Helpful Score: 3
What a good book! If you've seen the movie it will be hard to get Bogart out of your mind, but if you focus you can do it. The writing is so original and witty, and it sent me to the dictionary more than once! I recommend it!
Helpful Score: 3
This is the first Dashiell Hammett book I've read and I was hooked instantly. If you are into a good mystery and noir crime this is for you. He's a wonderful writer and the characters are great!
I'm from the San Francisco area so it's a lot of fun to read about all these places that are so close by. If you get a chance and you're a fan, you should take the Dashiell Hammett tour of S.F. Find more info here: http://www.donherron.com/tour
I'm from the San Francisco area so it's a lot of fun to read about all these places that are so close by. If you get a chance and you're a fan, you should take the Dashiell Hammett tour of S.F. Find more info here: http://www.donherron.com/tour
Helpful Score: 1
One of the classics. Sam Spade and his cohorts are almost taken in by a beautiful woman. Book said to be one of the best detective novels written.
Helpful Score: 1
Classic detective fiction featuring Sam Spade.
Helpful Score: 1
Sam Spade, private eye, is an experienced detective whose adventures in this novel involve a statue known as the falcon and a group of people competing the obtain it. A beautiful woman named Brigid enlists Sam's help which leads him into the search for the falcon. His partner is murdered, a man assisting the woman is murdered and more die before Sam untangles the mystery. The novel is interesting as it shows the reader the language and mores of the time and actions of people living in that period. As one reads the novel, it is important to remember that it was first published in 1929 by an author who was born in 1894. Fun read!
Helpful Score: 1
Very carefully plotted tale of double-crossing, intrigue, violence, and hope of riches. A long, hard look at the seedy underside of life. It's one of those books that you simply must read if you're a fan of the detective genre. Just be aware that none of the characters are particularly sympathetic (everyone is described in very vivid and negative terms, including Sam Spade) and Spade's "solitary code of ethics" are more likely to get him called a heartless bastard than a hero.
Helpful Score: 1
I struggled with how to rate this because 1. I don't want to cast shade on an undisputed classic detective novel that many consider to be one of the best books of the 20th century, especially since 2. The "hard boiled" detective novel isn't a genre that appeals to me. In fact, I only read this because Erik Larson, an author I admire, told the New York Times it's his favorite book.
With that said, however, I feel that any great book is simply a great book, regardless of the genre, and I didn't think this one was great. Here's why:
1. Stilted, awkward prose: I initially chalked it up to the fact that sentence structure and word usage were different in 1929 than they are today, but why can I read Tolstoy from 1877 and feel like he's a close personal friend whose train of thought is just like mine?
2. Insulting sexism: Today, Sam Spade would never have gotten mixed up in the whole Maltese falcon debacle because he would have lost his business years earlier as a result of a sexual harassment lawsuit. Apparently, any woman will sleep with him; he's completely irresistible; and they are very easy to manipulate, so they all do his bidding regardless of how he treats them.
3. Lack of character development: The characters all seemed one-dimensional, not fully formed. I would have liked little glimpses into how they ended up in the situations/lives they were in. They seem to have dropped onto the earth as full grown amoral adults with no families or home bases. They just travel around looking for the falcon and killing anyone who gets in the way with no remorse.
4. Disappointing ending: The ending fizzled for me. It was all for nothing. The falcon was fake. Lots of people died and no one even remotely seemed to care. No one, least of all Sam Spade, seemed to have learned or grown from the experience.
With that said, however, I feel that any great book is simply a great book, regardless of the genre, and I didn't think this one was great. Here's why:
1. Stilted, awkward prose: I initially chalked it up to the fact that sentence structure and word usage were different in 1929 than they are today, but why can I read Tolstoy from 1877 and feel like he's a close personal friend whose train of thought is just like mine?
2. Insulting sexism: Today, Sam Spade would never have gotten mixed up in the whole Maltese falcon debacle because he would have lost his business years earlier as a result of a sexual harassment lawsuit. Apparently, any woman will sleep with him; he's completely irresistible; and they are very easy to manipulate, so they all do his bidding regardless of how he treats them.
3. Lack of character development: The characters all seemed one-dimensional, not fully formed. I would have liked little glimpses into how they ended up in the situations/lives they were in. They seem to have dropped onto the earth as full grown amoral adults with no families or home bases. They just travel around looking for the falcon and killing anyone who gets in the way with no remorse.
4. Disappointing ending: The ending fizzled for me. It was all for nothing. The falcon was fake. Lots of people died and no one even remotely seemed to care. No one, least of all Sam Spade, seemed to have learned or grown from the experience.
Classic noir thriller and a good read.
I don't think you need me to tell you that Dashiell Hammett could write! What I loved about the book is that the movie follows it very faithfully, yet, somehow, I never DID understand the plot from the movie. Yet the dialog, and each "scene", you can see in your mind's eye as you read, because you've seen the movie so often. The plot is very clear in the book, however, so something must have gotten left behind in making the movie...
I enjoyed this book very much!
I enjoyed this book very much!
A great clasic.
Classic dark detective novel.
Sam Spade is a wonderfully drawn character. The story line, though, seemed a little convoluted. But still an interesting piece of crime noir fiction that was an easy, enjoyable read.
I know this takes place in the 30's but I couldn't get past the way they spoke about women....
I read this in high school then again in my 30's. Then a book review in 2015 called the ultimate detective novel. At 217 pages this looked to be a quick read and it is/was. I couldn't put it down!
I think the movie is a classic, made more compelling because it is black and white, but (must I capitalize?) the book is even better!
