T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed on 9/13/2022 + 323 more book reviews

Detective novels are really not my thing, but this one is so classic that I thought I'd give it another go, seeing as it's frequently ranked in the top ten of the best crime novels of all time. I think that's generous, personally, but I appreciate its renown enough to at least complete it. I read parts of it when I was younger but didn't make it all the way through. And renowned it is: it's been the subject of several films, starting, I believe, in the 1930s, shortly after the novel was published. The most famous film adaptation, which is arguably even more well-known than the novel itself, was the Humphrey Bogart/Mary Astor version, released in 1941.

The story apparently began its life as a serial in the magazine "Black Mask," a pulp magazine dating to 1920, which ceased publication in 1951, originally conceived by a journalist and a drama critic. It included not only crime fiction but also mystery and adventure stories, with the occasional romance tale thrown in for good measure, and "The Maltese Falcon" features elements of all of the above. It was published as a single novel in 1930 after appearing as five installments, beginning in September, 1929. A series of subsequent novels featuring primary protagonist Sam Spade (named for Hammett himself, whose first name was Samuel) shortly followed, although they have somewhat fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years.

One of the most curious aspects of the novel, as many others have noted, is that its prose has a voyeuristic quality, in the sense that it's written in a detached third-person perspective, which only reports, sometimes in great detail, visual aspects of the characters - what they're wearing, an uncharacteristic rich physical description of them, and even their mannerisms - but there's nothing at all regarding any of their particular thoughts, feelings or underlying motives. In some ways, Hammett's writing is almost Hemingway-esque, as its written in an almost rapid-fire, staccato series of events, featuring rather prototypical, albeit iconic, characters: the tough-talking and world-weary detective, the beautiful but duplicitous (and rather promiscuous) femme fatale, a highly Orientalized "Levantine" (which could be read several ways), and an assorted cast of characters, including thugs, cops, and assorted ne'er-do-wells, all of whom are looking for the fabled Maltese falcon, which may or may not even exist, but which men and women alike would kill for.

I won't go into detail regarding its plot, since it's so well-known. Indeed, the novel's influence has been far-reaching, to the degree that Hammett's style and stereotypical characters became almost standard fare for other novels in this genre. His, and those which followed have been described as typical examples of the "hard-boiled school" of crime fiction, which reached the peak of its popularity in the 40s and 50s. Even though this wasn't my favorite book, or genre, for that matter, I appreciate it for its significance in representing these types of novels. I'm not a great fan of this style of writing, either, as the descriptions seem like they're reaching a bit, like the author is trying too hard (but the visual imagery is helpful in the days before television), but the various twists and turns are sufficient to keep it interesting. In any event, the book is worth a read, for its fame and renown alone, even if you're not a great fan of detective novels.

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