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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
“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.
I have not read this story in a very long time. It was only after reading Chandler: Later Novels and Other Writings (my review) that I thought to reread it. In that book, [a:Raymond Chandler|1377|Raymond Chandler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206535318p2/1377.jpg] is quoted as saying it was the finest example of the hard-boiled genre. I understand what he meant. It’s a very good early example of the genre.
This story was first published in 1930. Story-wise its set in 1928, San Francisco. Due to its longevity, it might be considered historical (detective) fiction. However, that would be inaccurate, because there is no world building narrative at all.
A modern reader may find it strange there are no bar scenes. There is no mention of Prohibition in the United States which lasted from 1920 to 1933 in the story. Despite that, the protagonist, Sam Spade has an ample, personal supply of alcohol. In addition, Spade shares a bottle of Bacardi (rum) in his apartment with two San Francisco police detectives investigating the two murders that begin the story. A modern reader might miss that the police are flouting the law and what it implies about them.
Prose is good. Most importantly, is that the story is written in the dramatic point of view. There is no internal narrative—what you see (descriptions) and what you hear (dialog) is what you get. It gives the book a screenplay-like quality. It also resonates well with the self-controlled Spade.
Descriptive prose is better than the dialog. Alliteration is near poetic. Hammett writes very detailed scenes and descriptions, with a fine use of metaphor. The description of Spade’s lupine face as a collection of “V”s (jaw, eyebrows, mouth, etc.) is worth noting. Also the author is sophisticated in describing relationships between the characters without dialog. Dialog is minimalistic. In addition, there is very little, if any humor. The 20’s slang seems natural. Although, at this late date and even in context; I still had to resort to the Internet for a few definitions.
For example, the Gooseberry Lay drew a complete blank. In its contextual use, it was Spade insinuating Cook was gay. I did like the antique use of "chauffeur" for "taxi driver" and "luncheon" vs. "lunch".
I noticed several continuity errors. For example: Spade and Archer are never told the hotel O'Shaughnessy is staying at during their first meeting; the description of Spade’s flat did not seem to match the action in subsequent scenes; and Joel Cairo becomes Joe in the first before last chapter. There is also an unsupported reference to "the daughter” of another character very early in the story, who later I assume was Gutman's.
This story is a slim 210-pages. I found the author’s economy of scenes to be excellent. It left me puzzled that with his lavish descriptions, the story was so short in comparison to page bloated modern stories of any genre. I suspect this spareness was because the novel was first published in serial-form in a magazine with page count concerns, before appearing in hardcover.
Characters are now-standard arch-types for the hard-boiled genre. There are the: tough cops (Dundy), the rich criminal (Gutman), assorted gunsels (Thurby and Cook), the obligatory femme fatale (O'Shaughnessy), the decoy 'bad girl' (Iva Archer), the ‘good girl’ (Perine), etc.. However, character development is not too deep. Spade is an ambiguous figure. He's always in control of himself, and lets little of his real self show (despite the 3rd person narration). Also, his moral ambiguity, leaves me calling him an anti-hero. Finally, some of the forenames given the characters are priceless: Kasper, Rhea, Floyd, Effie, Iva, and Wilmer.
Plot-wise, this is a quest story. The titular object of the quest is one of the most famous MacGuffin’s in English fiction. However, there is only a single plot line in the story. The author attempts to distract the reader through a liberal use of red herrings and obstacle reveals. The introduction of characters being the obstacles: O'Shaughnessy, Cairo, and Gutman. The red herrings are mostly dispensed by the adventuress O'Shaughnessy. Another point I find peculiar is that once the story gains speed, the dead Archer and Thurby drop from the story. Finally, the story ends with the obligatory scene of self-incriminating narrative to detail a well-hidden perp. (You can't leave the readers being confused or too complaisant.)
I also found the novel's use of sex in this story to be tasteful. Spade gets the girl even before the story ends. In fact, he’s likely having relations with almost all the female characters in the story. However, the sex isn’t modernly explicit. It starts with a passionate kiss. There is a fade to black, and in the next scene Spade is sitting on the edge of the bed putting his boots on; she’s lying beside him wrapped in a sheet. I note there was no mention of birth control by the participants. I found the 1920’s oblique identification of the Cairo character’s homosexuality likewise interesting. I suspect the beating Cairo takes by Spade and later O'Shaughnessy could be the author's homophobia?
So, this was a very good novel, but not a great novel-- its not aging well. I think that when it was written, it must have been astounding, because it was so modern. Today, its readers are almost four (4) generations removed from the story. The genre that this seeded has also morphed. Folks think differently now. That this is not written by a post modern author as historical fiction leaves much unsaid. I can see many finding it old-fashioned and likely cryptic. However, this is a must read for students of the hard-boiled and noir genres.
Readers with an extraordinary interest in [a:Dashiell Hammett|16927|Dashiell Hammett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1287255332p2/16927.jpg] will find [b:Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man|29997|Complete Novels Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man|Dashiell Hammett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347596938s/29997.jpg|30408] to be key resource for the writers work.
This story was first published in 1930. Story-wise its set in 1928, San Francisco. Due to its longevity, it might be considered historical (detective) fiction. However, that would be inaccurate, because there is no world building narrative at all.
