Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man (Library of America)

Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man (Library of America)
Average customer rating:

The Maltese Falcon

Very exciting and convenient

The first benchmark

A classic

Well worth the time.

Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man (Library of America)
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / Nightmare ... / I Married a Dead Man (Library of America)

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ASIN: 1883011671

Book Description

Complete in one volume, the five books that created the modern American crime novel

In a few years of extraordinary creative energy, Dashiell Hammett invented the modern American crime novel. In the words of Raymond Chandler, "Hammett gave murder back to the kind of people that commit it for reasons, not just to provide a corpse.... He put these people down on paper as they were, and he made them talk and think in the language they customarily used for these purposes."

The five novels that Hammett published between 1929 and 1934, collected here in one volume, have become part of modern American culture, creating archetypal characters and establishing the ground rules and characteristic tone for a whole tradition of hardboiled writing. Drawing on his own experiences as a Pinkerton detective, Hammett gave a harshly realistic edge to novels that were at the same time infused with a spirit of romantic adventure. His lean and deliberately simplified prose won admiration from such contemporaries as Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner.

Each novel is distinct in mood and structure. Red Harvest (1929) epitomizes the violence and momentum of his Black Mask stories about the anonymous detective the Continental Op, in a raucous and nightmarish evocation of political corruption and gang warfare in a western mining town. In The Dain Curse (1929) the Op returns in a more melodramatic tale involving jewel theft, drugs, and a religious cult. With The Maltese Falcon (1930) and its protagonist Sam Spade, Hammett achieved his most enduring popular success, a tightly constructed quest story shot through with a sense of disillusionment and the arbitrariness of personal destiny. The Glass Key (1931) is a further exploration of city politics at their most scurrilous. His last novel was The Thin Man (1934), a ruefully comic tale paying homage to the traditional mystery form and featuring Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated inebriates who would enjoy a long afterlife in the movies.

Customer Reviews:

The Maltese Falcon.......2006-11-07

An intriguing plot with just the right blend of wry humor, sex and secrets.

Very exciting and convenient.......2006-06-19

I do like these stories, though they are so rough! It is very helpful to be able to have them all together in this one good volume, I think. But it is dangerous to read them late at night, because you either get too excited to sleep, or you dream of bad men with their car headlamps switched off in the dark!

The first benchmark.......2005-08-19

Very nice edition of the master's novels. In addition to my love of Hammett's prose, I am fascinated by the subtle political aspects of his work: he was the first crime writer to question the status quo so frankly. K. C. Constantine said, "The crime writer is society's stoolie", and Hammett is still a reliable informant.

A classic.......2004-08-26

"A Classic"

What makes a classic? In the case of a detective novel, it is a book that can be read and reread and that gives pleasure on each reading. The Maltese Falcon is now seventy-five years old, yet it continues to amaze, to amuse, to engage.

You may know the plot, but you still can't remember every twist and turn of the unfolding story, and you are surprised by details here and there you did not previously notice, or had forgotten. You may know the principal characters-the cynical detective Sam Spade, the seductive adventuress Brigid O'Shaughnessy, the exotic Joel Cairo, the crafty Caspar Gutman. But they are so expertly drawn, so powerfully realized, that you learn more about them on each reading.

You may already have committed some of the most famous lines of dialog to heart ("The cheaper the crook the gaudier the patter"-- "You're good. You're very good. It's chiefly your eyes, I think, and that throb you get into your voice when you say things like `Be generous, Mr. Spade'"). Yet you continue to discover more, and you continue on each reading to relish the bite, the humor, the intelligence of Hammett's prose.

It's practically impossible to read this book without thinking of the motion picture starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet. Don't try. John Huston's script departs here and there from the story line of the novel, but not in any serious way. Most of the changes are efforts to streamline the story and make it fit the standard (for 1941) length of a screenplay. And the best lines spoken by Bogart, Astor, Lorre, and Greenstreet are pure Hammett. The movie is true to the spirit of the book, and if you are familiar with both you can love them both.

At age seventy-five, The Maltese Falcon is a classic, and there is good reason to believe that in another seventy-five years it will still be one.

Well worth the time........2004-07-28

I have read all five novels at least twice. Will go for three times when winter arrives.

Test of Time: A Novel Approach to the SAT and ACT (Harvest Original)

Average customer rating:

Very good resource for SAT/ACT prep
Very enjoyable but disappointing ending

Test of Time: A Novel Approach to the SAT and ACT (Harvest Original)
Charles Harrington Elster
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156011379

Book Description

Test of Time is a captivating time-travel adventure that incorporates vocabulary words from the SAT and ACT, boldfacing them throughout the novel and providing definitions in a handy back-of-the book glossary. The result is a fun and effective study method for the thousands of diligent students who take these tests each year.

