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The Glass Key is one badass little novel, in both its story and its style.  No wonder they call it hardboiled.  there are really several layers of detective story going on, the actual mystery of Taylor’s death and the deeper mystery of Ned Beaumont’s character.  As readers, we find ourselves with Janet, trying to understand this brutal man.  Personally, I think Ned Beaumont wouldn’t have left Paul for a fling.  Like Dr. Campbell said in class, sure they challenge and riddle and mess with each other, but perhaps that is love. 

I think this book could be read as murder mystery or a mystery of identity.  The murder may be solved by the end, but we are only given a pile of contradictory clues as to who Ned Beaumont really is.  I’ll have to read it again someday and pay extra attention to the second mystery instead of getting caught up in the first. 

i almost, almost did an apostrophe instead.  but a period is rounder.  an O would have done nearly as well. o o o that shakespeherian rag…  only, you can pronounce an o. i don’t know, if it gets to be a pain in the ass trying to click on a period i’ll change it.  just a cheezy little minimal thing.  it’s just, when i’m trying to figure out what to name writing that hasn’t been written yet, it is impossible to use a word.  so . for now.  maybe i should have made it an ellipsis… but they have so much character, i don’t know if i’d be able to live up to an ellipsis.     .     it’s almost nothing.   i like it.