Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Series
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
Sit down, sir, no need to stand there. We are civilized people here, not barbarians. But in civilization, sir, some people are rulers and some people are pawns. Sometimes pawns need to be sacrificed. But, I digress, sir. Have a drink while I tell you about the bird and the hunt for it.
Where it
Yes, it is not so much about goal, but the road to the goal, and what a road it was. The road does not exist anymore. It was antiquated, so it was redressed, it was modernized, it was polished to look like new and renamed repeatedly, but none of the modern versions have the charm of the original. These modern versions still have diversions on the road to tempt and charm you, but none, sir, have the power the original had. Truly a one-of-a-kind creation.
If you like your detective stories and your whiskey raw and straight up, this is the story for you. If you pride yourself on collecting originals, not cheap imitations, let us negotiate for a deal, sir, one we can both live to enjoy. If you, sir, are astute enough to know there is not an original sin in the world, only the manner the sins are committed, you will appreciate this recounting of what one bard may call the most unoriginal sin.
Good day, sir, and may you enjoy your journey as much as I did.
Where it
Show More
comes from and where it goes is of no consequence. The only thing that matters is the story. And, sir, let me say, what a story it is. Absolutely archetypical in the telling, in the characterizations and the execution. Forgive my little pun there. Force of habit, you know. Yes, I dare say that by now, you know all these characters, the hard boiled cops, the grieving cheating widow, the philanderous partner; you can anticipate all the crosses and double crosses; you know who ends up clean and who ends up dead. But remember, sir, the type was perfected here.Yes, it is not so much about goal, but the road to the goal, and what a road it was. The road does not exist anymore. It was antiquated, so it was redressed, it was modernized, it was polished to look like new and renamed repeatedly, but none of the modern versions have the charm of the original. These modern versions still have diversions on the road to tempt and charm you, but none, sir, have the power the original had. Truly a one-of-a-kind creation.
If you like your detective stories and your whiskey raw and straight up, this is the story for you. If you pride yourself on collecting originals, not cheap imitations, let us negotiate for a deal, sir, one we can both live to enjoy. If you, sir, are astute enough to know there is not an original sin in the world, only the manner the sins are committed, you will appreciate this recounting of what one bard may call the most unoriginal sin.
Good day, sir, and may you enjoy your journey as much as I did.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ShelfMonkey
Why should anyone read THE MALTESE FALCON?
The classic Bogart flick is a near-perfect redition of Dashiell Hammett's tough-guy dialogue. Director John Huston cast the film so well, that it's impossible to imagine the characters any other way. And in all its twists and turns, the movie captures every
So, again: Why should anyone read THE MALTESE FALCON? The same reason why the movie is so watchable time after time; If you haven't read it, you don't know how good it is, and if you have read it, it's so good, you can't wait to read it again.
In THE MALTESE FALCON, Hammett nails every element of the detective genre so precisely, so superbly, that it's a wonder anyone ever tried to write another detective novel after him. There are simply none better, a detective novel that goes beyond its pulp roots, and enters the realm of 'capital L' Literature.
The plot, for those three people who are unaware, is as follows; Detective Sam Spade has unwittingly become a pawn in a bizarre game of chess. After his partner Miles is killed, he finds himself immersed in a convoluted plot involving a double-dealing moll, a sly fat man, a creepy small man, and a treasured statue of a bird that, if it exists, is worth unimaginable riches. But Spade is unwilling to be used in such a fashion, and starts to set himself up as a player in the scheme, all the while trying madly to figure out exactly what he should do.
I have always believed, in the best of the genre, that the actual plot comes second to the characters, and FALCON is no exception. Hammett's Spade is a remarkable resourceful character, living by a code that even he may not truly believe in. The characters of Gutman, Cairo, Brigid, and Wilmar are by turns despicable, evil, comical, and touching. Spade may be the driving force, but Hammett knows that Heaven is in the details; not one minor character is spared his sharp eye for character and ear for dialogue.
But Hammett does not skimp on the plot, either. He is well aware of what Alfred Hitchcock named the 'MacGuffin"; the one object that motivates the characters. It doesn't matter whether or not the reader believes in it, it is only important that the characters believe. Hammett knows this, and uses the bird to unmask the evils that men do, the depths to which people will sink for greed, Spade included. They morally descend into murder, betrayal, and a surprising amount of sex (that the movie simply could not show, considering the age it was made in).
But why is THE MALTESE FALCON so good? There are many other sterling examples out there, from Raymond Chander's FAREWELL MY LOVELY (a favorite of mine), to Walter Mosley's WHITE BUTTERFLY. But FALCON has that one elusive quality that will keep a reader coming back for more. I wish I knew what that was. I personally believe it is Hammett's understanding of the human condition, of the many contradictions that make up an individual. To use Spade as an example, Hammett has created a character who is cruel, and hard-headed, and greedy, and self-serving. Only a man who knows what a person is capable of could ever attempt to make someone like that the hero.
