Rating: 
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:
Summary: A Legendary Novel
Review: Although several of his novels have considerable merit, Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) will be best remembered for a single work: THE MALTESE FALCON.Perhaps the single most extraordinary thing about the novel is its radical departure from the norm. In the 1920s and early 1930s, detective novels were not really considered "literary;" they were light entertainment, and they generally came in two varieties: pure pulp, which was more akin to action-adventure, and "the master detective" as created by such authors as Agatha Christie. In one fell swoop, however, Hammett not only fused these two ideas but also endowed his novel with tremendous literary style--more than enough to catch the eye of "serious" critics and more than enough to stand the test of time. THE MALTESE FALCON is not a long novel, but Hammett packs a lot into it. The plot, which generally concerns the theft of a priceless, jewel-encrusted statue, walks a fine line between pulp mythology and modern pragmatism, never veering too far in either direction to seem impossible; the prose is lean and clean and packed with detail conveyed both simply and sharply; the characters stand out in a sort of high relief on the page. It is all memorable stuff. It is difficult to discuss THE MALTESE FALCON without reference to the famous 1941 film version starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The film has been both a blessing and a curse, so famous that it has drawn thousands of readers to the novel, but so widely seen that it can become difficult to read the novel without seeing it through the lens of the film. But while the film presents the plot and much of Hammett's dialogue intact, readers will find the novel has somewhat different strengths--not the least of which is Hammett's prose itself. An essential of 20th Century American literature; strongly recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, but it's not Chandler
Review: I picked up "The Maltese Falcon" after going on a Raymond Chandler binge. Dashiell Hammett seemed like the next logical step and this particular book had come highly recommended by many friends. So I think my expectations where too high, and maybe I'm unfairly comparing Hammett too much to Chandler, because I wasn't satisfied.
For one thing, I think Chandler's use of first-person narrative is the way to go for detective stories. With Philip Marlowe you know exactly where he stands -- that he's a straight-laced guy -- in large part because you know what he's thinking. Sam Spade's morality is much more ambiguous and you would think that ambiguity would make him a more interesting character, but it somehow doesn't. He acts irrationally sometimes and it's never explained. This might make him a complicated character, but it is ultimately unsatisfying.
The story is good enough, but Hammett does not have the incredible turns of phrase that fill Chandler's books. In many cases the dialog seems to drag as some character makes the same point repeatedly. In the end, however, the book is enjoyable; a noir 1930's comes alive, and that's a big plus. I will give Hammett another chance.
Rating: 
Summary: terrific characterizations and an unpredictable story..
Review: Okay, I admit I am one of the few humans on the planet who has yet to see the film adaptation of 'The Maltese Falcon'. But upon reading the book I can now see why the film would be a classic. The story is tight, the characters are twisted and heartless, and the dialogue is extremely sharp. As with the author's other books 'The Maltese Falcon' is ruined slightly by the author overcooking the plot towards the end. But only slightly.
Explaining the story would be quite challenging. Essentially we have a mysterious beauty hiring a private eye under false pretenses which results in the murder of his partner. Quite quickly we understand this beauty is no angel, and along with her is a wild bunch of misfits looking to get their hands on a priceless figurine ('the Maltese falcon'). Naturally more murders follow, complete with some clever and somewhat confusing double-crossings. Believable? ...er, no.
Bottom line: deliciously nasty and a bit over-the-top. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: A book as good as the movie
Review: Everyone knows Bogart as Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon." Far fewer know Hammett's book, the original story. I feel so sorry for those who haven't read the story too. It's just as good.
It's a dark story about the dark edges of a carnivorous world. Everyone and everything is for sale - friends, love, loyalty, and life. Lives, really. Spade is the private eye doing business only in cash. He just wants to make it through the day and into one more day. The babe, her name doesn't matter even to herself, has used up more men than she can count. His partner is dead, but his partner's wife wanted it that way. Cairo, Gutman, and the rest all have morals you can weigh on a jeweler's scale. And should, more than once, because they'd steal the tip off the all-night cafe's table if you didn't see the waitress stick it somewhere safe. Safe enough.
Do you think that people are the best that evolution can do? Or ar you afraid that's true? "Gut-man", the fat man, "Wonderly", the wonderful woman, too wonderful, "Spade" who digs down to the truth - it's a morality play.
I know you liked the movie. If you're a reader, you already read this far. That means you'll like the book. It starts gently, but by the end, it slaps you around like a bad date at the trailer park. No, you won't like it, but you'll be really glad it didn't happen to you.
//wiredweird
Rating:
Summary: More of a thinking thriller
Review: "The Maltese Falcon" is an interesting, if not a completely confusing mystery novel. Having only seen bits and pieces of the movie of the same title, I had nothing to draw on visually. While place descriptions were not plentiful, dialogue and physical body descriptions were. The only thing lacking was tension, and clearer depictions between names. I sometimes could not tell one person from the other, barring the women. I do wish the ending wasn't so abrupt, but I am glad it isn't a "happy" ending. For a slower, more mind-using mystery, then I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: a classic
Review: This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys film noir or crime/mystery fiction. The pacing, the dialogue, the terse tone are all perfect. I feel it is by far the best of Hammet's work.