For Orlando Garcia Ortiz and his friends at prestigious Hadleyburg University, it's finals week. That same week, but many, many years before, a famously eccentric writer in Hartford, Connecticut, is putting the finishing touches on a manuscript about a rebellious boy named Huck. Suddenly, a bizarre thing happens: The manuscript disappears and in its place appears a strange contraption-a college student's laptop that has traveled through time. It's a mysterious set of circumstances, but our intrepid heroes at Hadleyburg, joined by Mark Twain, endeavor to retrieve their valued possessions and return to their proper places in time.

Customer Reviews:

Very good resource for SAT/ACT prep.......2007-01-03

My 12-year-old son read this book along with another vocabulary-building novel prior to taking the ACT for a regional talent search. He actually liked the story and was able to name and discuss new words from the text. I think this would be good for any test prep that requires vocabulary including the GRE. This is not a waste of money.

Very enjoyable but disappointing ending.......2006-11-02

I am an SAT tutor and have found this book and others like it valuable to my students. Charles Harrington Elster is a master of his craft; unlike some other books of this type, his vocabulary and grammar are impeccable.* As a result, this book is very well written. What a great idea for a book-- Mark Twain in 21st century college America. Test of Time is informative and entertaining. Its ending is a bit sudden and far-fetched, though.
*Believe it or not, there are SAT vocab-building books that have poor definitions.

The Novels of Dashiell Hammett: Red Harvest; The Dain Curse; The Maltese Falcon; The Glass Key; The Thin Man

Average customer rating:

The Novels of Dashiell Hammett: Red Harvest; The Dain Curse; The Maltese Falcon; The Glass Key; The Thin Man
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394438604
Release Date: 1965-09-12

Average customer rating:

Short stories that will stay with you a long time
Beautiful Stories
Startling reflections
An Important Book, and a Great Read

Home Remedies (Harvest Original)
Angela Pneuman
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Beauty of the Beastly
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No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories
Karma and Other Stories (P.S.)

ASIN: 0156030756

Book Description

Tonsillectomies should not be performed at home, cucumbers do not make good stand-ins, and golf clubs are not for hitting your mother.

Angela Pneuman renders these unsettling truths, small and large, with blazing insight in Home Remedies. It is a startling debut collection of stories peopled by Christian fundamentalists traversing various stages and crises of belief, grappling with intimacies that feel like an anxious mix of longing and repulsion, relating to one another in an uneasy balance of eagerness and wariness.

A compassionate and clear-eyed look at religious faith and family ties, Home Remedies marks the beginning of a distinguished literary career.

Customer Reviews:

Short stories that will stay with you a long time.......2007-05-09

Angela Pneuman has a sharp sense of humor and great delivery in her short story collection, Home Remedies. Once you read the first story about a young girl who begs her skilled, elderly babysitter to take out her tonsils, you're sucked into worlds you've never seen quite like Pneuman describes them.

A Christian girl, not allowed to date, tries to hide her phone calls with a boy. But the young girl's perceptions are off; the boy isn't interested when his old girlfriend comes back to him. She has to discover this scenario in the lunchroom at school. Tragedy and comedy are meted out side by side in these stories of conflict, parental control, Christian values and the harsh realities of life.

The greatest gifts of these stories are Pneuman's endings to every story. She leaves the readers wondering in their own mind how everything played out. She doesn't give you the sugarcoated, everything-turns-out-fine kind of ending that the reader may expect. She leaves it up to the reader to decide how the stories end. Were the girl's tonsils removed? Did the boy dump the girl because she was Christian and couldn't date?

Armchair Interviews says: Riveting stories for any reader.

Beautiful Stories.......2007-04-08

When I hear people talk about Pneuman's stories, they converge on some of the more unforgettable moments, as when a nanny heats an icepick to perform a home tonsillectomy or when a daughter raises a golf club to her mother. True, those are the kind of thrilling moments many people read for, but I think these stories are also filled with subtle humor, beautiful prose and achingly observed mother-daughter relationships. Plus this book will really make you think about the plateaus that follow a loss of faith.

Startling reflections.......2007-02-08

The stories capture pivotal moments in the lives of young women. Some of the moments are painful - to the young characters, and to the reader as well. Interestingly, I read several of the stories 10 days ago and I have found myself, on several occasions, thinking about the young women, the decisions they made, their families and friends, and their futures.