P.S. Incidentally, unlike the otherwise perfect casting in the movie, Spade does not resemble Humphrey Bogart in the slightest. He is a tall, hulking figure, with thinning blond hair and sharp, angular features, often described as a 'blond Satan'. But it is remarkable that, despite this, Bogart's portrayal is so note-perfect that you can't help but picture him anyway.
The classic Bogart flick is a near-perfect redition of Dashiell Hammett's tough-guy dialogue. Director John Huston cast the film so well, that it's impossible to imagine the characters any other way. And in all its twists and turns, the movie captures every
Show More
nuance of Hammett's plot, and even adds to the mix.So, again: Why should anyone read THE MALTESE FALCON? The same reason why the movie is so watchable time after time; If you haven't read it, you don't know how good it is, and if you have read it, it's so good, you can't wait to read it again.
In THE MALTESE FALCON, Hammett nails every element of the detective genre so precisely, so superbly, that it's a wonder anyone ever tried to write another detective novel after him. There are simply none better, a detective novel that goes beyond its pulp roots, and enters the realm of 'capital L' Literature.
The plot, for those three people who are unaware, is as follows; Detective Sam Spade has unwittingly become a pawn in a bizarre game of chess. After his partner Miles is killed, he finds himself immersed in a convoluted plot involving a double-dealing moll, a sly fat man, a creepy small man, and a treasured statue of a bird that, if it exists, is worth unimaginable riches. But Spade is unwilling to be used in such a fashion, and starts to set himself up as a player in the scheme, all the while trying madly to figure out exactly what he should do.
I have always believed, in the best of the genre, that the actual plot comes second to the characters, and FALCON is no exception. Hammett's Spade is a remarkable resourceful character, living by a code that even he may not truly believe in. The characters of Gutman, Cairo, Brigid, and Wilmar are by turns despicable, evil, comical, and touching. Spade may be the driving force, but Hammett knows that Heaven is in the details; not one minor character is spared his sharp eye for character and ear for dialogue.
But Hammett does not skimp on the plot, either. He is well aware of what Alfred Hitchcock named the 'MacGuffin"; the one object that motivates the characters. It doesn't matter whether or not the reader believes in it, it is only important that the characters believe. Hammett knows this, and uses the bird to unmask the evils that men do, the depths to which people will sink for greed, Spade included. They morally descend into murder, betrayal, and a surprising amount of sex (that the movie simply could not show, considering the age it was made in).
But why is THE MALTESE FALCON so good? There are many other sterling examples out there, from Raymond Chander's FAREWELL MY LOVELY (a favorite of mine), to Walter Mosley's WHITE BUTTERFLY. But FALCON has that one elusive quality that will keep a reader coming back for more. I wish I knew what that was. I personally believe it is Hammett's understanding of the human condition, of the many contradictions that make up an individual. To use Spade as an example, Hammett has created a character who is cruel, and hard-headed, and greedy, and self-serving. Only a man who knows what a person is capable of could ever attempt to make someone like that the hero.
P.S. Incidentally, unlike the otherwise perfect casting in the movie, Spade does not resemble Humphrey Bogart in the slightest. He is a tall, hulking figure, with thinning blond hair and sharp, angular features, often described as a 'blond Satan'. But it is remarkable that, despite this, Bogart's portrayal is so note-perfect that you can't help but picture him anyway.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BruderBane
While reading “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett it becomes blatantly obvious that this fine work has been stripped mined. As a result at times it now reads like hackneyed fiction. Nevertheless, when one reads the copyright information and realizes that this was written circa 1929, you
Show More
come away amazed at the depth of characters and the ingenuity of Mr. Hammett as a writer. I’ve read and reviewed “Continental Op.” and was pleasantly surprised. Consequently when I read “The Glass Key,” it left a sour taste in my mouth and I was shocked at how much it bored me. Not so with “The Maltese Falcon.” At times his piquant scenes are reminiscent of Mr. Chekhov in their short, scene-stealing abruptness. Here Mr. Hammett gets down to the nitty-gritty of gumshoe detectives, men who live by their own rules and damn the outcome. Show Less
LibraryThing member brettjames
This is the only book to feature Sam Spade, yet that name is more iconic of the hardboiled era than even Philip Marlowe, which Raymond Chandler spent his entire career writing about. Not reading The Maltese Falcon is like not watching Star Wars.
