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rapscallion1985's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
augustinecarmichael's review against another edition
1.5
school—
i thought crime books were supposed to be interesting
i thought crime books were supposed to be interesting
kiannaamaya's review against another edition
2.0
this started off intriguing but i quickly became bored.
beckca03's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as The Big Sleep, but glad that I picked up the audio version. I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much if I hadn't. Worthwile listen at only 3 hours long. I do really enjoy this genre of books, overall.
punkbuddha37's review against another edition
5.0
The classic of noir pulp fiction. The tough PI, the femme fatale and the dark as night plot. No one comes out of this novel well. A must read for anyone even with a passing interest in crime fiction!
N
N
the_eucologist's review against another edition
3.0
I have to say as my first 'real' detective novel, Maltese Falcon was brilliant. I love Dashiell Hammett's dialogue and diction--picking up several interesting words and phrases in the process. What most intrigued me was the authenticity. Hammett illustrates this through punctuated language; careful character description; and his detail in conveying body language, which, to me, was one of the more interesting aspects of the novel. Aside from hearing words, there was a tangibility communicated by a shrug of the shoulders, or the pull of a cigarette. In one of the key sections a character states that he likes dealing with "people who like to talk", seeing the contrary as indication of mistrust or insecurity. Hammett's seems very-much to be a talk-y mystery. Revelations are arrived at through Spade's rapid-fire dialogue (which is thankful; I doubt I could have 'solved' the mystery without his common-sense locution).
MT offers careful glimpses into both sides of good and evil, a common motif. At the beginning Spade is described as a blond Satan, and the majority of the men in the tale are seen to be unscrupulous in some way or another. The women of the novel, however, are often called 'angel' by the protagonist (or is it antihero?) and they're often seem as the vanguards of virtue. These romanticized, unrealistic depictions of women are sexist and I'm kind of glad Hammett only took this approach towards America's past. Though the criminals are often portrayed as lustfully devil-may-care there is a sense that this is not limited solely to their caste; Lt. Dundy is drawn in this way and Spade's partner is also not without his detriments. In this DH shows us a similarity of disposition akin to fraternity.
As a novel it's a relatively short read, though in its two-hundred or so pages you get a real sense of the characters (or you think you do). What I liked most about the novel was its prose and characterization, even its philosophy--a rather well-thought-out parable leaves one confused, questioning whether it's more instructive of Spade or O'Shaughnessy. I liked that this was the kind of novel one could read on a beach; some sequences are incredibly dreamlike and I frequently found myself amongst my own thoughts. Those with Spade doing what he does best--talk--are rather good at pulling you in. What I didn't enjoy so much was the rather predictable conclusion. Perhaps I've been too exposed by noir (and its paltry attempts in modern media), but these things always seem to come to a point where Woman is the inevitable mastermind and protecting feminine virtue is the penultimate challenge of Man. Conveniently, this fits in nicely with the aforementioned religious allegory but it denies complexity to what inevitably become caricatures. I'm sure that in its heyday MT was a delightful read, but today it just seems sort of.. routine.
MT offers careful glimpses into both sides of good and evil, a common motif. At the beginning Spade is described as a blond Satan, and the majority of the men in the tale are seen to be unscrupulous in some way or another. The women of the novel, however, are often called 'angel' by the protagonist (or is it antihero?) and they're often seem as the vanguards of virtue. These romanticized, unrealistic depictions of women are sexist and I'm kind of glad Hammett only took this approach towards America's past. Though the criminals are often portrayed as lustfully devil-may-care there is a sense that this is not limited solely to their caste; Lt. Dundy is drawn in this way and Spade's partner is also not without his detriments. In this DH shows us a similarity of disposition akin to fraternity.
As a novel it's a relatively short read, though in its two-hundred or so pages you get a real sense of the characters (or you think you do). What I liked most about the novel was its prose and characterization, even its philosophy--a rather well-thought-out parable leaves one confused, questioning whether it's more instructive of Spade or O'Shaughnessy. I liked that this was the kind of novel one could read on a beach; some sequences are incredibly dreamlike and I frequently found myself amongst my own thoughts. Those with Spade doing what he does best--talk--are rather good at pulling you in. What I didn't enjoy so much was the rather predictable conclusion. Perhaps I've been too exposed by noir (and its paltry attempts in modern media), but these things always seem to come to a point where Woman is the inevitable mastermind and protecting feminine virtue is the penultimate challenge of Man. Conveniently, this fits in nicely with the aforementioned religious allegory but it denies complexity to what inevitably become caricatures. I'm sure that in its heyday MT was a delightful read, but today it just seems sort of.. routine.
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
5.0
The story is amazing in that almost none of the main characters ever tell each other the truth. The description in the story is incredibly detailed. It is difficult to tell if this was a stylistic decision or because the author was on a lot of drugs. The ending was excellent and reflected the tone of the rest of the book.
janada59's review against another edition
3.0
All these years and I thought I knew how it ended, I was wrong!