An important collection of stories that resonated with this 30-something woman.

An Important Book, and a Great Read.......2007-01-29

These stories offer a startling view of life at its seminal point. We see in these narratives, which generally feature young female protagonists growing up under variously oppressive circumstances, how the ravages of living are not reserved for the hardened or the experienced, but are often thrust upon the young with brutal exactness. We see also that the experienced are not necessarily the strong, or the wise, or the compassionate. In Pneuman's literary prism, a narrow ray of American life--that of young girls in rural Kentucky--disperses into its full, wicked, discomfiting, tender, spirited, and rousing spectrum. This is not only an important book, it is also a truly enjoyable read.

Average customer rating:

Bad Blood Pours in Poisonville [T]
CLEANING UP DODGE
Mr. Hammet
'Harvest' this high quality read from a master of the detective genre.
Sharp, brief and clear dialogue

Red Harvest
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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The Thin Man
The Glass Key
The Continental Op
The Maltese Falcon
The Big Sleep

ASIN: 0679722610
Release Date: 1989-07-17

Book Description

When the last honest citizen of Poisonville was murdered, the Continental Op stayed on to punish the guilty--even if that meant taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain.

Customer Reviews:

Bad Blood Pours in Poisonville [T].......2007-07-01

Some novelists are great in their genre. Some novelists create a genre. In many respects, this book exemplifies the birth of the genre referred to as the American crime novel - one which Raymond Chandler said ". . . took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley. . . ." And, oh how from-the-street this novel is.

This novel started a critically acclaimed writing streak for Hammet - 1929 ("Red Harvest"and "The Dain Curse"), 1930 ("The Maltese Falcon"), and 1931 ("The Glass Key"). Hollywood was right behind the publishers as they produced his books to film almost as soon as the print dried on the second printing: 1930 ("Roadhouse Nights" based on "Red Harvest), 1931 ("Maltese Falcon" ) and 1935 ("Thin Man" and 5 other movies to follow with the Thin Man theme.)

Hammett was hot. Maybe the hottest commodity in print and screen the first five years of the 1930's. Then in 1936 he secretly joins the Communist Party and you can guess the rest.

This book reviews many of his personal experiences. At 31, he became a private detective (Pinkerton Agency) and the major character of this book is a 190-pound 5'6" solidly built unnamed character who works for a similar agency. He is called an Op. And, his "Old Man" sends him to Personville which is affectionately referred to as Poisonvile - dank and mysterious, it lost its innocence when old man Willsson hired Italian goons as union busters to preserve his bottom line for his many capitalistic ventures. After they did their dirty business, they stayed and the old man could not live as he had before - in total control of the city.

When the Op is shot at by goons and cops, he decides that even though his business is over, he will stay and earn $10,000 while making himself a Poisonville regular. Thereafter, 24 bad people are murdered - cleaning the streets of the bad blood - and the worst injury suffered by the Op is a burn. Good conquers all, or mostly all. The Op meant what he said, and said what he meant, he hated the town 100%.

Hammett, probably from having to gumshoe streets following leads for the Pinkerton Agency, understood American vernacular. Implementing the same created his "style" which probably was not consciously done. But, it was artistic. And, this artistry is purely Americana. American vernacular was new in literature - something which was also brought to readers by another hot commodity of the 1930's - Ernest Hemingway.

His curt and precise statements, dialogue, and great descriptions of the physical appearances of characters are Hammett's best weapons. And, this is one of his best books - probably only exceeded by "Maltese Falcon." It seems only a shame that he could not produce more of these novels

CLEANING UP DODGE .......2007-06-25

I have just finished reviewing in this space all of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe detective series. It occurred to me that I might as well review the work of that other exemplar of the modern hard-boiled noir detective story, Dashiell Hammett. Most of those familar with his work know it from Nick Charles of the Thin Man or, more likely, Sam Spade of the immortal Maltese Falcon but Hammett, like Chandler, did not blossom forth with these classics without a grinding apprenticeship in pulp detective fiction. Red Harvest represents Hammett's baptism. This story of an unnamed shamus who moreover works for a detective agency runs against the type we have come to expect from Hammett and Chandler-the independent, no-holds barred character. Have no fear our Continental Op has most of those qualities and the single-mindeness to clean up a rotten crime-dominated town no questions asked. While there is not the plot or character development of Hammett's later work here this is still a good read.

Mr. Hammet.......2007-03-08

The same operator that apears in The Continental Op, but this novel is more elaborated. A must. Hammet at his best.