LibraryThing member xevver
At first I found Hammett's prose to be as abrasive as his main character, Sam Spade. Slowly, however, I found myself being drawn into Hammett's world, until by the end I couldn't put the book down. And while I ultimately prefer the simpler style of Chandler, Hammett is certainly better at creating
Show More
characters that haunt and plot lines that beguile. Definitely one of the best Noir books I have ever read. Show Less
LibraryThing member 391
The Maltese Falcon reads like a photo (if this metaphor makes sense) - the imagery is well-rendered without being overly-descriptive, and it really puts the reader into the scene, as it were. It was a quick read, full of action and enigmatic characters, and it's easy to see how much it contributed
Show More
to the film noir genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member andreablythe
The Maltese Falcon is pretty much the epitome of the noir detective novel, with Sam Spade playing the part of hard-boiled detective and Brigid O'Shaughnessy the femme fatale that leads him into intrigue and danger. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was the first (because I have not clue as to
My only complaint is that since it was published in 1930 it presents a backwards view of women, as well as brief moments homophobia and racism. Every time Spade patronized his secretary or other women in the novel by talking down to them, patting them on the head, whispering in their ear, or in other ways performed acts of touching that would have been inappropriate today, I couldn't help but cringe. The sexism is just so present and accepted. While I understand that this is a result of the era in which it was written, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be talked about or pointed out.
Despite this, The Maltese Falcon is full of twists and turns and action and suspense, and is absolutely a quick and fun read.
Show More
whether that's true or not), but this book when it came out certainly gave to the popularity of the genre, influencing a number of books and movies that would come after. This influence in understandable, as the writing is snappy and the mystery quite fun. My only complaint is that since it was published in 1930 it presents a backwards view of women, as well as brief moments homophobia and racism. Every time Spade patronized his secretary or other women in the novel by talking down to them, patting them on the head, whispering in their ear, or in other ways performed acts of touching that would have been inappropriate today, I couldn't help but cringe. The sexism is just so present and accepted. While I understand that this is a result of the era in which it was written, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be talked about or pointed out.
Despite this, The Maltese Falcon is full of twists and turns and action and suspense, and is absolutely a quick and fun read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Because I’m such a Chandler fan, I always compare any “noir” PI to Philip Marlowe. Sam Spade is a different animal altogether. Of course I couldn’t help picturing Bogart in my head at first, but by the end, the blonde Satan took over and I think that fits Spade’s borderline-sociopath
Spade is more ruthless and cruel than Marlowe and more devious and intellectual than Hammer. He’s manipulative and has questionable motives for the things he does. During this latest ensnarement (I didn’t really think of this as a case, more of a trap) he knew the extent of how much he was being played pretty much from the start. Instead of trying to rectify things, he just turned the tables and set people up, some in needlessly cruel ways. It didn’t make him likable in the way Marlowe and even Hammer are likeable, but he is interesting to watch.
Show More
nature better.Spade is more ruthless and cruel than Marlowe and more devious and intellectual than Hammer. He’s manipulative and has questionable motives for the things he does. During this latest ensnarement (I didn’t really think of this as a case, more of a trap) he knew the extent of how much he was being played pretty much from the start. Instead of trying to rectify things, he just turned the tables and set people up, some in needlessly cruel ways. It didn’t make him likable in the way Marlowe and even Hammer are likeable, but he is interesting to watch.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Move_and_Merge
What really makes this novel a pleasure to read is not, actually, its plotting. Rather, it is the disturbed psychology of its protagonist (the legendary Sam Spade), which is all too often overlooked. Sam is an individual who is fighteningly out of touch with his emotions (much like the protagonist
Show More
of the French film Le Samourai, who is described by his creator as schizophrenic) and perhaps suffers from flattening of affect or another psychological malady. This 'blond Satan' is all the more interesting to read of as a result. Show Less
LibraryThing member swelldame
My first thought reading this book was pity for all those lesser pulp writers, like R.S. Prather, who wrote with enthusiasm, but could never really match the style and vitality of Hammett. His writing is so evocative that I could smell the cigarette smoke and hear the ringing of heels on pavement.
Show More
And even knowing how the story shakes out and who committed the dirty deeds (having seen all three movie versions) I was still madly flipping pages to get to the end. Even Bogart’s flawless portrayal of Spade pales in comparison to the character who lives on the pages of Hammett’s masterpiece. Show Less
LibraryThing member Catiecool
I love the blatant sleaziness of this story that is evident in the characters and the plot. The scenes in this novel are pretty funny too. I also really like the cynicism.
LibraryThing member MarquesadeFlambe
While not my personal favorite of his books, it's easy to see why this is Hammett's most popular. An incredible book, made all the better the less that's known about the character. These days it may be too well known for alot of people to really wonder which side he's on.
LibraryThing member amerynth
I really enjoyed reading Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon." I had already seen the movie so the plot wasn't exactly a surprise-- but the overall tone and pacing of the book that it is fun to read.
Detective Sam Spade is in his office when the pretty Miss Wonderly comes marching in with a
This is the novel that was responsible for launching the era of the hard-boiled detective, whose eye for detail helps him solve crimes and have his way with the ladies. I can see why others took the idea and ran with it -- this novel is really great.