The tough-guy detective, the slimmy, unpredictible scum he deals with, the women he treats with a certian self-distancing, and the era that is so far from my experience all contribute to the appeal.
I think the movie is a classic, made more compelling because it is black and white, but (must I capitalize?) the book is even better!
The tough-guy detective, the slimmy, unpredictible scum he deals with, the women he treats with a certian self-distancing, and the era that is so far from my experience all contribute to the appeal.
Required reading in college literature class.
While I was interested enough to finish this book, I really wasn't all that interested in the characters. The sparse writing style left me completely unconnected to the characters, and it read more like a play than a novel. Interesting dip into the pulp fiction genre, but I really think this is just not my style.
Detective novels are really not my thing, but this one is so classic that I thought I'd give it another go, seeing as it's frequently ranked in the top ten of the best crime novels of all time. I think that's generous, personally, but I appreciate its renown enough to at least complete it. I read parts of it when I was younger but didn't make it all the way through. And renowned it is: it's been the subject of several films, starting, I believe, in the 1930s, shortly after the novel was published. The most famous film adaptation, which is arguably even more well-known than the novel itself, was the Humphrey Bogart/Mary Astor version, released in 1941.
The story apparently began its life as a serial in the magazine "Black Mask," a pulp magazine dating to 1920, which ceased publication in 1951, originally conceived by a journalist and a drama critic. It included not only crime fiction but also mystery and adventure stories, with the occasional romance tale thrown in for good measure, and "The Maltese Falcon" features elements of all of the above. It was published as a single novel in 1930 after appearing as five installments, beginning in September, 1929. A series of subsequent novels featuring primary protagonist Sam Spade (named for Hammett himself, whose first name was Samuel) shortly followed, although they have somewhat fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years.
One of the most curious aspects of the novel, as many others have noted, is that its prose has a voyeuristic quality, in the sense that it's written in a detached third-person perspective, which only reports, sometimes in great detail, visual aspects of the characters - what they're wearing, an uncharacteristic rich physical description of them, and even their mannerisms - but there's nothing at all regarding any of their particular thoughts, feelings or underlying motives. In some ways, Hammett's writing is almost Hemingway-esque, as its written in an almost rapid-fire, staccato series of events, featuring rather prototypical, albeit iconic, characters: the tough-talking and world-weary detective, the beautiful but duplicitous (and rather promiscuous) femme fatale, a highly Orientalized "Levantine" (which could be read several ways), and an assorted cast of characters, including thugs, cops, and assorted ne'er-do-wells, all of whom are looking for the fabled Maltese falcon, which may or may not even exist, but which men and women alike would kill for.
I won't go into detail regarding its plot, since it's so well-known. Indeed, the novel's influence has been far-reaching, to the degree that Hammett's style and stereotypical characters became almost standard fare for other novels in this genre. His, and those which followed have been described as typical examples of the "hard-boiled school" of crime fiction, which reached the peak of its popularity in the 40s and 50s. Even though this wasn't my favorite book, or genre, for that matter, I appreciate it for its significance in representing these types of novels. I'm not a great fan of this style of writing, either, as the descriptions seem like they're reaching a bit, like the author is trying too hard (but the visual imagery is helpful in the days before television), but the various twists and turns are sufficient to keep it interesting. In any event, the book is worth a read, for its fame and renown alone, even if you're not a great fan of detective novels.
The story apparently began its life as a serial in the magazine "Black Mask," a pulp magazine dating to 1920, which ceased publication in 1951, originally conceived by a journalist and a drama critic. It included not only crime fiction but also mystery and adventure stories, with the occasional romance tale thrown in for good measure, and "The Maltese Falcon" features elements of all of the above. It was published as a single novel in 1930 after appearing as five installments, beginning in September, 1929. A series of subsequent novels featuring primary protagonist Sam Spade (named for Hammett himself, whose first name was Samuel) shortly followed, although they have somewhat fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years.
One of the most curious aspects of the novel, as many others have noted, is that its prose has a voyeuristic quality, in the sense that it's written in a detached third-person perspective, which only reports, sometimes in great detail, visual aspects of the characters - what they're wearing, an uncharacteristic rich physical description of them, and even their mannerisms - but there's nothing at all regarding any of their particular thoughts, feelings or underlying motives. In some ways, Hammett's writing is almost Hemingway-esque, as its written in an almost rapid-fire, staccato series of events, featuring rather prototypical, albeit iconic, characters: the tough-talking and world-weary detective, the beautiful but duplicitous (and rather promiscuous) femme fatale, a highly Orientalized "Levantine" (which could be read several ways), and an assorted cast of characters, including thugs, cops, and assorted ne'er-do-wells, all of whom are looking for the fabled Maltese falcon, which may or may not even exist, but which men and women alike would kill for.
I won't go into detail regarding its plot, since it's so well-known. Indeed, the novel's influence has been far-reaching, to the degree that Hammett's style and stereotypical characters became almost standard fare for other novels in this genre. His, and those which followed have been described as typical examples of the "hard-boiled school" of crime fiction, which reached the peak of its popularity in the 40s and 50s. Even though this wasn't my favorite book, or genre, for that matter, I appreciate it for its significance in representing these types of novels. I'm not a great fan of this style of writing, either, as the descriptions seem like they're reaching a bit, like the author is trying too hard (but the visual imagery is helpful in the days before television), but the various twists and turns are sufficient to keep it interesting. In any event, the book is worth a read, for its fame and renown alone, even if you're not a great fan of detective novels.
the Maltese Falcon is a must read. it leaves a strange ending but i love the book.
I'm not a huge fan of the crime/mystery genre, but this is definitely one of the best!