A modern reader may find it strange there are no bar scenes. There is no mention of Prohibition in the United States which lasted from 1920 to 1933 in the story. Despite that, the protagonist, Sam Spade has an ample, personal supply of alcohol. In addition, Spade shares a bottle of Bacardi (rum) in his apartment with two San Francisco police detectives investigating the two murders that begin the story. A modern reader might miss that the police are flouting the law and what it implies about them.
Prose is good. Most importantly, is that the story is written in the dramatic point of view. There is no internal narrative—what you see (descriptions) and what you hear (dialog) is what you get. It gives the book a screenplay-like quality. It also resonates well with the self-controlled Spade.
Descriptive prose is better than the dialog. Alliteration is near poetic. Hammett writes very detailed scenes and descriptions, with a fine use of metaphor. The description of Spade’s lupine face as a collection of “V”s (jaw, eyebrows, mouth, etc.) is worth noting. Also the author is sophisticated in describing relationships between the characters without dialog. Dialog is minimalistic. In addition, there is very little, if any humor. The 20’s slang seems natural. Although, at this late date and even in context; I still had to resort to the Internet for a few definitions.
For example, the Gooseberry Lay drew a complete blank. In its contextual use, it was Spade insinuating Cook was gay. I did like the antique use of "chauffeur" for "taxi driver" and "luncheon" vs. "lunch".
I noticed several continuity errors. For example: Spade and Archer are never told the hotel O'Shaughnessy is staying at during their first meeting; the description of Spade’s flat did not seem to match the action in subsequent scenes; and Joel Cairo becomes Joe in the first before last chapter. There is also an unsupported reference to "the daughter” of another character very early in the story, who later I assume was Gutman's.
This story is a slim 210-pages. I found the author’s economy of scenes to be excellent. It left me puzzled that with his lavish descriptions, the story was so short in comparison to page bloated modern stories of any genre. I suspect this spareness was because the novel was first published in serial-form in a magazine with page count concerns, before appearing in hardcover.
Characters are now-standard arch-types for the hard-boiled genre. There are the: tough cops (Dundy), the rich criminal (Gutman), assorted gunsels (Thurby and Cook), the obligatory femme fatale (O'Shaughnessy), the decoy 'bad girl' (Iva Archer), the ‘good girl’ (Perine), etc.. However, character development is not too deep. Spade is an ambiguous figure. He's always in control of himself, and lets little of his real self show (despite the 3rd person narration). Also, his moral ambiguity, leaves me calling him an anti-hero. Finally, some of the forenames given the characters are priceless: Kasper, Rhea, Floyd, Effie, Iva, and Wilmer.
Plot-wise, this is a quest story. The titular object of the quest is one of the most famous MacGuffin’s in English fiction. However, there is only a single plot line in the story. The author attempts to distract the reader through a liberal use of red herrings and obstacle reveals. The introduction of characters being the obstacles: O'Shaughnessy, Cairo, and Gutman. The red herrings are mostly dispensed by the adventuress O'Shaughnessy. Another point I find peculiar is that once the story gains speed, the dead Archer and Thurby drop from the story.
Spoiler
I think a modern story would have done more with the undeveloped homo/hetro love-triangle of Rhea Gutman, Cook and Cairo.I also found the novel's use of sex in this story to be tasteful. Spade gets the girl even before the story ends. In fact, he’s likely having relations with almost all the female characters in the story. However, the sex isn’t modernly explicit. It starts with a passionate kiss. There is a fade to black, and in the next scene Spade is sitting on the edge of the bed putting his boots on; she’s lying beside him wrapped in a sheet. I note there was no mention of birth control by the participants. I found the 1920’s oblique identification of the Cairo character’s homosexuality likewise interesting. I suspect the beating Cairo takes by Spade and later O'Shaughnessy could be the author's homophobia?
So, this was a very good novel, but not a great novel-- its not aging well. I think that when it was written, it must have been astounding, because it was so modern. Today, its readers are almost four (4) generations removed from the story. The genre that this seeded has also morphed. Folks think differently now. That this is not written by a post modern author as historical fiction leaves much unsaid. I can see many finding it old-fashioned and likely cryptic. However, this is a must read for students of the hard-boiled and noir genres.
Readers with an extraordinary interest in [a:Dashiell Hammett|16927|Dashiell Hammett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1287255332p2/16927.jpg] will find [b:Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man|29997|Complete Novels Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man|Dashiell Hammett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347596938s/29997.jpg|30408] to be key resource for the writers work.
With an afterworld by philosper Slavoj Žižek (slovene edition).
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I appreciated the story telling and plot twists. I can see why it’s a classic and find it interesting that the author helped distinguish the anti-hero character. Some of the stilted language and the way women were written in the story wasn’t really my favorite. I really waffled between three and four stars.
I enjoyed reading a mystery from the 20s, especially since it took place in SF. The book was fast-paced and every chapter ended with a cliff hanger (later found out it was initially released as a periodical). That said, some of the plot points were a bit confusing and the ending wasn’t super satisfying for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An ur noir work. The interesting thing is how the Bogart movie is so close to the book - you can hear Bogart’s voice as you read.
The classic hardboiled crime novel, The Maltese Falcon reads like the Humphrey Bogart classic. A quick and entertaining read, I found it difficult to rate higher than 4 stars due to every character being essentially unlikable assholes. There is some level of grandeur missing here that keeps The Maltese Falcon in the category of very good but not great.