1.69k reviews for:

The Maltese Falcon

Dashiell Hammett

3.62 AVERAGE

hornmp's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

zaqzaqzaq's review against another edition

3.75

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Gaslighting

lise_haag's review against another edition

3.25

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

petercruz245's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ocurtsinger's review against another edition

3.0

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I'm not sure why this is considered the penultimate noir, as I've read better, but I'm definitely no expert on the subject, and it was an entertaining read that I happily zipped through.

isabelleparm's review against another edition

2.0

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first novel read for my detective fiction class and it was boringgggg. too many things happening at once (all of them did get wrapped up though so I appreciate that). Kind of predictable and just kinda felt like an old man’s club.

nerdy_reader's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

celeoste's review against another edition

1.0

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I rly did not like this book. if it wasn't for school, I'd have DNFed it.

it was confusing and gave me a headache to read and understand, and the language and prose certainly didn't help. also sam spade is horrid and would certainly think himself to be a sigma male

kevin_shepherd's review against another edition

5.0

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“I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you lose a son, it’s possible to get another. There's only one Maltese Falcon.”

If Sam Spade wrote reviews...

I was all set to motor back to my flop and squirt out a few lines while everything was still fresh in my melon. But just then I heard a yammering coming from the rumble seat that was making my ears blister. I leaned back to where Brigid O'Shaughnessy had planted herself and shoved my roscoe in her button.

“Listen sister,” I said, “Shut your yap!”

I tell ya’ you can’t trust a dame. All I asked was for her to keep her mitts outta’ my marbles long enough for me to hurry home and hash out a few words for the dailies, but the broad just couldn’t stop flapping her jaws...

...okay, maybe Sam Spade wouldn’t (shouldn’t?) write reviews.

I enjoy reading Dashiel Hammett, partly because of Humphrey Bogart but also because Hammett wrote his protagonist with machismo instead of misogyny. Yes Sam Spade is a chauvinist, but he’s also a pretty good egg.

the_lilypad's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No