Written by Dashiell Hammett
Cover Art by George Rozen (upper half) & John Drew (lower half)
SUMMARY:
First published in 1929-1930, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard issued this 218-page paperback reprint in 1992. In San Francisco, cynical private detectives Sam Spade and Miles Archer, despite scanty details, take a well-paid surveillance case for their new client, a ‘Ms. Wonderly.’ Before the night is over, two homicides has Spade under investigation for murder – one of which is their client’s nemesis, Floyd Thursby. With the police pressing him for answers, Spade also tries untangling himself from an ongoing extramarital affair with his partner’s wife.
Spade soon confirms that ‘Ms. Wonderly’ is just one of many aliases for an enigmatic Brigid O’Shaughnessy, who still desperately seeks his world-weary help. From the get-go, he realizes that Brigid has mastered the art of evasive answers hidden within her sob stories. Succumbing to Brigid’s flirtations, Spade finds himself entangled in her deadly tug-of-war over a priceless black metallic statue dubbed ‘The Maltese Falcon.’
Among the shadowy threats chasing after ‘The Bird,’ are an effeminate young thug, Joel Cairo, and his ultra-smug boss, the corpulent Caspar Gutman. As savvy as Spade is, he is now in the crosshairs of three equally dangerous grifters, who will stop at nothing from letting this elusive treasure slip from their grasp.
REVIEW:
As much as Humphrey Bogart visually defines Spade, one might even imagine an Americanized Sean Connery in his James Bond prime the roguish way Dashiell Hammett describes Spade. Like its 1941 cinematic adaptation, much of Hammett’s source material is indoor talk, whether it be Spade’s office, Gutman’s residence, Cairo’s place, or Brigid’s rental. For what little action takes place, Hammett compensates with crackling dialogue that practically invented the genre.
Ironically, that’s the problem entrenching one’s self in Spade’s world of intrigue and insatiable greed. The Maltese Falcon is fun to read mostly when catching why it has been so often imitated or, in other instances, parodied. Hence, what were provocative characterizations at the time of initial publication have long since faded into gumshoe caricatures where savvy readers sense what is coming.
More specifically, Hammett risks creating too few likable characters to sympathize with. As much as Spade’s snarky mercenary personality one might relate to, should readers even care about his ultimate fate? The answer would be ‘yes,’ if only because his supporting cast (aside from Spade’s loyal secretary) proves even more self-important and ruthless than he is. That’s where Hammett’s plot twists become ingenious, as far as plausibly juggling who, in the end, successfully outwits their competition for the prized Falcon.
For mystery buffs exploring Bogart’s most famous alter ego, then The Maltese Falcon still exudes its hard-boiled charms. Other contemporary readers, however, may find treasure-hunting with Sam Spade something of a bore.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
The first page is a brief bio on Hammett, with the final page offering premises for some of Hammett’s other crime fiction.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
