The opening sentence of this classic work of detective fiction morphs gloriously into arguably the greatest opening paragraph in the history of western literature. Of course, that sounds like an utter nonsense but read the excerpt below from page one of this glorious tome and you will see what I mean:
"... Samuel Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller v. His yellow-grey eyes were horizontal. The v motif was picked up again by thickish brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown hair grew down - from high flat temples - in a point on his forehead. He looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan..."
I have never considered anything looking remotely like Satan to be even close to resembling pleasantness, but I digress. If anything is going to set the mood of a book with a wonder-inducing gasp of bewildered joy, this paragraph is it. I defy anyone to read the above quote and finish without a smirk on their face, and fail to emit snort of utter disbelief.
And of course, from page four we have the somewhat poetic description of the life and death of a cigarette:
"... on Spade's desk a limp cigarette smoldered in a brass tray filled with the remains of limp cigarettes. Ragged grey flakes of cigarette-ash dotted the yellow top of the desk and the green blotter and the papers that were there. A buff-curtained window, eight or ten inches open, let in from the court a current of air faintly scented with ammonia. The ashes on the desk twitched and crawled in the current."
Art in printed form. Anyway, on with my book review...
The book is a delight. For classic noir fans, you have found your printed nirvana. For everyone else, you have found an entry point into the noir universe. In chapter one, we meet the cast of the show. Sam Spade, PI. Partnered in business by Miles Archer. Spade's first client of the book is the delightfully petite but apparently wealthy Miss Wonderly, who is evidently worried sick for her sister, who ran off from England with a Mr Floyd Thursby. Spade and Archer agree to follow Thursby to a rendezvous to retrieve the sister and track Thursby back to his base of operations. Of courses its lies, lies and more darn lies! But who cares? It's all serious fun.
The first major shock of the book comes halfway through chapter two. The first major plot twist occurs barely eight pages later. This stellar and legendary tale is rife with drama and suspense. Nobody trusts anybody and threats come thick and fast as the players of the game sort each other out. Or die trying.
Hammett's writing will soothe your soul with its attention to detail and damn near stop your heart with the atmosphere of the suspenseful moments. An example of the former lies with the writer's depiction of the art of enjoying a cigarette (please see quote above). An example of the latter can be found on just about any page picked at random. But chapter two's early interaction between Spade and two desperate cops is classic. Characterisation is first class. So is emotional attachment. Fans of the movie (and who isn't?) will find interesting parallels to muse over as their finish each chapter of the book. The book turns mean close to its finale and you almost feel sorry for one of the lost souls. But the baddies each get what's coming to them anyway and one in particular gets a reprieve and possibly a chance at redemption.
Reading this book is a no brainer. Buy it, borrow it, live it, saviour it. Keep it. Pass it on to your kids. But don't ignore it.
Some books will change your life.
This one will rule it.
BFN Greggorio!
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The Maltese Falcon Book Review
When one corrupt private detective, Sam Spade, is approached by the cunning Brigid O’Shaughnessey, he suspects she is up to no good and lying. But when his partner is shot tailing her enemy, Spade knows there is a bigger motive than what appears to be. He realizes that Brigid, a Greek criminal named Joel Cairo, a fat gang leader named Gutman, and a shady young man who is not afraid to turn to violence named Wilmer are working towards one thing, a golden falcon worth over a million dollars. Knowing this, Spade wants in on the falcon, and will do anything for it, even if it means shifting loyalties, cheating people, and even killing. If you want to find out if Spade ever finds the falcon, read the Maltese Falcon. It is a thriller that won’t fail to disappoint!
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
A very classic detective novel followed by a award winning movie with an all-star cast
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2023
Cliente Amazon
horrible copy, full of typos, but the book is a masterpiece
Reviewed in Spain on August 23, 2023FictionLover
The DNA of Noir was laid down in 1930
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2019