'Harvest' this high quality read from a master of the detective genre........2006-12-19

Nowadays, not many people think of reading a pulp detective novel from 1929. Most would expect the plot to be superficial, the characters one-dimensional, and the dialogue filled with obscure eighty year-old words like 'dames', 'dingus', 'gams', and 'gat'.

But 'Red Harvest' is one of the best (are there any bad ones?) novels from Dashiel Hammett, arguably the most artful if not prolific detective story writer of all time.

If you are reading this, then you are already a fan of the genre or you are branching out from your usual 'mystery' choice. You're looking for an entertaining read that won't dumb you down. You're hoping to stumble upon a lesser-known gem from a great mystery writer. Or maybe to find out why they say Hammett was so good. Well, you've found it.

I won't recount the story line--- plenty of other reviewers will do that. But I will tell you why you should buy it and read it.

I think 'Red Harvest' is a fine piece of American literature, one of the most perfect detective novels I've read.

The serpentine plot winds it way between the predictable and unpredictable, telling the story about one man against an entire town. In 2007 this might seem trite and overdone, but it was a fresh idea in 1927.

If violence and gunplay is your thing, you're in luck. Chapter 21 is entitled 'The Seventeenth Murder'.

The Obscure 1920's Gangster Dialogue Index is set to 'Low'. I don't want Edgar G, Cagney or Bogie pop into my mind while I'm forming my own mental image the character.

Dialogue and exposition are extremely well-written. Words tumble naturally from the pages like dice in a crapshoot.

In his exquisite portrait of Dinah Brand, the femme fatale, Hammett succeeds in the difficult task of capturing for his reader the essence of a physically imperfect woman who has perfected the art of attraction and allure, enchanting any man she wants.

Best of all things about `Red Harvest' is the wily Op himself. He appears a deceptively average guy: anonymous, middle-aged, average height, soft around the middle, receding hairline. But smart and tough as nails, he's not one to cross.

Sharp, brief and clear dialogue.......2006-10-27

Dashiell Hammett is the master of classic detective novels!!
In Red Harvest a detective is called in on a private case and his client is murdered in the company town of Personville (Poisonville by the locals) This is the classic detached, hard guy detective, who does what he does because he wants to finish the job he started. In this case it is to find out who has murdered the man that just may be the last honest man in town. In this company town, murders seem to be a dime a dozen, some just to mislead, others, just because. The dialogue is sharp and brief, yet clear as a diamond!! The women can be just as hard hearted as the men, with motives that reach only as far as their wallets.
This is another classic detective novel!!!

Hammett's Moral Vision: The Most Influential In-Depth Analysis of Dashiell Hammett's Novels Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass ... Man (The Ace Performer Collection series)

Average customer rating:

Disappointed. Here's why:

Hammett's Moral Vision: The Most Influential In-Depth Analysis of Dashiell Hammett's Novels Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass ... Man (The Ace Performer Collection series)
George J. "Rhino" Thompson
Manufacturer: Vince Emery Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 097258983X

Book Description

Previously only available serialized over seven issues of The Armchair Detective magazine, this examination is the single most influential book-length analysis of Dashiell Hammett’s novels. Spanning all sections of his career, the book discusses five novels: The Dain Curse, The Glass Key, The Maltese Falcon, Red Harvest, and The Thin Man. Detailed analysis shows how the author and his work changed over time. Each novel is discussed in its own chapter with comparative criticism, and there is a list of resources for further reading and research. Additionally, this compiled text includes a new chapter in which the author discusses the impact Hammett has had on his own life.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed. Here's why:.......2007-10-01

I love Hammett, and I think Thompson has some valid insights, but I'm kind of disappointed with this book. But it depends. If I were a regular reader of "detective fiction" (i.e., if Hammett didn't happen to interest me intellectually, and if I read any other detective fiction with arbitrary delight), I might have actually loved this book. So don't base your judgment entirely on what I have to say about this book.

But what I will say is this: as a student of philosophy and English literature, and as someone who has read some literary criticism in his day, I will say this book is disappointing. Part of the problem is, Mr. Thompson tries to cover way too much. What I mean is this: he takes you through the novels entire. What he might have done is taken a more specific theme and found the places in the novels that fit with that theme. What you need, in that case, is not the entire novels: you need only "pieces" of each novel, and more speculation, more imagination. Not explication. The assumption should be that your reader is reading you because they've already read the author's books already.

For a good example of what I mean, read the Introduction to THE CONTINENTAL OP collection by Steven Marcus. His theory of the truth/fiction dichotomy in Hammett is very fruitful, and very short.

