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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I may have enjoyed this more if I listened to it all in one go, but my reservation at the library ran out so I had to wait a couple of weeks before finishing. My memory of the characters and all their relationships faded a bit in that time, but I still enjoyed the book overall. Whip smart dialog and all the tropes you need from a noir. I'll be reading more of Mr. Hammett's work for sure.
adventurous
mysterious
Fascinating bit of fiction. Worth a read for a fan of the detective story. Very of its time.
3.5 stars
Tight writing, and clearly a good fit for the big screen. The writing is pulpy, fun, light (even when violent) and simple. Easy to see why this style has been imitated hundreds of times. This is beach reading I could actually get into. There is nothing of substance, no lesson to learn. It is a cartoon. I say all that as a compliment.
Tight writing, and clearly a good fit for the big screen. The writing is pulpy, fun, light (even when violent) and simple. Easy to see why this style has been imitated hundreds of times. This is beach reading I could actually get into. There is nothing of substance, no lesson to learn. It is a cartoon. I say all that as a compliment.
Detective Sam Spade must unravel the case of two murders connected with a precious statue, a grifter named Joel Cairo, an obese man named Gutman, and a mysterious, beautiful woman named Brigid O'Shaughnessy.
Appeals: Gritty and stark atmosphere, hard-boiled detective story, a few steamy scenes, witty banter between characters, very masculine.
*
I'm not sure I really got this book.
Appeals: Gritty and stark atmosphere, hard-boiled detective story, a few steamy scenes, witty banter between characters, very masculine.
*
I'm not sure I really got this book.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A classic. Features one of the OG Scumbags of modern literature in Sam Spade, a protagonist made all the more interesting by Hammett’s decision to never reveal what’s going on inside his head. The extra layer of dramatic irony this creates really elevates the story for me.
“How did I kill this Thursby? I’ve forgotten.” – Sam Spade
The Maltese Falcon is the 2015 Big Read title for my library. I had never read it or seen the movie. They were both much funnier than I expected, and I enjoyed them both. About all I knew about noir was from listening to Guy Noir on the Prairie Home Companion, and it has been interesting learning more about the genre.
I read a lot of mysteries and detective fiction and should have read The Maltese Falcon long ago. It’s a quick read with spare text, and I found it highly entertaining.
The Maltese Falcon is the 2015 Big Read title for my library. I had never read it or seen the movie. They were both much funnier than I expected, and I enjoyed them both. About all I knew about noir was from listening to Guy Noir on the Prairie Home Companion, and it has been interesting learning more about the genre.
I read a lot of mysteries and detective fiction and should have read The Maltese Falcon long ago. It’s a quick read with spare text, and I found it highly entertaining.
Heerlijke foute detective - met Sam Spade, de keiharde Amerikaanse son of a gun, in de hoofdrol.
Heb er wel echt van genoten. Zo is er maar één character dat een paar keer fuck you zegt, en dat is telkens een raadseltje (The boy spoke two words, the first a short guttural verb, the second “you.”). Ik ben erachter gekomen dat 'lief' (mogelijk via het Fries!) uit het Engels in het Nederlands is terecht gekomen en het 100 jaar geleden nog gebruikt werd (I’d as lief not have him think there’s anything to be kept quiet), en dat 'dingus' een Engels woord is voor een ding/dinges.
Enfin, ik ben op zoek naar een beeldje van een valk, als iemand dat ergens weet te liggen, laat me dat graag ff weten.
Heb er wel echt van genoten. Zo is er maar één character dat een paar keer fuck you zegt, en dat is telkens een raadseltje (The boy spoke two words, the first a short guttural verb, the second “you.”). Ik ben erachter gekomen dat 'lief' (mogelijk via het Fries!) uit het Engels in het Nederlands is terecht gekomen en het 100 jaar geleden nog gebruikt werd (I’d as lief not have him think there’s anything to be kept quiet), en dat 'dingus' een Engels woord is voor een ding/dinges.
Enfin, ik ben op zoek naar een beeldje van een valk, als iemand dat ergens weet te liggen, laat me dat graag ff weten.
Sherlock's narcissism and TV depiction as a highly functioning sociopath do not even hold a candle to Sam Spade, the detective in this novel. I was hoping that he would have some type of character arc and that his deductive prowess would somehow lead the story forward; I was disappointed. Sam Spade fails to achieve the charm of Indiana Jones or James Bond yet retains all of their misogynistic tendencies. He also does not seem to actually figure many things out as the plot stumbles into him more than he actually drives it forwards. I understand that this was written in the 20s-30s, but even then, this story is praised as a classic, so I at least expected the mystery to have some intrigue, again, I was disappointed.
Unlike the classic school of detective works, this book does not give the reader access to the same information that the detective has, making it impossible to "solve" (I can barely use that word as the final twist seemed overtly telegraphed, not by actual clues, but by unsubtle hints throughout the narration). Sam Spade's entire method can be described as bluffing, acting confident, getting angry, throwing a punch or receiving a punch, and tricking people into spilling the truth before he hands them over to the police. While I can see some people loving how "hardboiled" he is, I just found him insufferable.
I will admit, however, that this is one of my first times reading Noir fiction and that many of the character traits Sam Spade exhibits are characteristic of the genre (and even set the tone for future works.) I will have to see if Philip Marlowe (Chandler's detective) captures my interest any more, but at this point I can say that this genre of detective story is absolutely unappealing. It was more of an adventure/drama than any type of mystery.
On things that I liked.... the prose was fine. Also, after reading other reviews I appreciate the restraint in descriptions of sex and violence that could have been much worse (as it is, most of the adult content is implied rather than described.) I've also heard that the movie is better and can see how the setting might transfer better to film... But honestly I have never detested a detective this much.
Unlike the classic school of detective works, this book does not give the reader access to the same information that the detective has, making it impossible to "solve" (I can barely use that word as the final twist seemed overtly telegraphed, not by actual clues, but by unsubtle hints throughout the narration). Sam Spade's entire method can be described as bluffing, acting confident, getting angry, throwing a punch or receiving a punch, and tricking people into spilling the truth before he hands them over to the police. While I can see some people loving how "hardboiled" he is, I just found him insufferable.
I will admit, however, that this is one of my first times reading Noir fiction and that many of the character traits Sam Spade exhibits are characteristic of the genre (and even set the tone for future works.) I will have to see if Philip Marlowe (Chandler's detective) captures my interest any more, but at this point I can say that this genre of detective story is absolutely unappealing. It was more of an adventure/drama than any type of mystery.
On things that I liked.... the prose was fine. Also, after reading other reviews I appreciate the restraint in descriptions of sex and violence that could have been much worse (as it is, most of the adult content is implied rather than described.) I've also heard that the movie is better and can see how the setting might transfer better to film... But honestly I have never detested a detective this much.