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Book Description
The greatest crime novel of the 20th century launches Orion¿s Crime Masterworks series
Product Description
THE MALTESE FALCON (1930) set the standard by which the private eye genre is judged. 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?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Legendary Novel,
By
This review is from: The Maltese Falcon (CRIME MASTERWORKS) (Paperback)
Although several of his novels have considerable merit, Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) will be best remembered for a single work: THE MALTESE FALCON.Perhaps the single most extraordinary thing about the novel is its radical departure from the norm. In the 1920s and early 1930s, detective novels were not really considered "literary;" they were light entertainment, and they generally came in two varieties: pure pulp, which was more akin to action-adventure, and "the master detective" as created by such authors as Agatha Christie. In one fell swoop, however, Hammett not only fused these two ideas but also endowed his novel with tremendous literary style--more than enough to catch the eye of "serious" critics and more than enough to stand the test of time. THE MALTESE FALCON is not a long novel, but Hammett packs a lot into it. The plot, which generally concerns the theft of a priceless, jewel-encrusted statue, walks a fine line between pulp mythology and modern pragmatism, never veering too far in either direction to seem impossible; the prose is lean and clean and packed with detail conveyed both simply and sharply; the characters stand out in a sort of high relief on the page. It is all memorable stuff. It is difficult to discuss THE MALTESE FALCON without reference to the famous 1941 film version starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The film has been both a blessing and a curse, so famous that it has drawn thousands of readers to the novel, but so widely seen that it can become difficult to read the novel without seeing it through the lens of the film. But while the film presents the plot and much of Hammett's dialogue intact, readers will find the novel has somewhat different strengths--not the least of which is Hammett's prose itself. An essential of 20th Century American literature; strongly recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Maltese Falcon Soars,
By
This review is from: The Maltese Falcon (CRIME MASTERWORKS) (Paperback)
The Maltese Falcon well deserves its place in history as a classic hardboiled novel. The main character, Sam Spade, is a loveable rogue that the audience can't tire of trying to work out. His morals and personal life are more than a little questionable, but the reader is left rooting for him to the end. He is supported by a stellar supporting cast of unforgettable characters, including the rich and clever Joel Cairo, hilariously cartoon-like Gutman and the femme fatale that is Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Stealing the show is Wilmer Cook, who becomes hysterical as the hopeless and stupid stooge.The plot is fast-paced, and the reader must work for their money to follow the twists. As those vying for the falcon change their stories, and allegiences, constantly, full marks to Hammett for constructing a story that gives the brain a good workout. Sharp dialogue, cunning plot twists (and screams of frustration to discover O'Shaughnessy has lied again!) all add up to make The Maltese Falcon a priceless piece, not only for the characters in the book seeking the statue, but for the reader of the tale of the same name.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sam Spade is as good as it gets,
This review is from: The Maltese Falcon (Read a Great Movie) (Paperback)
Sam Spade arrived on the scene in 1930 with a vitality and directness that remains fresh and convincing today. An ex-cop, Spade brought with him all the essential traits that came to characterise the genre of American private detectives for the next fifty years; bull-headed, independent, tough, knows his way around town, is on first-name terms with bell-hops and hotel security managers, has friends and enemies in the force, he's a wise-cracking, fast-thinking ladies-man who never gives up on a lost cause.The story begins at the office of Spade and Archer, private investigators; Sam is there with Effie Perrine, secretary, PA and one of the three women in the story. Effie enters Spade's inner sanctum and announces there is a girl by the name of Wonderly asking to see him. `A customer?' `I guess so. You'll want to see her anyway; she's a knockout'. `Shoo her in, darling,' said Spade, `Shoo her in'. Thus begins the escapade of the search for the black bird, involving murder and intrigue, double-cross and romance and no-one being quite who they claim to be. Hammett has a fun time with names. He gives Spade his own first name, which he dropped early on in his career, Joel Cairo is the Levantine and Casper Gutman, most appropriately, is the fat man. But it is in building the character and nature of Sam Spade that Hammett first shows his true skill in capturing the reader. Long before we begin to understand the tale that has led the cast to this point, we are completely on board with Spade, as he nonchalantly rolls another cigarette and we await whatever may happen or he may do next. And it is Spade that carries the story throughout, as he moves from one relationship to another, whether it is his partner's wife or ex-colleagues in the force, or someone he meets for the first time. Spade is always one thought or one step ahead. Los Angeles of 1930 is there in the background; Hammett probably took that for granted, as would his contemporary readership, where everyone carried a gun, it seems, and quite a few people got shot with them. But here for the first time is a rebel on the side of the law who is always one step ahead of the regular cops and who also seems to have a higher moral code than they do. People matter to Spade, not just results; that, and his one vulnerability, namely women, ensure that Sam Spade is a character we want to meet again. Great writing, fast-moving plot and characterisation of the highest quality. Enjoy.
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