Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

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The Maltese Falcon is a 1930 detective novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. The story is told entirely in external third-person narrative; there is no description whatever of any character's internal thoughts or feelings, only what they say and do, and how they look. The novel has been adapted several times for the cinema.

The main character, Sam Spade (who also appeared later in some lesser-known short stories), was a departure from Hammett's nameless detective. (213 pages)

Right! I'm just in from a glorious weekend away and I'll begin shortly!

Dashiell Hammett was a detective for Pinkerton's and actually worked on the case against Roscoe ("Fatty") Arbuckle. (Who was deemed innocent but it destroyed his career.)

I'm reading the folio edition, The Maltese Falcon 239pp.

I read this a couple of years ago. The movie makes a lot more sense now. It was an enjoyable read.

I haven't read it before, or listened to any audiobooks, but only watched the film - and that so long ago I can't really remember it very well. I would like to unfold the story in a chapter-by-chapter discussion.

I have read the first chapter.

The first chapter is full of descriptions of the characters.
How do you feel about Hammett's descriptions and use of them? Do you think they are meant to evoke certain emotions in the reader? How did these descriptions make you feel?

The apartment where Hammett wrote his first three novels, the third being this one. Spade's apartment is based on Hammett's.
https://www.markcoggins.com/891-post-...

Great novel. Hammett was aces.
Great movie. Bogart was aces.

Bogart didn't look much like the description of Sam Spade though. I kept puzzling over the description, trying to figure out what he was meant to look like without it being comical.

I have read chapter two and things are kicking off.

Gilbert wrote: "Great novel. Hammett was aces.
Great movie. Bogart was aces."

Yes.

Is anyone else reading this book?

Jazzy wrote: "Is anyone else reading this book?"

I just finished re-rereading it-- I enjoy it every time. I'm going to curl up with a warm cat and watch the movie tonight (Bogart version).

Suki wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "Is anyone else reading this book?"

I just finished re-rereading it-- I enjoy it every time. I'm going to curl up with a warm cat and watch the movie tonight (Bogart version)."

Ah very nice! I watch lots of film noir, but sadly I don't own the dvd and it's not on the youtube (I don't have any television channels) :)

Since it looks like no one else is reading it, i'll just finish it on my own. Mmmm!

I love warm cats, my little boy is named Gavroche x

I read this last year and had to reconcile the description of Sam Spade in the book with Humphrey Bogart in the movie version.

Well he doesn't look like 'a blond Satan,' that's for sure.

Settling in with some Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry... and my book x

Jazzy wrote: "Well he doesn't look like 'a blond Satan,' that's for sure."

I saw the Bogart movie multiple times before I read the book, and it was extremely well cast, so I tend to gloss over the character descriptions and just picture the actors from the film. My DVD has the Bogart version of the film, along with two previous film editions of Falcon, and it just seems really strange to have different faces in the story.

Finished.

My review: "A good hardboiled story written in the third-person objective."

Shame I was the only person reading along. Sadly this seems to be the norm for most of my 'book clubs', 'buddy reads', or 'read-a-longs'.

Jazzy, I read the book not that long ago, too soon for a reread. But we still have ten days left in December-so you never know.

I have read other books by Hammett- The Glass Key, Red Harvest and The Thin Man.

I prefer his style to Chandler's, who is too hard boiled for me.
I also enjoyed the works of Rex Stout, who writes the Nero Wolfe series.

Funny 😃, I prefer Chandler.

We all have different tastes, don't we? 😉
That's what makes discussions lively and interesting.

I like both!

Has anyone else read
Hardboiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories?
It is a good mix and each chapter starts out with an introduction of the writer. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about it and have ordered another on on ebay since I gave mine away years ago.

Yes, I read this one this year, so didn't return to it. I find the discussion of his looks interesting as I apparently just ignored it. I just saw Bogart. LOL

So did I, Kelly!

Rosemarie wrote: "So did I, Kelly!"

Glad I am not alone.