Rating:
Summary: Sam Spade meets his match
Review: Unlike the detectives in Hammett's other novels, Sam Spade works alone--and he works for himself. This independence lends Spade a confidence and an arrogance that distinguishes him from Hammett's other protagonists, and this autonomy is underscored in the first few pages when the firm of Spade & Archer becomes the firm of Samuel Spade--and when he then avoids Archer's widow in part because the dead man's surviving "partners" had been having an affair.
But Spade meets his match in the book's "femme fatale": his client Brigid O'Shaughnessy. She draws the detective into a sordid and shady scheme that involves three of the least savory and most comical underworld figures one will encounter in fiction: the fey Joel Cairo, the kid Wilmer Cook, and the "Fat Man" Casper Gutman. Further exacerbating Spade's attempts to solve the mystery of who killed his partner are the city police, whose ham-fisted meddling and asinine suspicions continually get in the way of Spade's pursuit of revenge and the desire to clear his name.
"The Maltese Falcon" is not simply a whodunit; Hammett, unlike Christie or Macdonald, is concerned less with the placing of clues and the unveiling of secrets and more with the battle of wits between Spade and the woman who has hired him. But, for the reader, it's still filled with surprises, and it's nearly impossible to say more about this book without giving too much away. When I recently read it a second time, I found myself in awe more of the characterizations and the atmosphere than of the page-turning plot--but I still envy those readers who have before them the joy of opening this book for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Parable on Seeking Unearned Wealth
Review: This is the best known novel of Samuel Dashiell Hammett. It has a relatively simple and concise story. The 1941 film is a condensed version of this book, with some changes for the manners of the times. Like other novels, it begins when a client visits the detective agency and asks them to investigate "Floyd Thursby". Miles Archer takes the job, but is ambushed and killed in a dark alley. Soon after this the body of Floyd Thursby is found. "Miss Wonderly" is the only clue, and Sam Spade investigates; her name is Brigid O' Shaughnessy [note initials]. Brigid has a hidden past. Joel Cairo shows up and hires Spade to find the black bird, "no questions will be asked". This statuette represents great wealth to the seekers. [Is this a satire on the 1920s?] Spade goes to a meeting with Casper Gutman to discuss recovery of the black bird. Chapter 13 gives a history of the black bird as Gutman knows it. But Spade makes an assumption. Things happen, Spade travels to various scenes in his search.
When Spade returns home, he finds Brigid, and then the others laying in wait for him. They have a talk, and Spade finally figures out the solution to Archer's murder. The last chapters are full of talk, but this is needed to solve the murder. Spade acts as a "roper", an agent who plays along with the guilty. The appearance of Gutman's daughter in Chapter 17 is to plant a false clue; no further mention of her in the book. The 1941 film simplifies this event.
The ending reminds me of Agatha Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". It would have been better all around if Hammett continued his novels about "Sam Spade", as Raymond Chandler did with "Philip Marlowe". Hammett squandered his time and talent in various self-indulgent activities.
Rating:
Summary: The classic, original, hard-boiled detective story.
Review: Despite the fact that only one novel was ever written about him, Sam Spade is nearly as famous among literary detectives as Sherlock Holmes. However, "The Maltese Falcon" differs from the Holmes stories and other detective tales preceding it in that it is one of the first to be set in a large urban center - San Francisco - and to deal with big city crime. Most detective stories written prior involved small town and country detectives who dealt more with solving mysteries than solving crimes. Spade is the epitome of the tough, big city private eye, and countless detective characters since, in both book and film, have been created in his image.
The plot, involving the theft of a valuable jewel-laden falcon statuette, is not very elaborate, but Hammett's presentation of the story makes it seem so and keeps the reader thoroughly engrossed. The narrator follows Spade throughout the story, but Spade's own inner thoughts are never revealed. We are only told what happens. This way, we see the clues as they appear, but cannot put them together ourselves and are kept guessing. It is not until near the very end that everything begins to come together.
In addition, none of the characters are what they appear to be. The book opens with a young woman approaching Spade and his partner to seek their help in investigating a man she claims her sister has run off with. When Spade's partner is shot while trailing this man, however, it becomes apparent that their client has lied about nearly everything, including her own name. Spade must then begin digging to get to the bottom of the situation, and we encounter a whole host of characters just as shady and two-sided as the treacherous Brigid O'Shaughnessy referred to above. Even Spade himself is duplicitous, playing whatever role is required for him to accomplish the task at hand.
Hammett's writing is simple and straightforward, yet still conveys enough detail to make everything come to life. We can see the smoky offices, the shadowy alleys, all as if they were right there in front of us. Hammett is truly a masterful writer. The heavy, overpowering atmosphere of the book will draw you right in and hold you there. Hammett also sticks to a gritty reality throughout the story. Nothing is romanticized, and there is no proselytizing of moral messages. Spade does what he has to do to uphold basic principles - namely investigating and and avenging the murder of his partner - but he doesn't hesitate to stoop to the level of the criminals in the story in order to trap them at their own game.
I am one of the few who has not seen the famous film adaptation of "The Maltese Falcon," starring Humphrey Bogart, so I cannot comment on the relationship between movie and book. My observations here are purely drawn from the novel itself. I can attest that the book is definitely worth the read, whether you frequent this genre or not - I generally don't, and still found it fascinating in many different regards. The writing, plot, and characters are all original and among the most memorable in literature. "The Maltese Falcon" is certainly a literary cornerstone and will remain a classic for generations to come.
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