Detective Sam Spade is in his office when the pretty Miss Wonderly comes marching in with a
Show More
problem that needs solving. Spade's partner ends up dead and he becomes mixed up with criminals on the hunt for the mysterious falcon. This is the novel that was responsible for launching the era of the hard-boiled detective, whose eye for detail helps him solve crimes and have his way with the ladies. I can see why others took the idea and ran with it -- this novel is really great.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Katie_H
Sam Spade is a tough 1920s detective working San Francisco. Brigid O'Shaughnessy, an alluring redhead, approaches his partner, Miles Archer, about an assignment which he accepts. That night, while on the job, Archer is killed, and the police suspect Sam. He quickly finds himself caught up in a
Show More
scheme to obtain the "Maltese Falcon," a priceless statue that has been lost for hundreds of years. Sam's fast talking style enables him to deal with thugs, Joel Cairo, Kasper Gutman, and Wilmer Cook, while still holding off the cops and charming the ladies. Hammett's writing is wonderfully descriptive, but to the point; this brief novel is only around 200 pages. Anyone who enjoys noir and pulp must read this gem. Show Less
LibraryThing member richardderus
Book Circle Reads 36
Rating: 3.5* of five, because I love the movie more
The Book Description: Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's archetypally tough San Francisco detective, is more noir than L.A. Confidential and more vulnerable than Raymond Chandler's Marlowe. In The Maltese Falcon, the best known of
Spade's partner is murdered on a stakeout; the cops blame him for the killing; a beautiful redhead with a heartbreaking story appears and disappears; grotesque villains demand a payoff he can't provide; and everyone wants a fabulously valuable gold statuette of a falcon, created as tribute for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Who has it? And what will it take to get it back? Spade's solution is as complicated as the motives of the seekers assembled in his hotel room, but the truth can be a cold comfort indeed.
Spade is bigger (and blonder) in the book than in the movie, and his Mephistophelean countenance is by turns seductive and volcanic. Sam knows how to fight, whom to call, how to rifle drawers and secrets without leaving a trace, and just the right way to call a woman "Angel" and convince her that she is. He is the quintessence of intelligent cool, with a wise guy's perfect pitch. If you only know the movie, read the book. If you're riveted by Chinatown or wonder where Robert B. Parker's Spenser gets his comebacks, read the master. --Barbara Schlieper
My Review: There's nothing second-best about this book, no indeed not. It's a fine, solid book, one with a lot of good story packed into some very well-chosen words.
But the film, well now, sometimes perfection comes in unexpected places. Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet! What a pair of second-raters! And how perfectly they meshed, and then add Peter Lorre, another second-rater, and the Holy Trinity couldn't have done better work with the tale being told here. It was a super retelling of the basic story.
Wisecracks that, on the page, made me smile and even giggle, came out of Bogart's mouth, and Lorre's, and even Greenstreet's, at a wonderful pace and were there and gone...just like a wisecrack should be. Not to put down the book by any means! It's a fun read, and it's a well-made novel, and it's a classic noir for a reason.
But for me, only for me, I want the film to be my memory of this story.
Rating: 3.5* of five, because I love the movie more
The Book Description: Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's archetypally tough San Francisco detective, is more noir than L.A. Confidential and more vulnerable than Raymond Chandler's Marlowe. In The Maltese Falcon, the best known of
Show More
Hammett's Sam Spade novels (including The Dain Curse and The Glass Key), Spade is tough enough to bluff the toughest thugs and hold off the police, risking his reputation when a beautiful woman begs for his help, while knowing that betrayal may deal him a new hand in the next moment.Spade's partner is murdered on a stakeout; the cops blame him for the killing; a beautiful redhead with a heartbreaking story appears and disappears; grotesque villains demand a payoff he can't provide; and everyone wants a fabulously valuable gold statuette of a falcon, created as tribute for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Who has it? And what will it take to get it back? Spade's solution is as complicated as the motives of the seekers assembled in his hotel room, but the truth can be a cold comfort indeed.
Spade is bigger (and blonder) in the book than in the movie, and his Mephistophelean countenance is by turns seductive and volcanic. Sam knows how to fight, whom to call, how to rifle drawers and secrets without leaving a trace, and just the right way to call a woman "Angel" and convince her that she is. He is the quintessence of intelligent cool, with a wise guy's perfect pitch. If you only know the movie, read the book. If you're riveted by Chinatown or wonder where Robert B. Parker's Spenser gets his comebacks, read the master. --Barbara Schlieper
My Review: There's nothing second-best about this book, no indeed not. It's a fine, solid book, one with a lot of good story packed into some very well-chosen words.
But the film, well now, sometimes perfection comes in unexpected places. Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet! What a pair of second-raters! And how perfectly they meshed, and then add Peter Lorre, another second-rater, and the Holy Trinity couldn't have done better work with the tale being told here. It was a super retelling of the basic story.
Wisecracks that, on the page, made me smile and even giggle, came out of Bogart's mouth, and Lorre's, and even Greenstreet's, at a wonderful pace and were there and gone...just like a wisecrack should be. Not to put down the book by any means! It's a fun read, and it's a well-made novel, and it's a classic noir for a reason.
