Catching up...

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I think Hammett got a lift from his association with Lillian Helmann, being considered a Communist intellectual rather than simply a pulp writer.  Nothing to do with the writing style itself, which seems comparable to Chandler's.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Carvill John <johncarvill at hotmail.com>
>Sent: Aug 27, 2006 7:22 AM
>To: MalignD at aol.com, pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: Catching up...
>
>
>Personally I've always been puzzled why so many people seem to regard 
>Hammett as superior. I assume it's the same instinct that leads some to 
>believe that the Beatles were overrated and teh Stones were far superior, 
>grittier, and somehow more 'authentic' or 'street'.
>
>