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A review by mizzelle
Return of the Thin Man by Richard Layman, Dashiell Hammett
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.