Reading 1001 discussion

(From wikipedia) "The Thin Man (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in the December 1933 issue of Redbook. It appeared in book form the following month.

Hammett never wrote a sequel but the book became the basis for a successful six-part film series...."

This novel is set near the end of Prohibition, in 1932. It has gangsters, a murder mystery, and a dog named Asta.

Questions to get you started:
1. Do you read many murder mysteries? What are some of your favorites?
2. Have you seen the 1934 movie of this story yet? Do you plan to?
3. Have you read any other books by Hammett?
4. Have you read any other books in the past few years set in the early 1930's?

1) Yes, my sister passes on many murder mysteries to me so I read a fair amount of them. I tend to like Tana French and Louise Penny. I also enjoy classic Agatha Christie.

2) I seem to have a vague memory of a black and white TV show with two devilishly clever characters who always had a cocktail in their hands and had a dog named Asta. Perhaps I was watching some late night film festival or something. I can't remember at all what the plot was.

3) No, this is my first.

4) Yes, although it is difficult to think of books I have read in that way...certainly many of Christie's great mysteries took place in the 1930's such as Murder on the Orient Express. I recently read For Whom the Bell Tolls which takes place during the Spanish Civil War, and I read Cold Comfort Farm and Rebecca in the last few years. Both of those books take place in the 30's. The 1930's were a strange time in world history as it was a time of amazing upheavals sandwiched between the two world wars. This time is often defined by the Great Depression, The Spanish Civil War, the rise of Hitler, but it was also a time when Hollywood was at its most glamorous and there were many high society comedies.

Questions to get you started:
1. Do you read many murder mysteries? What are some of your favorites? I don't see out murder mysteries primary to read like my husband. I read them occasionally and have read a diverse bunch of authors in this genre. I actually think The Thin Man was my first Dashiell Hammett that I read (back in the early part of this 21st century when I was returning to my love of reading.

2. Have you seen the 1934 movie of this story yet? Do you plan to? I don't think so but yet I have a picture of him so maybe I did. I like to watch these old movies and was trying to watch the movies of the books I was reading, Can't keep up tho.

3. Have you read any other books by Hammett? I've read The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon. I have The Glass Key and The Red Harvest left to read.

4. Have you read any other books in the past few years set in the early 1930's? Yes, pretty sure that I have. I think Steinbeck's are often in the 30s. I've also read some of each of the Golden era authors mysteries. I've read Cold Comfort Farm, Rebecca and I've read some books set during the Spanish Civil War and pre and post war books.

1. Do you read many murder mysteries? What are some of your favorites?
I love crime novels in general. I especially like books by Elizabeth George, Arthur W. Upfield, Susan Wittig Albert, Simon Brett, and Dorothy Sayers. I've read a few Raymond Chandler books recently too, which the 'noir' style of Hammett reminds me of.
2. Have you seen the 1934 movie of this story yet? Do you plan to?
I plan to watch the movie this week. I may have seen if before, but I don't remember for sure.
3. Have you read any other books by Hammett?
I read The Maltese Falcon over 15 years ago, and watched the movie several times, but I don't remember enough of the book to write a decent review, so I'll probably reread it this year. Otherwise this is my first Hammett.
4. Have you read any other books in the past few years set in the early 1930's?
I have been reading a bunch of Evelyn Waugh books lately, and last year I finished dozens of PG Wodehouse books, many of which are set in the pre-war 1930s. I am sure if I went through my spreadsheet I'd come up with quite a list of books set in that same time. The flippant style of the narrator's storytelling reminds me more of Wodehouse's characters, but the characters themselves could have fit in well with the ones in the past few Waugh novels I finished. It is indeed amazing how much alcohol they all seem to go through in a day, considering they are not supposed to have access to any.

I found an audiobook version of The Thin Man, so I can continue crocheting while 'reading this one. Maybe once I finish this blanket project I can focus longer on print books again. It's a well-made audiobook, so far, too, with a reader who is great at doing the different voices. Has anyone else listened to the audiobook for this book?

I read a print version from the library, but good to know that the audio version is a good one