I think after reading this, it is apparent why these stories were unpublished during Hammett's lifetime. This collection reads like his incomplete ideas, false starts, and rough drafts of stories he chose not to finish. Even the "lost" Sam Spade story is disappointing. ( )

The Hunter and Other Stories is a collection of stories by writer Dashiell Hammet which either have never been published or haven’t been published for over 80 years. Included are not only crime tales but stories from other genres including, perhaps most surprisingly, a fantasy tale called Magic – truly weird. There are even fragments of other stories, failed concepts or false starts, which are not only interesting in themselves but give insight into how hard he worked at his writing

There are also several movie proposals, most never filmed, but still fascinating. Although none of them reached the excellence of The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man, they still made for some great reading. Even at his less than best, his style of sparse, gritty realism always shines through. As I read them, I found myself imagining who would play each role and how it would be staged and given that I know absolutely nothing about making movies, that says a lot about how involved I became while reading them.

Along with the short stories and screen proposals which came from an archive donated to the University of Texas by Hammett’s long-time partner, Lillian Hellman is the beginning of a previously unknown and unpublished Sam Spade story which had been in the collection of an unnamed mystery writer who had purchased it years ago.

No, this isn’t his very best work but, for fans of Hammett, this is really something worth reading. It has been, admittedly, a very long time since I read The Maltese Falcon (or saw the movie) but reading these stories reminded me of why Hammett was and is one of the great icons of American literature. ( )

This review is going to be short and sweet. If when reading The Hunter and Other Stories by Dashiell Hammett you are expecting more of the 1930s pulp mysteries that Hammett is known for then you are going to be somewhat disappointed because there are barely any mysteries.

This compilation of stories, many of which have not been published, was edited by Richard Layman and Julie M. Rivett, Hammett's granddaughter. In the forward and introduction they both make it clear that Hammett had loftier goals than publishing in the likes of Black Mask and other pulp magazines. He wanted his stories in the high brow, glossy magazines. And clearly his use of language keeps in the ranks of the best authors, those that belong in these magazines.

However, some of these stories are strange...very, very strange. None of them, in my opinion, pack the wallop of his pulp mysteries, but that's my bias. Read them yourself and see if you're of the same opinion.

Included in this anthology are short and long narratives that are movie proposals, as Hammett spent much time writing for Hollywood. The introductions in front of each section give the reader some perspective as to when the stories might have been written and Hammett's life at the time.

Definitely an interesting read from a master of the written word. ( )

It is unfortunate that we typecast. Dashiell Hammett will forever be known for his sharp edged detectives, Sam Spade and Nick Charles. For the Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man. But this book goes well beyond, and explores the shades and range that made Dashiell Hammett a writer.

The pieces in this book can be remnants or fragments or complete stories. They all demonstrate an appreciation that humans have a sharp edge somewhere, every one of them different. Trip over it and it will cut you. (There’s a lot of confrontation in these stories). They are all fallible and have their weaknesses, and they’re all driven by forces unseen (but often described).

The same clipped, fast paced Sam Spade writing style can be applied to other characters, without making them players in The Maltese Falcon. That gives new breadth to Hammett’s writing, without impeding his easy to read style. With his famous economy of words, he draws pictures and characters that stick with you far better and far more deeply than most modern authors. He writes of a simpler, much less complicated time, without Miranda Rights, mobile phones, liability suits and surveillance cameras. So the people jump out at you instead.

These 21 stories are a diverting trip to that time. ( )

If you are a fan of Dashiell Hammett, this trove of previously unseen and uncollected stories and film treatments will warm your heart and chill your blood.

Hammett spent a lot of time writing for the movies, crafting his stories so that they might easily be worked up for the silver screen. He had pretensions to write beyond the detective genre and successfully placed stories in Collier’s, Harper’s Bazaar and other “slick-paper market” publications.

Put aside by Hammett’s executor Lillian Hellman, while gathering the more familiar detective stories for repackaging, these tales are often every bit as good.

The title story introduces us to a detective without a soft spot, on the trail of a hapless thief who is only there because of desperation and love. The quick ending is a kick in the gut.

The book is divided into four broad categories — Crime, Men, Men and Women, and Screen Stories — each with it’s own commentary and unpublished jewels.

The collection closes with the beginning of the only known unpublished Sam Spade story, “A Knife Will Cut for Anybody”. It would have been nice to see more.

There is a special pleasure in finding new work by a favorite author, and these little treasures will only add to the glow. ( )