This book is advertised as "in-depth" and "influential." I don't know how influential it has been, as I have not read ALL the criticism on Hammett over the past forty years. But I really don't think it is "in-depth": it's more of an introduction.

There really is, I think, too much focus out there on "Hammett's Development As A Writer." To HELL with his "development"! He was a writer; that is all. There is no "development": everything he wrote was good. He might have changed over the years, sure. But it's not as though he started out as a hack writer and ended up as a brilliant novelist in the end. The fact of the matter is that Hammett was able to say in very few words what it takes other writers pages and pages and pages to say. It is simply more difficult to write something short than it is to write something long. This may be especially true of detective fiction. For instance, why is it that we have so little of Hammett and Chandler, but they are still considered the best? Whereas we have volume after volume of Parker, Spillane, Burke, Grafton, etc., and don't seem to be an "Influence" on anyone.

But by all means, if you want a good introduction to Hammett's worldview, or if you're a book collector, or if you are really unfamiliar with literary analysis, you might love this book.

But I wouldn't read a mediocre book on Hammett for the same reason I wouldn't read a mediocre book on Shakespeare or Aristotle.

Average customer rating:

Slow......Again
Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series
Soul Havest:: The World Takes Sides
LaHaye/Jenkins' Guide to Christianity: An Immoral Morality
Great religious fiction

Soul Harvest (Left Behind, Book 4)
Tim F. LaHaye , and Jerry B. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0842365532

Amazon.com

Having survived the wrath of the Lamb--a global earthquake in the 21st month of the Tribulation--pilot Rayford Steele and reporter Buck Williams now embark on a journey of absorbing adventure and Christian triumph. Soul Harvest is book four in the enormously popular Left Behind series (seven books are planned in all), based on those who are left behind in the Rapture. Written with the same gripping pace of Tom Clancy and John Grisham (film rights have already been sold for the first two books), the authors take us to Iraq, America, underground shelters, and the bottom of the Tigris river as Steele and Williams search for loved ones. Meanwhile, biblical prophecies are fulfilled at every turn, including the great soul harvest. For many Christian followers, this series has become a tangible and thrilling testament to the Book of Revelations. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Books 2 through 5 in the best-selling Left Behind series, each having sold over 3 million copies since their release from 1995 to 1999, will now be available in a paperback geared for those who love the large print format. The 15-point type is 40 percent larger than the type in the trade paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Slow......Again.......2007-09-27

Ok the first book was good, the second slow, the third one picked up for me and now, I'm having hell (pardon) getting thru this one. Last book we spent a lot of time trying to figure out where Buck and Rayford were and now we are looking for Chloe and Amanda. I think it's becoming a bit repetitive, but hopefully it speeds up again.

Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series.......2007-09-14

From the very first letter of the alphabet that my eyes looked upon inside this series of books, until the very last period of the very last sentence, I was hooked. Each one of these books absorbed my attention like no other book has ever done in my life. Biblically sound, theatrically entertaining, and brilliantly written, the Left Behind books will inspire you to dig into God's word and take the pieces of news from your T.V. screen and match them right smack-dab up with the prophecies of the Bible. Your hair will stand up, your heart will race, and you will find yourself helplessly caught in the suspense. Once you finish one of these books, you will desperately race to your computer screen or your local library to pick up the next one!

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

Soul Havest:: The World Takes Sides .......2007-07-29

Soul Harvest was in good condition and had little damage. The pages were a little worn and the cover was worn.

LaHaye/Jenkins' Guide to Christianity: An Immoral Morality.......2007-06-03

Alright, so, if you're here, then I don't have to tell you how poorly written this series is. The characters are cardboard, there is no pacing, there is no sense of style and the plot is cliched, repetitive and completely devoid of real tension. But, you might reasonably respond, none of that is the point to this series. This series is meant to convert the masses, and therefore, we might posit that we ought to judge this series based on its religious and moral content.

If so? Then this series is even worse off than judging it on its artistic merits (and it has practically none).

First of all, to re-establish the fact that this is a poorly written series, allow me to quote this choice segment from near the end of the novel. The context is that Ray is investigating an airplane that has crashed and now rests underwater, a grave for dozens of people. He's searching for his missing wife, whom he fears is one of the dead (p. 402): "All he saw in his fading light were the backs of five heads and the heels of ten feet. Seven shoes had come loose. He had never understood the phenomenon of the contraction of human feet in the face of violent collision...."

