A review by voxlunae
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The mystery is good and compelling, and this is such an archetypal example of detective fiction that's its hard not to find it charming for that, the dialogue in particular. However, the characters are uniformly detestable for the most part, and even though other characters recognize that Spade is a bastard, it doesn't make it easier to swallow. My rating would be higher if it weren't for the way women are treated in the book. I know it's a factor of the time and the genre, but it just bummed me out ha ha. It's a fun crime, though, and well plotted! Moves at a good clip too!
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