But for me, only for me, I want the film to be my memory of this story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cyderry
I seem to have trouble liking classics. I had heard that [The Maltese Falcon] was Dashiell Hammett's finest work, but if t is, I don't want to read another. I got through this book, that's about all I'll say because I felt that the writing was poor and that there was too much repetition of the
I hope that this year I can find at least one new classic that I can enjoy.
Show More
actions and words that were used. If I read one more time about how he rolled a cigarette, I was closing the book and quitting right there. Besides the fact, I didn't think that it was much of a mystery.I hope that this year I can find at least one new classic that I can enjoy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jrcchicago
My wife and I both love Hammett's novels and novellas -- he's one of the few authors we have in common (Chandler and MacDonald are two others). We even named our son Dashiell (BEFORE The Incredibles came out, I hasten to add). Lean prose. Gritty heroes and villains. Dangerous dames. It doesn't get
Show More
much better than this. Show Less
LibraryThing member SteveLindahl
The classic hard-boiled detective novel, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, was one of the earliest books in that genre. The main character seems cliche at times, but only because so many imitations have followed. According to Wikipedia: “Raymond Chandler's character Philip Marlowe...was
The main women in the story, Ruth Wonderly, Effie Perine, and Iva Archer, are all drawn to Spade's tough personality, but each in her own way. They are clearly from decades past, but they are fully developed, interesting characters. The same is true of the men, although I thought Kasper Gutman (the fat man) was a little weaker than the others. There were some implausible aspects to the plot, but everything came together in the end.
I listened to the audio while on a trip with my wife and daughter. The book was narrated by William Dufris and I was impressed by his reading. He was influenced by the film and did a wonderful Peter Lorre imitation while keeping true to all the other characters as well. It's a great book to listen to while driving.
Steve Lindahl – author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul
Show More
strongly influenced by Hammett's Spade.” There are many lesser known examples as well. The main women in the story, Ruth Wonderly, Effie Perine, and Iva Archer, are all drawn to Spade's tough personality, but each in her own way. They are clearly from decades past, but they are fully developed, interesting characters. The same is true of the men, although I thought Kasper Gutman (the fat man) was a little weaker than the others. There were some implausible aspects to the plot, but everything came together in the end.
I listened to the audio while on a trip with my wife and daughter. The book was narrated by William Dufris and I was impressed by his reading. He was influenced by the film and did a wonderful Peter Lorre imitation while keeping true to all the other characters as well. It's a great book to listen to while driving.
Steve Lindahl – author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul
Show Less
LibraryThing member antao
(Original Review, 1981-02-05)
For me there is an outer level of “The Maltese Falcon,” a mystery story, then an inner layer of the accelerated, psychologically intensified 5 days of the Falcon, and then within that the noir love story of Sam and Brigid, and this idea of the parable just seemed to
The noir sublime, it is a great idea, I just don't know that it is possible. We live in the times we live in and there is little of the old aesthetic of the sublime. If we get any sublime today it tends to be from deep space, or undersea, photography or pondering quantum paradoxes. Our noir is not the old Dark Romantic, it is noir. But the power of blackness is not the old power of dread and terror from Beyond or Above, its entirely post Nietzschean and is, as I said above, human, all too human, and that means sordid. Man is the measure of all things, and it is not a very big measuring stick. Hammett, I am sure had no illusions about that, but the satanic is still with us, it is just within us and all around us. It is us.
I don't know whether there is really any vital literary character in the 21st century who can carry the banner of the dark hero, although the media is full of them, but I do think Sam Spade could and maybe did. Anyway if you do think about it and come up with something please post it.
And Sam Spade has also in some manner a certain grandeur, he is larger than life, a more powerful being than the rest of us. Marlowe, not so much. Marlowe is the eternal underdog who somehow wins, Spade the eternal top dog who is a sure bet to win. Satan was God's underdog, but never ours. After a time at a big agency, learning his trade, Spade would HAVE to have his own shop, be his own man, Marlowe could have his because of Spade creating the model. Being his own "man" is the entire essence of being Satan in literature, if not religion.
There is NO sublime in “The Maltese Falcon”, it is more anti-sublime and deliberately so. This Satan has to get up and go to work in the morning having none of the powers of Milton's Satan, since no one could believe in such sublimity in 1928. It's hardboiled. Implicitly Sam has made a moral choice, he is on the side of the law, not a criminal, and you have to believe he would be a very good criminal if he chose to be so, and he has that choice. Sam sets out to do, and does, something very noble that tends to get lost in crime fiction, and he does it on his own, not hired, or consulted. He sets out to solve a murder and bring the killers to Justice. That seems to me to be noble and heroic (since it involves considerable risk to himself). It is his will to do it.