Truly, genuinely dismal. Just awful. Here, you can tell that the authors decided to do a few minutes worth of research, and, finding some tidbit about contracting feet or somesuch, they just couldn't leave it out. You know, for verisimilitude. The fact that, while scuba-diving in an underwater airplane, searching desperately for his wife, and suffering from a bad head inury, this is a really lame thought for Ray to be having, pulling us completely out of the suspense of the scene? Well, the authors don't quite get that sort of thing.

But, like I say, perhaps we should concentrate our critiquing efforts on the presentation of theology and ethics found here. After all, that's obviously what's most important to the authors. And so, let's have a little bit of theological conversation between two of our Tribulation Saints (210):

"'God has proven personal to us, Mac," Rayford said. 'He doesn't always answer our prayers the way he we think he will, but we've learned he knows best. And we have to be careful not to think that everything we feel deeply is necessarily true.'

'I don't follow,' Mac said.

'For instance, I can't shake the feeling that Amanda is still alive. But I can't swear that this is from God.' Rayford hesitated, suddenly overcome. 'I want to be sure that if it turns out I'm wrong, I don't hold it against God.'"

See? Rayford gets this deep feeling about Amanda's still being alive. If she turns out to be alive, then Rayford knows that the feeling came from God, and he praises God for "assuring" Ray or something like that. However, if Amanda isn't alive, then Rayford knows that his initial feeling wasn't from God, after all, but just his own hopes overblown...

No wonder Mac didn't follow. It isn't followable.

But my big problem here isn't the authors' lack of logic. Oh, sure, they haven't even been *introduced* to logic, but no, my bigger concern is the morality. Throughout this series, they've been inspired to use the series as a pulpit for preaching against what they feel are society's ills. Fair enough, except, rather than making anything resembling an actual case against any of these things, they've been content to merely smear them through association (i.e. the Antichrist supports it, ergo it's just as evil as Fundamentalists always said it was). In this way, the authors look to tarnish organizations like the United Nations and hot-button political issues like abortion, cloning and fetal tissue research. Look, there are several good arguments to be made against things like the United Nations (and also good arguments for it)... but, that the Antichrist might use it for world conquest? Is not a good argument. (Also, it's not even a good Christian argument, for God's will is obviously that the Antichrist have dominion for a time, yes? Therefore, arguing against the U.N. appears to be attempting to thwart God's plan...)

Not always preaching against, sometimes the authors preach for things. For instance, in the character of Chloe, they preach for the "natural" submission of women to men (307):

"Don't parent me, Buck. Seriously, I don't have a problem submitting to you because I know how much you love me. I'm willing to obey you even when you're wrong. But don't be unreasonable."

This is not the independent woman the authors introduced us to in the first couple of books. After almost disappearing from the narrative altogether, Chloe has re-emerged as a caracature of what the authors believe is the ideal Christian wife. That is: obedient. And here, they try to make such obedience sound reasonable because it's done "because I know how much you love me..." but ask yourselves this: does Chloe love Buck any less than Buck loves Chloe? No. Yet the authors would *never* give Buck a speech about how he obeys Chloe and submits to her (even when she's wrong). They give Chloe this speech because she's a woman, and the authors believe that it is a woman's duty to submit to her husband, and obey him.

Apart from social observations, let's take a look at the character--and morality--of God as presented by this series. As a good starting point (and the central plot element of the end of the last novel, and most of this one), the "Wrath of the Lamb" earthquake that devastates the earth.

What I find interesting about that quake is: according to the authors, it's God's work. Now, in chronicling the 'End of Times,' the authors have been quick and clear to lay a lot at Nicolae Carpathia's doorstep. He's the Antichrist, after all; a bad, bad man. Yet, come to it, God has managed to wreak more destruction than Carpathia. I know that the authors, and most readers, would sift these acts of destruction into "good" and "bad" camps, but for someone who isn't Christian (like myself) it's a bit hard to come to that conclusion, just based on what I've read in this series. God's earthquake doesn't seem to be any more discriminatory than Carpathia's nuclear attack--they both wind up killing people both moral and immoral, Christian and other, right? They're both launching their attacks on the populace in an effort to gain better control of people, right? Win more people to their side, right? Honestly, other than the titles we've bestowed upon them, how is someone expected to figure out which is the force of good and which is the force of evil, when, for all I can tell, they employ the same tactics and have the same goals?

