The Maltese Falcon

Paperback, 229 pages

English language

Published April 12, 1972 by Vintage.

ISBN:
978-0-394-71772-2
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4 stars (43 reviews)

Classic noir. Private detective Sam Spade is hired to search for a valuable, gem-encrusted antique in the shape of a falcon.

Sam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with a louse called Floyd Thursby. But Miss Wonderley is in fact the beautiful and treacherous Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and when Spade's partner Miles Archer is shot while on Thursby's trail, Spade finds himself both hunter and hunted: can he track down the jewel-encrusted bird, a treasure worth killing for, before the Fat Man finds him?

43 editions

Review of 'The Maltese falcon' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

"Well, sir, I grant you that's one way of doing it, but-"

"'But' hell!" Spade said. "It's the only way." His eyes were hot and earnest under a reddening forehead. The bruise on his temple was liver-colored. "I know what I'm talking about. I've been through it all before and expect to go through it again. At one time or another I've had to tell everybody from the Supreme Court down to go to hell, and I've got away with it. I got away with it because I never let myself forget that a day of reckoning was coming. I never forget that when the day of reckoning comes I want to be all set to march into headquarters pushing a victim in front of me, saying 'Here, you chumps, is your criminal!' As long as I can do that I can put my thumb to my nose and wriggle …

Review of 'The Maltese Falcon (Read a Great Movie)' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Reading pulpy noir is so fun and seductive and delicious that you can whip right past how appallingly sexist and retrograde it can feel. Or you can not care about all of that and then I'd wonder if you hate women as much as Sam Spade clearly does.

Mr. Hammett spent the better part of his life romantically involved with Lillian Hellman, a mid-century force of nature, author of many of the greatest plays of the American theater and a survivor of the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s. I doubt Ms. Hellman would have put up with the kind of misogyny we see here in her lover's protagonist: Sam Spade only sees women as objects to be kissed, banged, lectured to or slapped.

Ok, so know that gong in. Since this is perhaps the most famous noir novel of all time, you probably know the rest already: A murder, …

Review of 'The Maltese Falcon (Read a Great Movie)' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

I’ve always loved the film, so it was great to discover how closely it followed the book. You can hear the actors as you read the dialogue; especially Sydney Greenstreet as Gutman. Some scenes drag on while Sam Spade does his melodramatic, tough guy moralising (a good job they pared that back in the movie) but still a really fun read.

Review of 'The Maltese Falcon (Read a Great Movie)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I would recommend reading this book before watching the movie, as I did that opposite. The writing is gripping and the story is fun and solid, but I can't get Bogart out of my head as Spade. I rarely laugh out loud to books, but reading how Spade constantly belittles a punk thug is hilarious! Fun book and great movie!

Review of 'The Maltese Falcon' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Written in 1929, this is not affecting stereotypical detective noir--this is the real deal, angel. The mystery unfolds expertly, and the dialogue is very cat and mouse. It's a spare book, so the characters are not so well-developed, but then, that's not the point.

The Maltese Falcon is well-written, and now a most interesting period piece, a window into a different time and culture. This is a different read for me, and I enjoyed it--in a different way.

Review of 'The Maltese falcon' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I love Hard-Boiled novels, so I was really looking forward to reading Dashiell Hammett. Right off the bat, it was clear his style was more raw and gritty than the likes of other great authors like Raymond Chandler. I really did enjoy this novel and am thankful to read a book by the father of Hard-Boiled. If you are new to this genre, I might suggest you try Raymond Chandler first, as his novels are more comical and the plots are less twisted. I will have to read some more from Dashiell Hammett.

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