It is impossible today to be one's own angel, but one can be one's own machine. That is the essence of the Satanic NOT being the bad guy, unless you are religious and believe the Christian version. Imagine Satan as not being the corrupted being of religion and media, but a being who insists to be his own master. I believe that is why Milton's Satan captivated the imagination of romantic poets that:
Hazlitt named Satan as “the most heroic subject that ever was chosen for a poem” ... A year later, Percy Shelley maintained that Satan is the moral superior to Milton’s tyrannical God, and why Milton sided, however unconsciously with Satan. It is the uncoupling of Satan from sin and evil, and his role as an agent of free individual will that makes Satan heroic. And THAT is possibly the widest possible sense of right and wrong there is, that and being your own master, to do what is right. Sam does what is right. And Satan is sublime because he opposes omnipotent power, Sam no.
“The Maltese Falcon” has been called a proto existential novel and he is an absurd man, because in a nihilistic universe, without right and wrong for him to be aware of, he is yet a hero and chooses not to do wrong and yet to do his own will.
For me there is an outer level of “The Maltese Falcon,” a mystery story, then an inner layer of the accelerated, psychologically intensified 5 days of the Falcon, and then within that the noir love story of Sam and Brigid, and this idea of the parable just seemed to
Show More
add a strange and unexpected inner layer to the Sam and Brigid story, one of precisely the old medieval 'mystery' of sin and redemption. And just as Hammett gave us Satan, he gave us plenty of medievalism too in the story of “The Maltese Falcon” and the Knights Templar (themselves accused of Satanism), and he gave us the Levant connection. I don't have this all packaged together but I think there is at least a case to be explored if not made. I have been calling him a dark knight all the while and said earlier that Sam is more than willing to fight fire with hellfire and that too makes him 'satanic' in a much reduced sense, in that unlike the traditional heroes, the white knights, he fights dirty against dirty fighters. We have seen how much people are willing to condemn him for it in comments here and elsewhere. It is though, perhaps part of a bigger picture.The noir sublime, it is a great idea, I just don't know that it is possible. We live in the times we live in and there is little of the old aesthetic of the sublime. If we get any sublime today it tends to be from deep space, or undersea, photography or pondering quantum paradoxes. Our noir is not the old Dark Romantic, it is noir. But the power of blackness is not the old power of dread and terror from Beyond or Above, its entirely post Nietzschean and is, as I said above, human, all too human, and that means sordid. Man is the measure of all things, and it is not a very big measuring stick. Hammett, I am sure had no illusions about that, but the satanic is still with us, it is just within us and all around us. It is us.
I don't know whether there is really any vital literary character in the 21st century who can carry the banner of the dark hero, although the media is full of them, but I do think Sam Spade could and maybe did. Anyway if you do think about it and come up with something please post it.
And Sam Spade has also in some manner a certain grandeur, he is larger than life, a more powerful being than the rest of us. Marlowe, not so much. Marlowe is the eternal underdog who somehow wins, Spade the eternal top dog who is a sure bet to win. Satan was God's underdog, but never ours. After a time at a big agency, learning his trade, Spade would HAVE to have his own shop, be his own man, Marlowe could have his because of Spade creating the model. Being his own "man" is the entire essence of being Satan in literature, if not religion.
There is NO sublime in “The Maltese Falcon”, it is more anti-sublime and deliberately so. This Satan has to get up and go to work in the morning having none of the powers of Milton's Satan, since no one could believe in such sublimity in 1928. It's hardboiled. Implicitly Sam has made a moral choice, he is on the side of the law, not a criminal, and you have to believe he would be a very good criminal if he chose to be so, and he has that choice. Sam sets out to do, and does, something very noble that tends to get lost in crime fiction, and he does it on his own, not hired, or consulted. He sets out to solve a murder and bring the killers to Justice. That seems to me to be noble and heroic (since it involves considerable risk to himself). It is his will to do it.
It is impossible today to be one's own angel, but one can be one's own machine. That is the essence of the Satanic NOT being the bad guy, unless you are religious and believe the Christian version. Imagine Satan as not being the corrupted being of religion and media, but a being who insists to be his own master. I believe that is why Milton's Satan captivated the imagination of romantic poets that:
Hazlitt named Satan as “the most heroic subject that ever was chosen for a poem” ... A year later, Percy Shelley maintained that Satan is the moral superior to Milton’s tyrannical God, and why Milton sided, however unconsciously with Satan. It is the uncoupling of Satan from sin and evil, and his role as an agent of free individual will that makes Satan heroic. And THAT is possibly the widest possible sense of right and wrong there is, that and being your own master, to do what is right. Sam does what is right. And Satan is sublime because he opposes omnipotent power, Sam no.
“The Maltese Falcon” has been called a proto existential novel and he is an absurd man, because in a nihilistic universe, without right and wrong for him to be aware of, he is yet a hero and chooses not to do wrong and yet to do his own will.
