Book Review - The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)

Private investigator Sam Spade is hired by a young woman to find her sister, fearing her disappearance is connected with her troublesome boyfriend, Phil Thursby. When his partner is shot while tailing Thursby, Spade starts to unravel a much deeper and more complicated case, centering around a coveted black falcon, a medieval artefact worth millions of dollars . . .

Being a noir novel, The Maltese Falcon is not without its complexity when it comes to plot. However, I feel the story works because of its relative simplicity. Dashiell Hammett's prose is less grandiose than the likes of Raymond Chandler. He doesn't add philosophical musings to the story, but merely describes what is happening in the present.

Although the book follows Spade, we aren't given an insight into his thoughts unless he talks about them out loud. Hammett likes to describe Spade's facial expressions, but leaves it up to the reader to decipher them. In this way, the characters are constantly kept at arm's length, keeping their motivations in the dark which leaves the reader more freedom to interpret them how they want.

Because the book avoids introspection, Hammett's focus on external description is heightened. He has a keen eye for detail and creates a vivid impression of what his characters look like. Spade is described at the start as a “blond satan”, and the V's of his face – eyebrows, nose and mouth – are emphasised (something here). Other characters, like Gutman or Joel Cairo, also get in-depth descriptions, which makes the world of the text feel more vivid, and its characters more memorable.

The lack of introspection also leaves Spade's relations with other characters often open to interpretation. I thought his relationship with his secretary, Effie Perine, was the most interesting. There's a mutual affection there, though friction sometimes comes into it. Spade likes to play at being brash and cocky, whereas Effie is more straightforward and can find Spade exasperating sometimes. Hammett gives away enough to keep the reader interested, without making explicit if their relationship has romantic potential, or is more of a friendship or avuncular dynamic.

I thought there were also seeds of an interesting dynamic between Spade and his partner, Miles Archer. Spade clearly doesn't like Miles, and doesn't respect him either as he has an affair with his wife, Iva. However, Miles is killed early on in the story, and Iva only appears in a few scenes, meaning this subplot is not explored as much as I think it could have been.

I also thought Bridgit O'Shaughnessy, the woman who comes to Spade at the start, could have been developed more. She milks the damsel in distress trope a few too many times, and her teary pleas for help come off very repetitive. Hammett at least doesn't take long to show she's not as innocent as she lets on, but the fact that it doesn't lead to any big change in her personality or behaviour leaves her feeling a bit flat as a character.

Despite its weak points, I'd still reccommend The Maltese Falcon to any crime fans. I'll also make sure to check out Hammett's other works in the future.