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The Maltese Falcon (Crime Masterworks) by Dashiell Hammett
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First Sentence
I was leaning against the bar in a speakeasy on Fifty-second Street, waiting for Nora to finish her Christmas shopping, when a girl got up from the table where she had been sitting with three other people and came over to me. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Character Development, 6 Aug 2004

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Thin Man (Classic Crime) (Audio Cassette)

If you are like me, you met The Thin Man first in the movie series. Those movies have Nick Charles straddling the gap between the "haves" and the tough guy world with insouciance as he waltzes with the wealthy socialites and unravels fatal plots. The book itself is much darker, directly suggesting alcoholism, incest, adultery, and all the minor crimes . . . and deadly sins. The view is that humans are thoroughly flawed, but some can rise above that to serve others anyway. That is the nobility of the Nick Charles character . . . as he staggers out of bed in the afternoon with yet another hangover. Helping out old clients is his source of redemption against the temptations he cannot resist.
The world view is probably somewhat autobiographical as Hammett spent more of his time in Hollywood late in his career, rather than working as a fiction writer. The echoes of F. Scott Fitzgerald are very strong, especially to Tender Is The Night.

For those who love the classic "tough guy" stories by Hammett, this one can never have the same appeal. Nick is still tough, but he mostly shows it by taking abuse with style. That's a feminine kind of toughness that comes from maturity. He passes off the chances to trade punches when they arise.

The characterizations of Nick and Nora Charles are the strength of the novel. But the book transcends that by also creating a picture of a flawed marriage between two people with hearts of gold who love each other, but are also killing each other. The development of the relationship is brilliant.

The mystery itself isn't very mysterious. It just has lots of red herrings. If you judge mysteries by the quality of the plot unfolding of that mystery, you will probably rate this book at 3 or 4 stars.

I suggest that you think about what temptations are difficult for you to resist. How will those temptations undermine your life and your relationships? How can you occupy yourself in ways so that there will either be less temptation or you will be more able to resist it?

To your good health and that of all your relationships!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The story and people are darker than the movie, 16 May 2003

By	bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Thin Man (Penguin crime fiction) (Hardcover)

When I see a film based on a novel, I like to read the novel to compare plots and execution. Most of the time the novel or story is fuller than the movie due to the short media time and the target audience. In this case the novel does have a better-developed plot and is more cohesive. The characters are more true to form and there is a real Rosewood/Rosebrien. However the book characters are more sinister and Dorothy is sleazy. I planed to make this the last story I would read by Dashiel Hammett. However others tell me I just picked the wrong one to start with.
The film on the other hand, was modified to give a lighter approach. It is the film that I will think of as the real "Thin Man" and Maureen O'Sullivan as the real Dorothy that was concerned about her father. Speaking about that, what is the Sullivan act?

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Character Development, 6 Aug 2004

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Thin Man (Essential Penguin) (Paperback)

If you are like me, you met The Thin Man first in the movie series. Those movies have Nick Charles straddling the gap between the "haves" and the tough guy world with insouciance as he waltzes with the wealthy socialites and unravels fatal plots. The book itself is much darker, directly suggesting alcoholism, incest, adultery, and all the minor crimes . . . and deadly sins. The view is that humans are thoroughly flawed, but some can rise above that to serve others anyway. That is the nobility of the Nick Charles character . . . as he staggers out of bed in the afternoon with yet another hangover. Helping out old clients is his source of redemption against the temptations he cannot resist.
The world view is probably somewhat autobiographical as Hammett spent more of his time in Hollywood late in his career, rather than working as a fiction writer. The echoes of F. Scott Fitzgerald are very strong, especially to Tender Is The Night.

For those who love the classic "tough guy" stories by Hammett, this one can never have the same appeal. Nick is still tough, but he mostly shows it by taking abuse with style. That's a feminine kind of toughness that comes from maturity. He passes off the chances to trade punches when they arise.

The characterizations of Nick and Nora Charles are the strength of the novel. But the book transcends that by also creating a picture of a flawed marriage between two people with hearts of gold who love each other, but are also killing each other. The development of the relationship is brilliant.

The mystery itself isn't very mysterious. It just has lots of red herrings. If you judge mysteries by the quality of the plot unfolding of that mystery, you will probably rate this book at 3 or 4 stars.

I suggest that you think about what temptations are difficult for you to resist. How will those temptations undermine your life and your relationships? How can you occupy yourself in ways so that there will either be less temptation or you will be more able to resist it?

To your good health and that of all your relationships!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

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› See all 14 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Forget the book... watch the movie
If you ever saw the movie The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, then you already know the basic story. Read more

Published on 5 Oct 2007 by Thomas Paul

5.0 out of 5 stars The story and people are darker than the movie
When I see a film based on a novel, I like to read the novel to compare plots and execution. Most of the time the novel or story is fuller than the movie due to the short media... Read more

Published on 1 Jul 2007 by bernie

5.0 out of 5 stars The original and the best
If you like your detective fiction hard-boiled and faster than a hoodlum's fist, this is the book for you. Read more

Published on 3 Jun 2007 by Star_Sea

4.0 out of 5 stars Hammett's Ghost
Dashiell Hammett was Christopher Marlowe to Raymond Chandler's Shakespeare, Hamnett in many ways invented the medium that the slightly later writer perfected. Read more

Published on 13 Dec 2006 by J. J. O'neill

4.0 out of 5 stars Dorothy is a sleaze in the book
When I see a film based on a novel, I like to read the novel to compare plots and execution. Most of the time the novel or story is fuller than the movie due to the short media... Read more

Published on 3 Sep 2005 by bernie

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Character Development
If you are like me, you met The Thin Man first in the movie series. Those movies have Nick Charles straddling the gap between the "haves" and the tough guy world with insouciance... Read more

Published on 6 Aug 2004 by Professor Donald Mitchell

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Acting in This Audio Cassette Version
Let me begin by noting that I am reviewing the audio cassette version of The Thin Man that stars Daniel J. Read more

Published on 14 May 2004 by Professor Donald Mitchell

4.0 out of 5 stars The Last Novel Completed by Hammett
Although this was the last novel completed by Hammett, he did live for over twenty-six more years until 1961. Read more

Published on 2 Jan 2004 by Peter Kenney

4.0 out of 5 stars The story and people are darker than the movie
When I see a film based on a novel, I like to read the novel to compare plots and execution. Most of the time the novel or story is fuller than the movie due to the short media... Read more

Published on 16 May 2003 by bernie

1.0 out of 5 stars Watch the movie instead
Having come off of reading Maltese Falcon and watching the Thin Man movie, I had high expectations for the book. Read more

Published on 24 Feb 2003 by Lee Easton

› See all 14 customer reviews...

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	80% buy the item featured on this page: The Thin Man (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) 4.2 out of 5 stars (14) �11.95
	7% buy The Maltese Falcon (Crime Masterworks) 4.7 out of 5 stars (13) �5.97
	6% buy Red Harvest (Crime Masterworks) 4.7 out of 5 stars (12) �4.49
	4% buy Dashiell Hammett: Complete Novels (Library of America) �17.22

The Thin Man (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) (Paperback)

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