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dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
The Continental Op is a collection of short stories starring Dashiell Hammett's detective character, The Continental Op. Here are just some of the tales contained within.
The Tenth Clew: Millionaire Leopold Gantvoort is found dead and signs point to the mysterious Emil Bonfils. But what of the more obvious suspect, Gantvoort's 23 year old wife to be?
Not a bad way to start the collection. I've never read a story where someone had their head bashed in with a typewriter before. The mystery was pretty good, though I had some idea what was going on about halfway through.
The Golden Horseshoe: The Op goes to Mexico to bring back a rich woman's husband and gets more than he bargained for...
This story nicely illustrates The Continental Op's place in Matthew Scudder's ancestry as the Op bends the law to get a man put away.
The Girl with the Silver Eyes: A poet hires the Continental Pop to find his missing lover. Too bad she isn't who she pretends to be...
This one was a lot more complex than it first seemed and the Op demonstrated his ability quite well, both in detection and in violence. My favorit part, however, was how the poet was exasperating the Op at the beginning of the case.
The Whosis Kid: The Op crosses paths with a two-gun stickup man while on the trial of stolen jewels.
The op thinks his way out of a nasty situation when he gets caught between some double-crossing criminals. I love that the Op isn't afraid to fight dirty and knows he's no knight in shining armor.
In conclusion, The Continental Op is a collection of detective stories that are still influential even today. For it's historical value, it should be a must read for pulp detective fans.
The Tenth Clew: Millionaire Leopold Gantvoort is found dead and signs point to the mysterious Emil Bonfils. But what of the more obvious suspect, Gantvoort's 23 year old wife to be?
Not a bad way to start the collection. I've never read a story where someone had their head bashed in with a typewriter before. The mystery was pretty good, though I had some idea what was going on about halfway through.
The Golden Horseshoe: The Op goes to Mexico to bring back a rich woman's husband and gets more than he bargained for...
This story nicely illustrates The Continental Op's place in Matthew Scudder's ancestry as the Op bends the law to get a man put away.
The Girl with the Silver Eyes: A poet hires the Continental Pop to find his missing lover. Too bad she isn't who she pretends to be...
This one was a lot more complex than it first seemed and the Op demonstrated his ability quite well, both in detection and in violence. My favorit part, however, was how the poet was exasperating the Op at the beginning of the case.
The Whosis Kid: The Op crosses paths with a two-gun stickup man while on the trial of stolen jewels.
The op thinks his way out of a nasty situation when he gets caught between some double-crossing criminals. I love that the Op isn't afraid to fight dirty and knows he's no knight in shining armor.
In conclusion, The Continental Op is a collection of detective stories that are still influential even today. For it's historical value, it should be a must read for pulp detective fans.
inwit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
krep___'s review against another edition
4.75
After devouring all five of his novels and wanting there to be more, I found collections like this of his short stories. Absolutely just as great as his full-length stuff.
neon_capricorn's review against another edition
5.0
Hard boiled detective stories that still read really well some 90 years later. Hammett's writing is fantastic. He has a cinematic eye in his style, which makes the works that much more enjoyable. I'll certainly be delving into his other short stories and novels.
batbones's review against another edition
4.0
Coming from a history of reading Chandler's detective stories, Hammett's style is more spare and to-the-point, although filled with more or less the same characters: detective (the level-headed, fact-reliant moral centre who falls into trouble), perpetrator (frequently, but not always, a femme fatale), dangerous or innocent women and an assortment of men more bad or slimy than good. The eponymous Continental Op is nameless, fat (mentioned a few times), tireless and works in a detective agency with contacts and errand-boys, a useful connection that Philip Marlowe doesn't have. Unlike Marlowe, he is more practical and obliging, less disgusted and wistful. He is no less moral, but morality doesn't occupy the centre of Hammett's stories; the solving of the crime is the motivator and the matter. As the Op states bluntly in one of the stories in this volume, he is no Galahad; he is a dedicated worker on the job, and to me that's just as good. I tire, sometimes, of Chandler's obsession with urban moral degradation, and yearn for a simple mystery where I can turn the lights off with simple satisfaction knowing who did it. For literary cleverness Hammett is just as good, too, but his stories here get better as the collection progresses. The first few weren't too impressive but style and action come together beautifully in 'The Whosis Kid' and thereafter I began to feel him at his best.
robhughes's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoy crime books and you're looking for something to read before bed that's exciting, full of twists and turns and easy as hell to read then this is the one for you! Short stories from the front line of the 1920's Continental Detective Agency, great stuff.
binstonbirchill's review
3.0
I'm beginning to realize that short stories are just not my thing. This is another example of a writer that I like, a genre that I enjoy and myself coming away feeling sort of blah about it all. Short stories just don't contain 'enough' for me to properly enjoy them, perhaps that makes me deficient in some way but there it is.
bookhawk's review against another edition
3.0
A book I would not have picked up but for it being on the Esquire List of 75 Books Every Man Should Read. It was good as far as action and writing goes. Interesting how direct the writing and dialogue is from that era. A good book to get a sample of how detective stories became popular books.
paulataua's review against another edition
4.0
‘Continental Op’ is collection of Hammett’s early detective stories. The emphasis there is on ‘early’. They are not as developed as his later work, but they are still a good read. Hammett played a major part in the creation of the hard boiled private investigator and the beginnings are in evidence in the stories. Enjoyed!