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Broken Necks
Paperback
Mystery & ThrillerGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025318165
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 356
Weight: 1.10
Height: 0.74 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Broken Necks is a compelling collection of urban sketches and short stories that captures the raw, pulsing energy of 1920s Chicago. Written with the sharp insight of a veteran journalist, Ben Hecht presents a series of vignettes that delve into the lives of the city's inhabitants, from the desperate and downtrodden to the cunning and ambitious. The work serves as a gritty exploration of the human experience within a rapidly modernizing metropolis, blending elements of crime, social realism, and literary noir.
Through his masterful prose, Hecht illustrates the stark contrasts of the Jazz Age, highlighting the tension between the city's glittering facade and its shadowed alleys. Each story in Broken Necks is infused with atmospheric detail and cynical wit, reflecting the complex social dynamics of an era defined by Prohibition, industrial growth, and the rise of the American city. This collection stands as a significant contribution to American literary realism, offering readers a window into the soul of a metropolis that was as brutal as it was beautiful. Broken Necks remains a vital piece of literature for those interested in the history of urban life and the evolution of the American short story.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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