This book assumes you know and care about Lillian Hellman and Dash Hammett before you begin reading. That's why you picked it up, isn't it?

I admit I've never heard of them prior to this novel. I picked it up because I kept seeing the book in various places and something about the font on the cover begged me to read it.

The commencing chapter is a "he said, she said" kind of retelling of their first meeting. It's saucy and clever and the two accounts diverge so much that you know they're both interesting characters. But I still had to push my way through reading, because I didn't care about them. I felt like I was reading about the object of someone else's obsession.

Then, about half way through the novel, I began to like them. They're not people I'd ever be friends with, admire, or encounter in real life, but the novel makes them both larger than life and very human. Theirs is a love story and a story about Hollywood and a political commentary rolled into one. It's tragic and comedic and romantic.

The author did a fabulous job of weaving fact and fiction together in this account. Even if you've never heard of them, you should read about them. It's American history from its golden age. It's good literature. ( )

The only thing I knew about Hellman and Hammett were their contributions to the movies, the theatre and the dime novel, so I really enjoyed this peek into their private lives and the author's ability to turn his research into a very readable piece of fiction. ( )

Too much telling, too much effort to be charming. ( )

As a rule, I steer away from reading novels taking prominent historical figures (Hemingway, Churchill, Lincoln) as their protagonists. It seems like a cheap way to develop the main character since we already know a lot about them. This novel re-imagining the lives and relationship of Lillian Hellman (I have not seen any of her plays) and Dashiell Hammett (I've read most of his books) caught my eye, and I think it works impressively well. Mr. Toperoff is an experienced writer, and that becomes evident in the subtle ways he handles the characters of Lilly and Dash. They were passionate and sensitive lovers for over three decades with often long periods of separation between their visits. Hammett comes off as having the saddest life, especially in his later years after the U.S. government and IRS hounded him for his political leanings. I guess the right of free speech was skipped during the witch hunts. He actively served in two world wars and most of the committee members he testified in front of had little or even no military service. Interestingly enough, he had the last laugh and is buried in Arlington Memorial Cemetery with the other fallen veterans. I had some quibbles but then who doesn't when reading a novel? Overall, I was nothing short of entertained and learned a few things to boot. Great job! ( )