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artistsallie 's review for:
The Maltese Falcon
by Dashiell Hammett
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.