Recently, I’ve needed some escapist literature to get my mind off life before going to sleep at night. A friend of mine has loaned me a few potboilers for this purpose. I’m starting with Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett. Right off the bat, there’s mention of the Wobblies and the I.W.W. (Industrial Workers of the World). Thus, it is a very fitting segue from The Twentieth Century: A People’s History.

I read the first chapter last night, and fell asleep soon after.

It’s the best Hammett that I’ve read so far. The action and characters are bigger and better, more enthralling, while still retaining that cool, and intangible Hammett element. Really good stuff.

This book was pretty damn good. It’s just fun reading without being overly difficult. And what’s not to like about ’20’s criminals in suits with ice-picks and scotch?