The big difference seems to be: God is *more* powerful, is *better* able to massacre people, and therefore we'd be wise in backing him up. Do you know what argument LaHaye and Jenkins have yet to make? That God is more moral in some observable way, and therefore worthy of love, respect or admiration. So far, the only thing that they've proven about their deity is that he's not afraid of murdering millions of people to make a point. God seems to be "good" and "moral" in LaHaye/Jenkins' world because he says so, and will slap you down hard if you disagree.

Of course, this is my beef--my personal point of view--I get that. I only wish the authors had some recognition of their own point of view, and how it colors their writing (and how it limits it). For instance, a good portion of the early part of the novel is Buck's trying to find Chloe (seems that girl is always gone missing), who they're worried has been killed by the quake. Had the quake, somehow, been the work of Carpathia, Buck would be burning with all sorts of anger at the cruelty and inhumanity of the Antichrist--at how casually the Antichrist could butcher people. Instead, Buck is filled with a sort of quiet resignation, because the quake is the handiwork of a "loving" God. Surely the kind of God that can cause these sorts of horrors must give a moral person pause...? Yet...

"The chopper lights illuminated an area of twenty feet in front of the craft. Mac suddenly unclipped his belt and leaned forward. 'What is that, Ray? It's raining, but it's red! Look at that! All over the snow!'

'It's blood," Rayford said, a peace flooding his soul...this show, this shower of fire and ice and blood, reminded him yet again that God is faithful. He keeps his promises." (410)

Yikes! Christians of LaHaye and Jenkins' stripe I find a bit... disturbing. They have no problems in upholding a God as being moral and loving, even as he slaughters millions (and condemns untold amounts of them to Hell, as he arbitrarily limits their opportunities for conversion/salvation through their early deaths). Yet they condemn as evil a man who kills a lesser number, even though that man is conforming to God's plan for us every bit as much as the earthquakes, comets, etc. They find comfort in raining fire and blood, but are troubled by independent women and embryonic research that could wind-up curing diseases and thereby saving lives.

If LaHaye and Jenkins are right--if this series really does reflect Christianity and the character and morality of their God--then God is wicked, and a truly moral person would have to take a stand against him, even if it were futile. There is nothing loving about this "loving" God, no matter how many times we assert it is so. And anyways, even if they're right metaphysically, this series is still incredibly poor in terms of writing, characterization, plot, etc. Being religious and being right doesn't make a person a competent author.

Great religious fiction.......2007-05-21

The authors again take us on a journey in the lives of the Tribulation Saints after the rapture. Nicolae Carpathia is the anti-Christ and more of his evilness is displayed. The 3rd and 4th Horseman are unleashed and calamity strikes the earth and those left behind.
These books are a great work and those who believe or aren't sure what to believe begin to understand the bible and the point of the books, to prepare yourself and make a decision to follow Christ and accept him as the Messiah. I enjoy them because they make the rapture and the prophesies of what is to come so real, the meaning of the prophesies are intrepreted by the authors but they make sense. The characters are real and are flawed, they make mistakes, they fight for what they believe, they experience pain and agony, happiness and joy. You want to be there with them, helping in the cause, at the same time you hope to never have to be there, that you're taken in the rapture and not left behind.

Dashiell Hammett: Five Complete Novels: Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, The Thin Man (The Great Masters Library) (The Great Masters Library)

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Fascinating Mysteries

Dashiell Hammett: Five Complete Novels: Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, The Thin Man (The Great Masters Library) (The Great Masters Library)
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0517618354
Release Date: 1986-09-24

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Mysteries.......2001-03-16

Dashiell Hammett's novels have fascinating mystery plots and the essential elements of film noir: dangerous dames, wise-cracking "ops" (= operative = P.I.), cagey crime orgasnisers, and trigger-happy "muggs".

Hammett's novels include The Maltese Falcon (#3) and The Thin Man(#5), which are great films but they are missing some of the intrigue of the real stories. For instance, there's another angle of Sam Spade involving Iva Archer that doesn't quite make it to the film version . . . .

The Red Harvest (#1) reveals shocking corruption in city politics as the Continental Op (literally) wades through bootleg liquor and tries to keep track of the soaring body count.

The Dain Curse (#2) is a confusing compound of drug use, a religious cult, and a family's vicious criminal record. It isn't a neat, fictionalised detective story, but rather the slough of deceit Hammett must have seen while working for Pinkerton.

The Glass Key (#4) also deals with city-level political corruption, but there's another message: think of trying to use a glass key . . . .

When fortifying myself for a six hour layover and a trans-Atlantic flight, I stumbled upon this book quite by accident, but I couldn't have made a better choice. Hammett's novels make excellent reading: interesting plots, clever wording and some of those "lines" film noir can't do without. I can't resist giving an example "line" (from The Glass Key):

"'A copper found you crawling on all fours up the middle of Colman Street at three in the morning leaving a trail of blood behind you.'