Show Less
LibraryThing member vcg610
The detective story that is said to set the standard for all detective stories that followed, The Maltese Falcon is an outstanding mystery...lots of twists and turns; characters who are not what they seem to be, and a detective, Sam Spade, who is supremely self confident and intuitive when it comes
Sam also has a way with the ladies, and sometimes that complicates his situation. In this case, a young woman comes into his office needing help to rescue her younger sister from an older man who has apparently persuaded the girl to run away with him to San Francisco. Sam and his partner take on the case and agree to tale the older man in the expectation that he will lead them to the younger sister.
But before the night is over, there is not one murder but two, and the police suspect Sam of murder or withholding information, or possibly both. Dashiell Hammett has created a great character in Sam Spade. He is admired by several cops, and even some of the criminals, not to mention the ladies. He may not have the standard ethics code down pat, but he is true to his own set of standards, and he deftly rolls one cigarette after another, chain smoking throughout the book without ever saying, "May I?" Hey, it was 1929, and Sam is the essence of Cool...
This is a great read, and worth reading a second time if it's been awhile!
Show More
to ferreting out the real truth. Sam also has a way with the ladies, and sometimes that complicates his situation. In this case, a young woman comes into his office needing help to rescue her younger sister from an older man who has apparently persuaded the girl to run away with him to San Francisco. Sam and his partner take on the case and agree to tale the older man in the expectation that he will lead them to the younger sister.
But before the night is over, there is not one murder but two, and the police suspect Sam of murder or withholding information, or possibly both. Dashiell Hammett has created a great character in Sam Spade. He is admired by several cops, and even some of the criminals, not to mention the ladies. He may not have the standard ethics code down pat, but he is true to his own set of standards, and he deftly rolls one cigarette after another, chain smoking throughout the book without ever saying, "May I?" Hey, it was 1929, and Sam is the essence of Cool...
This is a great read, and worth reading a second time if it's been awhile!
Show Less
LibraryThing member figre
This is the kind of classic it is very hard to write a review for. First, the odds are you know the synopsis – Detective Sam Spade finds himself enmeshed in the search for a bird; the Maltese Falcon. Things go bad, then worse, then better, then worse, then who-knows-which-way. There is death and
What a review can do is reinforce what readers and reviewers have been saying for years, that this is about as well-written as a detective/mystery novel can be. Quick descriptions, terse dialogue, noir at its most succinct – the novel moves with a speed that drags the reader along (willingly, I might add.) And the characters are so finely drawn that it becomes quickly evident why certain individuals were chosen to play them in the movie. (Honestly, it makes you wonder which was written first – yes, I know the answer.)
If you, like me, are only now delving into this kind of writing (came a little to this in my life, but better late than never), there is no better place to start.
Show More
intrigue and trust and violation of that trust. And, if you've seen the movie, you know a lot of this anyway.What a review can do is reinforce what readers and reviewers have been saying for years, that this is about as well-written as a detective/mystery novel can be. Quick descriptions, terse dialogue, noir at its most succinct – the novel moves with a speed that drags the reader along (willingly, I might add.) And the characters are so finely drawn that it becomes quickly evident why certain individuals were chosen to play them in the movie. (Honestly, it makes you wonder which was written first – yes, I know the answer.)
If you, like me, are only now delving into this kind of writing (came a little to this in my life, but better late than never), there is no better place to start.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CarltonC
May I first declare that I have seen the 1941 film version several times, starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet. Their performances colour my reading of the novel and I cannot read the lines in the novel by Sam Spade, Joel Cairo and Gutman without seeing Humphrey
The novel is good without being outstanding, with original story deviation from the film being interesting in showing what could easily be portrayed on film (or allowed by the censor, although implied in the film). I would not say that the book supersedes the film, but this may be because I have seen the film a few times.
I read a beautiful Folio Society edition, which was bound in a very fitting red cover with black falcon and illustrated by David Eccles - the two page title page illustration being particularly atmospheric, although Eccles has wisely decided not to depict the characters as their film actor's faces.
Show More
Bogart, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet, so firmly are their performances linked in my mind with the story.The novel is good without being outstanding, with original story deviation from the film being interesting in showing what could easily be portrayed on film (or allowed by the censor, although implied in the film). I would not say that the book supersedes the film, but this may be because I have seen the film a few times.
I read a beautiful Folio Society edition, which was bound in a very fitting red cover with black falcon and illustrated by David Eccles - the two page title page illustration being particularly atmospheric, although Eccles has wisely decided not to depict the characters as their film actor's faces.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
The original "dark and stormy night", this novel is great fun with one of literature's first tough, no nonsense, incorruptible detectives, Sam Spade. Hammett has an amazing ability to describe an atmosphere or an essence with a few, powerful, well-chosen words. The dialogue is choppy, intense - not
The plot itself could use some tightening: there are great gaps in the story which force the reader into some assumptions, but the ending does a good job of firming up loose ends.
An all-around great read.
Show More
a breath is wasted. Although there is some misogyny, characteristic of the day, the women are just as tough, dynamic and smart.The plot itself could use some tightening: there are great gaps in the story which force the reader into some assumptions, but the ending does a good job of firming up loose ends.
