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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
In fairness to the Maltese Falcon, I think the detective genre is not the niche for me. I did not enjoy the story, I found all of the characters to be unlikeable, and I found the ending to be disappointing. I think I'm not sure what I was expecting from this much-hyped classic, but I found it to be wanting all the same.
Hardnosed detective, Sam Spade, finds himself embroiled in a rather tricky situation. He has become an unwitting player in the race to uncover the priceless Maltese Falcon statue. As the bodies keep stacking up around him he begins to realize if he can't get his hands on it first, he may be the next to die.
Hardnosed detective, Sam Spade, finds himself embroiled in a rather tricky situation. He has become an unwitting player in the race to uncover the priceless Maltese Falcon statue. As the bodies keep stacking up around him he begins to realize if he can't get his hands on it first, he may be the next to die.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An undisputed classic of the genre, I can't help but give it 4 stars despite my particular edition being riddled with typos.
That said, I found the degree of toxic masculinity on display almost parodic, the characters paper thin, and the action sequences improbable. How much of this is the result of the perspective of time and how much Hammett was himself taking the piss is debatable. In any event, I found myself chuckling and wondering if I was meant to be.
Still, the double crosses, the greed, the lust, the callousness, and the deviousness still play as well as they did 80 years ago.
That said, I found the degree of toxic masculinity on display almost parodic, the characters paper thin, and the action sequences improbable. How much of this is the result of the perspective of time and how much Hammett was himself taking the piss is debatable. In any event, I found myself chuckling and wondering if I was meant to be.
Still, the double crosses, the greed, the lust, the callousness, and the deviousness still play as well as they did 80 years ago.
Well, they didn't have to do anything to make a great movie out of this - it's all right in the book. Really a fun ride.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I prefer my detectives to rely more on just their brains. Sam Spade's as smart as any of them - Holmes, Marple, Ellery Queen, whoever - but he's got a mean bullying streak that he also uses as a tool. I don't doubt that it's a bit more realistic, but it's still all so ridiculous that worrying about realism is silly. My basic problem is that at times I want to smash Spade's face in.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I prefer my detectives to rely more on just their brains. Sam Spade's as smart as any of them - Holmes, Marple, Ellery Queen, whoever - but he's got a mean bullying streak that he also uses as a tool. I don't doubt that it's a bit more realistic, but it's still all so ridiculous that worrying about realism is silly. My basic problem is that at times I want to smash Spade's face in.
I'm normally not a fan of the hard-boiled noir, but felt that this was tame compared to other books. There was a bit of sly humor that appealed to me. I found the frequent descriptions of Spade's reactions helpful as it gave me a good visual into what was happening in the scene. Almost made it feel like Hammett wrote it knowing it would be made into a movie.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
The genius is serenity inside disorder—hypnotic. "My way of learning is to heave a wild and unpredictable monkeywrench into the machinery."
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
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