Title: The Maltese FalconAuthor: Dashiel Hammett
Date Published: 1930
Genre: Mystery
This thoroughly engrossing tale is the epitome of the hard-boiled mystery. Sam Spade, a Los Angeles detective, must discover the whereabouts of a valuable gold avine statue while solving a trio of murders. Along the way, he encounters into the usual suspects: Brigid O'Shaughnessy, femme fatale; Joel Cairo, sleazy cohort; Kasper Gutman, wealthy treasure hunter; and Wilmer, a foul-mouthed grunt.
Hammett's style of writing is in keeping with the noir genre but has its own idiosyncrasies that make it thoroughly unique. The title's namesake is the classic MacGuffin, leading the plot along but otherwise apparently useless. Also, the tone of the novel is unfeeling. For instance, Hammett never reveals what any of the characters are thinking. Even Spade's thoughts remain a mystery. This almost gives the story the dry air of a criminal report. Additionally, Hammett's moral ambiguity is striking. He never judges a character's actions, but presents the facts as they are and lets the reader form the opinion. And almost every character has flaws: Spade has an affair with Archer's wife; O'Shaughnessy kills a man in cold blood; Gutman betrays the boy he regards as "his own son." All these are presented in a cold, unfeeling light, and most are never retributed.
Overall, this is now one of my favorite detective novels. I'll never hear the term "wolfish grin" again without thinking of the geometric face of Sam Spade. The book's fast pace, singular style, and unsatisfying (or inconclusive) conclusion all make it an exciting ride through the good ole days of the past.
Plot: 8 (out of 10)
Style: 9 (out of 10)
Difficulty: 4 (out of 10)
Overall: 9 (out of 10)