An all-around great read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member theokester
The Maltese Falcon is a classic. A definitive entry in the "Noir" or "Hard Boiled" detective genre. Probably Hammet's most well known work. I have very vague memories of watching Humphrey Bogart work his way through this mystery but I haven't seen the film in ages and had forgotten enough that the
Like Hammet's other works, this is a gritty crime novel with a less than perfect protagonist. Sam Spade is, to me at least, one of the most famous and most copied/satirized of the detective characters. Even before seeing the movie or reading this book, I had a good feel for who Sam Spade was (though I didn't know him by name) through various cartoons, TV shows and other movies with similar characters. I was surprised to find that this is Spade's only complete novel though he was apparently in a couple other short stories.
The mystery of the book starts out fairly straightforward…Spade is hired to tail a man. That simple presence quickly takes turn after turn and pulls in numerous other shady characters and plots finally resulting in a global conspiracy of sorts.
I loved the simple, gritty and straightforward language of the book. It helped set and maintain the tone throughout the novel. I loved Spade's hard and cynical view on life as well as his approach to investigating and solving this mystery. I also found it interesting that the book never let us get into Spade's head (or anyone else's head for that matter). As far as i could tell, we never had a "Spade thought this" moment. Thus we were left having to try and deduce everyone's inner motivations and thoughts based on their actions and interactions. This made for a lot of fun and helped keep the resolution to the mystery at arm's length while at the same time seemingly presenting us with all of the information we might need to solve the mystery.
The only problem I had with the book was that I didn't want it to end. Don't take that wrong…I was fully satisfied with the ending (which gave even more of an edge to Sam Spade). I just wanted more of the same. I'll definitely have to seek out the other Sam Spade stories and keep reading Hammett. Maltese Falcon is one of those classics that I'm glad I finally read. I'll have to go watch the movie now to see how true it is to the book and the tone/feel of the story. Even if you're not a fan of mysteries or detective stories…give this one a try. I'd be interested to hear what you think.
*****
5 out of 5 stars
Show More
book was still very fresh to me. Granted, I still plan to pull out the video and watch it again…soon. :)Like Hammet's other works, this is a gritty crime novel with a less than perfect protagonist. Sam Spade is, to me at least, one of the most famous and most copied/satirized of the detective characters. Even before seeing the movie or reading this book, I had a good feel for who Sam Spade was (though I didn't know him by name) through various cartoons, TV shows and other movies with similar characters. I was surprised to find that this is Spade's only complete novel though he was apparently in a couple other short stories.
The mystery of the book starts out fairly straightforward…Spade is hired to tail a man. That simple presence quickly takes turn after turn and pulls in numerous other shady characters and plots finally resulting in a global conspiracy of sorts.
I loved the simple, gritty and straightforward language of the book. It helped set and maintain the tone throughout the novel. I loved Spade's hard and cynical view on life as well as his approach to investigating and solving this mystery. I also found it interesting that the book never let us get into Spade's head (or anyone else's head for that matter). As far as i could tell, we never had a "Spade thought this" moment. Thus we were left having to try and deduce everyone's inner motivations and thoughts based on their actions and interactions. This made for a lot of fun and helped keep the resolution to the mystery at arm's length while at the same time seemingly presenting us with all of the information we might need to solve the mystery.
The only problem I had with the book was that I didn't want it to end. Don't take that wrong…I was fully satisfied with the ending (which gave even more of an edge to Sam Spade). I just wanted more of the same. I'll definitely have to seek out the other Sam Spade stories and keep reading Hammett. Maltese Falcon is one of those classics that I'm glad I finally read. I'll have to go watch the movie now to see how true it is to the book and the tone/feel of the story. Even if you're not a fan of mysteries or detective stories…give this one a try. I'd be interested to hear what you think.
*****
5 out of 5 stars
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kaethe
When in doubt, read some noir. There's nothing like a mystery filled with bad people to reaffirm that all is right with the world.
Publication
Orion (2005), Paperback, 224 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Mystery. HTML:A coolly glittering gem of detective fiction that has haunted three generations of readers, from one of the greatest mystery writers of all time. A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, and Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiel Hammett's iconic, influential, and beloved The Maltese Falcon..
Media reviews
New York Herald Tribune
[I]t would not surprise us one whit if Mr. Hammett should turn out to be the Great American Mystery Writer. . . . In short, "The Maltese Falcon" is the best one, outside the . . . polite classes, in Lord knows when.
New York Times
If the locution "hard-boiled" had not already been coined it would be necessary to coin it now to describe the characters . . . .
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2010)
Anthony Award (Nominee — 2000)
Haycraft Queen Cornerstones (1930)
Newsweek's Top 100 Books: The Meta-List (83 — 2009)
NEA Big Read (2009)
Language
Original publication date
1930
Physical description
224 p.; 7.7 inches
ISBN
0752847643 / 9780752847641