The Thin Man in Around the World in 80 Books

Aug 12, 2012 Judy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Anyone who comes to this from the wisecracking comedy-romance mystery film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy might be a little surprised. The novel is also very witty, with great hardboiled prose by Hammett, but at times there is a rather bitter taste to it and there is more of a focus on the mystery than in the movie adaptation. I love both the book and the film, but they are noticeably different from one another.

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Sep 16, 2016 Suvi rated it liked it

Shelves: _north-america, crime-mystery, novels, 1900-1939, cities_new-york

Private detectives Nick and Nora Charles are the ultimate power couple of classic cinema, but for me they're the best couple of all time and of every single medium there is. They're witty, raunchy, intelligent, fun, and classy (but not stuffy), and William Powell and Myrna Loy portray them perfectly. The sequels aren't as good as the first one, but overall it's a perfect series for a rainy day, when you just want to kick back with cookies and a mug of tea (or a martini, I don't judge). The best Private detectives Nick and Nora Charles are the ultimate power couple of classic cinema, but for me they're the best couple of all time and of every single medium there is. They're witty, raunchy, intelligent, fun, and classy (but not stuffy), and William Powell and Myrna Loy portray them perfectly. The sequels aren't as good as the first one, but overall it's a perfect series for a rainy day, when you just want to kick back with cookies and a mug of tea (or a martini, I don't judge). The best aspects of screwball comedy and detective stories is a winning combination. When the repeal of Prohibition was accomplished in the United States in 1933, the freedom to deal with alcohol was fully taken advantage of, and Nick and Nora really are sipping drinks in every imaginable situation. A drinking game would actually be lethal.

Although The Thin Man is a detective novel by one of the most famous hard-boiled writers, it's much more lighter in tone than others of its ilk. The thing about it, though, is that the mystery wasn't that great, the comedy stuff is stronger in the movie and works better in it, and there's very little description of New York. If there hadn't been Nick and Nora, I probably would have abandoned this halfway through, because as much I hate to say it, the book was kind of boring and more flat in tone than I expected (again, I don't expect every author of hard-boiled novels to go all out like Raymond Chandler in the description department, but it would've made the story a bit more livelier). Felt more like a tribute to Hammett's and Lillian Hellman's relationship than anything else. And what the hell was that cannibal sequence!? Since this was the last novel Hammett wrote, he might have also been sick of writing and tried to experiment with a different style.

We found a table. Nora said: "She's pretty."
"If you like them like that."
She grinned at me. "You got types?"
"Only you, darling - lanky brunettes with wicked jaws."
"And how about the red-head you wandered off with at Quinns' last night?"
"That's silly," I said. "She just wanted to show me some French etchings.

But, without The Thin Man we wouldn't have the movie nor all the great characters who were inspired by Nick and Nora, like Maddie Hayes and David Addison.

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May 11, 2009 Rachel N. rated it liked it

Nick and Nora Charles are on vacation in New York City when Nick becomes embroiled in the murder of s ecretary of his former client.A good pulp mystery with a satisfying conclusion.

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Jul 18, 2008 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: noir, between-the-wars, classic, 1001

Mystery's classic couple, and what charmers they are - vibrant and full of zip in the best Hammett style. Writing a happy couple is a tough challenge (as Tolstoy's comment on unhappy families can attest), but nowhere does it succeed better than this. ...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Julie Rose rated it liked it

Loved the feel of the time, loved Nora a lot, wasn't so in love with the choppy style. My first Hammett, so I'd not encountered the jagged writing before. Will try some of his others and see how I go. ...more

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