Amazon.com

Aliens: Hive is an original comic book story based on the Alien movie series. Main character Stanislaw Mayakovsky once wrote a book called Cyberantics about a cybernetic ant he designed to infiltrate a hive to gain knowledge about the inner workings of the ant culture. Now a beautiful young thief has approached him to use his experience and expertise to create a cybernetic alien to sneak into an alien hive and steal the rare and valuable alien jelly. This is a fresh take on the Aliens mythos with creepy Kelley Jones artwork.

Book Description

Stanislaw Mayakovsky once wrote a book about the cybernetic ant he designed to infiltrate an Alien hive in order to gain precious knowledge about the species. Now, a beautiful young thief has approached Mayakovsky to use his experience and expertise -- not in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, but in the pursuit of the Alien Queen`s precious jelly. The mission is a perilous one, but the motives are compelling . . . Formerly collected as Aliens: Hive, this newest remastered Aliens Library Edition features an introduction and gallery by Kelley Jones!

Customer Reviews:

Aliens Love Puppies!.......2005-10-13

NOTE: This Book is also entitled Harvest, confusing alot of people. Harvest has a few additions to it that allow it to be the re-release it is, but I'm still partial to the cover of this lovely baby. I'm reviewing Hive and it'll show up on both, so you know you have the right one when you get the picture of the alien with the dog. That said, to begin:

All the Aliens Graphic Novels, distributed by Dark Horse, can be insulted if taken out-of-context and looked at on a one-on-one basis. Still, when thrown into a timeline and looked at as pieces telling the saga of a beast that is, in a sense, more terrifying than anything with Earthly comparisons, its a beautiful beast to behold. In stories like Labyrinth, for instance, you see what contact with Aliens can do to the human psyche and just how frail humans really are, and in additions by people like Mike Mignola you see the human side of the equation. In Hive you are thrust into a world where Aliens are understood to a point and where the item that allows them to become "Hive Mothers," Royal Jelly, has become THE narcotic of choice. Accordingly, you have a perpetual goldrush with people willing to take a variety of chances just to have something that is worth vast amounts of money and that makes its user feel better than escapism has ever imagined being. Take that and add in see the ways that people try to get to that payload and you have Hive.

As far as a creative complex, the art leaves something to be desired and there are slow place sin the story. Still, for some reason, I'm drawn to the notion of the Alien and this book made me alot happier than many of the others. Perhaps its because it not only adds in little scenarios of trying to raid a hive but comments on the Alien itself, trying to add an understanding of what the Alien is. Or maybe I just like watching people die because of their own stupidity when they mess with something beyond their wildest nightmares.

If you want to check out the Graphic Novels, start with Earth Hive and start working outward. These have been going on for years and you'll find alot of stuff you like/ dislike, and some of the stories are fringe tales at best. Unlike others here I liked this story, however, and am giving it a four out of five because I liked what it did. I just wish the art would've given me a little more.

I am sorry I really gave it 0 stars!.......1999-10-15

BAD ART,BAD STORY,BAD CHARACTERS ! DONT GET THIS BOOK

Aliens fans: you might want to skip this one!.......1999-04-11

After reading practically all other Aliens novels and comics, I find this one too drawn out, too much unnecessary plot and not enough involvement of the aliens themselves. The book delves too far into the woman thief's past and the feelings of the main character, Stanislaw. I was too bored three quarters into the book and couldn't even bear to finish it.

It was a great comic with great art........1999-04-08

It is about a sientist who once wrote a book about ants. He has built a robot alien. He has crashed on a planet full of aliens. I like this book because it is an action packed comic with great art and a good story.

Average customer rating:

Black Harvest
Josh Howard
Manufacturer: Devil's Due Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Horror | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1932796541

Book Description

In the small town of Jericho, Texas, a yearly phenomenon known as the Jericho Lights brings tourists and UFO enthusiasts from miles around. Although the true cause of the mysterious lights remains a mystery, they've become a deeply rooted part of Jericho's history. The return of 19-year-old Zaya Vahn, who mysteriously vanished nearly three years ago, throws the small rural town into chaos when it becomes clear that she is not the girl she once was, with the word "Repent" cryptically etched into her skin. Caught in the middle is internet blogger Daniel Webster, who has traveled to Jericho to uncover the truth about the Lights. But the real story he uncovers is bigger than he ever imagined.

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