Home :: Books :: Audiocassettes  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes

Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon

List Price: $29.95
Your Price: $20.37
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 5 6 7 8 9 10 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best ever?
Review: This is the novel that makes you wish they still wrote 'em like this one. To all of those who know this as only a movie, it's a fascinating trip re-tracing the roots of film noir and the ensuing detective novel. With a tip of the hat to Bogart, Astor, Greenstreet, Lorre, & Huston, the original is still the way to go.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Is anything better in the genre?
Review: With prose that crackles off the page like the popping of a manual typewriter, Hammet probably influenced American prose style as much as Hemmingway or Eliot. Although Chandler stated Hammet's writing never really stuck with you, kind of fading out of the mind, the writing in this excellent novel is taut and polished. The story is great, with a few genuinely memorable personalities.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The stuff that dreams are made of...
Review: Dashiell Hammett's classic tale of private detectives, sinister plots, and femme fatales is a timeless epic. Even if you are familiar with the story, or have seen the movie, it is well worth your time to read the novel. Hammett's prose, characterization, and narration are first rate, making for an extremely compelling read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sam Spade is the King of cool.
Review: Private Detective Sam Spade epitomizes cool. Even while dealing with foriegners, psychopaths, angry police, a mysterious fat man, and a femme fatale, he still maintains an air of coolness, that hangs in the air around him like the smoke of his freshly rolled cigarettes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This is, without a doubt, the best detective story I've ever read. The main character, the famous (or should I say infamous?) Sam Spade has an extremely cynical view of humanity in general and women in particular. During the investigation of his late, unlamented partner, Sam he finds himself involved with the lovely but treacherous Bridget O'Shaunessey. As the prime suspect, Sam has no choice but to deliver the killer to save his own hide. This, apparently, is always first and foremost in his mind. I particularly liked how the story unfolded through Sam's eyes with the introduction of Joel Cairo, the Fatman and the revelation of what the Maltese Falcon really is. If you like detective stories, do yourself a favor and read this one!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Classic Tale
Review: The Maltese Falcon is a classic detective tale. The book contained several plot twists and waited to the very end to draw all the facts together. The story reminded me of last year's LA Confidential with its wit and intriguing story. It is an amazing story and so elegantly written. I gave it 4 stars instead of five because I did not like how open ended the story left the relationship between Sam and Iva and because Sam seemed to tell people he was going to use them as the 'fall guy' and they wouldn't do anything about it. I expected the characters to show more emotion, considering they were going to jail for 20yrs to Life.

It is an enjoyable read and a must. Enjoy this classic early 20th century story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brigid O'Shaunessy film noir lady
Review: Brigid O'Shaunessy fits into the femme fatale personna perfectly. She is beautiful, sexual, and yes, decieving, but she does what she needs to do to survive. She uses her sexual female charms to convince Sam Spade to help her at whatever cost to him. This book is beautifully written, with vivid imagery and incredible characters. It is one of the best detective fictions around, and one of the best examples of film noir so far.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Man! This is a great novel!
Review: This book does everything that you'd expect a hard-boiled detective novel to do-- when you're least expecting it! Sam Spade is a great character. There are a lot of scenes in his detective office, which grounds the book in a classic space.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic Noir
Review: Calculating and cold, taught as the line between black and white, Hammet's razor sharp prose carves characters from the dark heart of the lonely urban jungle. All desperate for something, money, sex, love; all betting more than they can afford to lose. Daring, deliberate, debonair, devilish when need be, Sam Spade knows the town and understands the human heart, and uses this knowledge mercilessly in his methodical and driven search for the Maltese Falcon. This is a classic folks. Read it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Maltese Falcon
Review: To be honest before I read this book I had never even heard of Dashiell Hammett. If I had heard of him I probably would have completely ignored his books due to the fact I usually can't stand Detective stories. So with only a thought as to the fact he has an interesting name I would have simply written him off as just another author in a genre which I usually never venture into.

So, why did I bother reading The Maltese Falcon? Well, like most people I assume, I saw the movie starring Humphrey Bogart, and was hooked. Initially after first seeing the movie I had no idea there was actually a book which it was based off of. Then I noticed it at first on the Barnes and Noble bags, and figured that to be some sort of sign that I should go and read this book. Initially however I just placed it in my reading pile writing it off for the fact that it was just a detective novel, and probably would probably be no where as good as the movie was. So sadly it sat in my room unread for almost 3 months, then one day since I was nearing the bottom of my stack of books waiting to be read I grabbed and decided to just suck it up and read it since I had already spent the money for it. Let me tell you I sat and read almost the entire book that night!

Hammett's style of writing is tight, with all the details, suspense and mystery you're pulled through the entire novel from cover to cover. Spade's character is certainly "rough" and in the book is described as a "blond Satan" and believe me it's easy to see why. I'll spare going into the entire plot for you since it seems just about every other review already has that. But believe me you should definitely read this book, even if Detective stories aren't your thing, you won't be disappointed.

My one complaint, which really isn't a complaint, is that if you've seen the movie, you've basically already read the book. The dialogue is word for word from the text, I don't think a single thing was changed. While reading the book all I could think of when I though of Sam Spade was Humphrey Bogart (who looks nothing like the Spade described in the book, but that doesn't matter), and the same thing for the other characters. I heard their voices reciting the text for me, and thought of the scenery of the movie as well. That's just how great the casting was in the movie. The only thing lacking are a few sub-plots, nothing really important and Joel Cairo's homosexuality was pretty much removed from the movie completely. Otherwise it's the same thing, not that that's a bad thing however.


<< 1 .. 5 6 7 8 9 10 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates