives and gives a fascinating glimpse into their relationship. It lacked some of the darker elements of The Thin Man and replaced it with more humor. I didn't care as much for Another Thin Man. While Baby Nickey had great promise and the story occasionally felt charming, the overall presentation felt less pulled together and it had more gruesome elements.
Throughout, I often struggled with remembering who was who as a host of young men dot the pages only to fade into obscurity and then come bursting forth as relevant to later plot points.
Overall, though, engaging and satisfying enough to fill my cravings for more of this delightful detective duo. I wish there were more. (But from the way Hammett behaved towards his characters and in his personal life, it probably is a good thing there were not.)
psteve's review against another edition
3.0
An exercise in archeology gathering Hammett's screenplays for the After the Thin Man and Return of the Thin Man movies, plus a very short treatment, which is a bit tongue in cheek, for the unmade Sequel to the Thin Man movie. The first of the bunch is most complete, and includes chunks of the actual screenplay, plus Hammett interpolations. Though the dialog is good in these movies, it works better on screen (mostly, at least in the first sequel) than it does on the printed page. My recommendation is that you (and I) should visit or revisit some of Hammett's other stuff, such as the Continental Op stories, before spending time on this one.
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, clever, snarky. And complicated mysteries at the heart of both these screenplays. RETURN OF THE THIN MAN and ANOTHER THIN MAN. I was hoping to count them as two books, but they are not.
In RETURN, Nick and Nora return to San Francisco and get embroiled in a family mystery. It's so funny how much Nora's proper family hate Nick, but they turn to him when they get into trouble. The screenplay has actors performing the lines, and a narrator reading all the stage directions. They are as clever as the narration...
I didn't guess the killer, but I had a lot of fun with the characters.
ANOTHER THIN MAN...Nick and Nora and baby...a very lumpy, uninteresting baby...more of a sack of potatoes. His word for things he doesn't like is "Drunk" and his word for things he likes is "Gimmee."
I started to get into the swing of Nick's modus operandi...and guess, about half way through, who the killer was...We are back in New York and Long Island, and Nick is trying to figure out how to take care of Nora's money. Instead, he's right in the middle of another mystery.
There was Hammett's 'treatment' for a third sequel...bringing back some of the characters from previous stories...it sounded great...and Hammett may have signalled his fatigue with the couple by hinting that perhaps Nick is the murderer.
I must admit, after four THIN MAN stories in a row, I'm a little tired of them, too.
In RETURN, Nick and Nora return to San Francisco and get embroiled in a family mystery. It's so funny how much Nora's proper family hate Nick, but they turn to him when they get into trouble. The screenplay has actors performing the lines, and a narrator reading all the stage directions. They are as clever as the narration...
I didn't guess the killer, but I had a lot of fun with the characters.
ANOTHER THIN MAN...Nick and Nora and baby...a very lumpy, uninteresting baby...more of a sack of potatoes. His word for things he doesn't like is "Drunk" and his word for things he likes is "Gimmee."
I started to get into the swing of Nick's modus operandi...and guess, about half way through, who the killer was...We are back in New York and Long Island, and Nick is trying to figure out how to take care of Nora's money. Instead, he's right in the middle of another mystery.
There was Hammett's 'treatment' for a third sequel...bringing back some of the characters from previous stories...it sounded great...and Hammett may have signalled his fatigue with the couple by hinting that perhaps Nick is the murderer.
I must admit, after four THIN MAN stories in a row, I'm a little tired of them, too.
vesper1931's review against another edition
3.0
1. - The script of After The Thin Man.
The Nick and Nora Charles arrive in San Francisco, to a surprise party at their home. A few minutes later as the door bell rings a man collapses, saying Mees Selma Young, and dies. The man is Pedro Dominges, ex-gardener of Nora Charles' father.
But the Charles pair are invited to her family home, run by her Aunt Katherine Forrest, a formidable character. To be informed that the husband of cousin Selma Landis, nee Forrest, has disappeared. Although the whole family disapprove of Nick's former profession Aunt Katherine wishes him to look for Robert Landis.
With the help of Lt Abrams, Nick investigates.
2 - Another Thin Man - The Charles are invited by Colonel Burr MacFay, a business partner of Nora's father. He believes that an old business associate is trying to kill him and wants Nick to stop him.
Enjoyable historical mystery stories, a re-read.
The Nick and Nora Charles arrive in San Francisco, to a surprise party at their home. A few minutes later as the door bell rings a man collapses, saying Mees Selma Young, and dies. The man is Pedro Dominges, ex-gardener of Nora Charles' father.
But the Charles pair are invited to her family home, run by her Aunt Katherine Forrest, a formidable character. To be informed that the husband of cousin Selma Landis, nee Forrest, has disappeared. Although the whole family disapprove of Nick's former profession Aunt Katherine wishes him to look for Robert Landis.
With the help of Lt Abrams, Nick investigates.
2 - Another Thin Man - The Charles are invited by Colonel Burr MacFay, a business partner of Nora's father. He believes that an old business associate is trying to kill him and wants Nick to stop him.
Enjoyable historical mystery stories, a re-read.
bob_muller's review against another edition
2.0
If you actually liked the movie "Another Thin Man", you might like this book. If you really like Asta, this is for you. If you are a Hammett scholar, you might be interested in the publication of these minor works as a kind of counterpoint to serious academic research. Some of the introductory text has insight into Hammett as a man, some of the insights I would rather not have known. But as a work of fiction, this book is pretty laughable. It is Dashiell Hammett degrading himself for money by writing lousy screen stories (not even screenplays, the Hacketts had to do that and they apparently couldn't stand it). I suppose one theory could be that these were the stories that killed Hammet by forcing him over the edge, I don't know. I just found it all kind of sad.
librariabillie's review
2.0
I'm disappointed. The history behind the writing of the stories and scripts, including Hammett's drinking and sicknesses from that drinking, was very interesting, and I'd give that part 5/5. However, the stories themselves are told in the present tense (ugh), and are only a description of what you would see on the screen, not the in-depth character development of The Thin Man novel. To be fair, the studio didn't want character development but the monetary success of the first movie, which they felt had already done all the character development necessary. Hammett just wanted the money.
mizzelle's review
2.0
I started reading this in print format, but finished the audiobook. The "screen story" format intrigued me more than the content -- lacking traditional dialogue tags, it read more like a script than a novel. Hence it worked surprisingly well in audio, although some voices grated badly.
I adore the Thin Man series, so on the one hand, it was interesting seeing behind the scenes on the writing of movies. (And realizing how much Hammett had in it to begin with, rather than just add-ons by the Hacketts or even later the actors.) But it also showed the definite break between the first two movies (Thin Man & After the Thin Man) and the rest (Another-Shadow-Song-Goes Home). The first two are fun and witty, while the others are a slog at even the best of times. I am also grateful they didn't go through with a direct continuation of the first movie, including some of the same characters, because that synopsis included was a hot mess. That would have killed the series more than Nick Jr's arrival.
I adore the Thin Man series, so on the one hand, it was interesting seeing behind the scenes on the writing of movies. (And realizing how much Hammett had in it to begin with, rather than just add-ons by the Hacketts or even later the actors.) But it also showed the definite break between the first two movies (Thin Man & After the Thin Man) and the rest (Another-Shadow-Song-Goes Home). The first two are fun and witty, while the others are a slog at even the best of times. I am also grateful they didn't go through with a direct continuation of the first movie, including some of the same characters, because that synopsis included was a hot mess. That would have killed the series more than Nick Jr's arrival.