The Maltese Falcon Book Short Summary

The maltese falcon by dashiell hammet was originally published serially in the magazine black mask in five parts between 1929 and 1930.

The maltese falcon book short summary. It turns out she s a knockout with money. The novel begins when the knockout miss wonderly walks into spade s office. The maltese falcon summary. The novel has been adapted several times for the cinema.

In san francisco during the late 1920s the beautiful miss wonderly arrives at samuel spade and miles archer s detective agency. There is no description whatever of any character s thoughts or feelings only what they say and do and how they look. Plot summary of the maltese falcon the maltese falcon itself is a statue of a bird covered in valuable jewels. Dashiell hammett s the maltese falcon chapter summary.

The story is told entirely in external third person narrative. Neither spade nor his partner miles archer buy her story. Also significant for the novel is the period of economic prosperity known as the roaring twenties. She asks the detectives to follow a man named floyd thursby who she claims has run off with her younger sister corinne.

Therefore it is unsurprising that hammett critiques all levels of authority by revealing their incompetency and possible corruption. Taking place in 1929 this novel occurs at the. After the war many americans felt that the government and traditional authorities failed the american people by engaging in an unnecessary war. It s been painted black to hide its true worth.

And she wants to hire the services of a private detective to find her missing sister who supposedly ran off with a crook named thursby. Those who know about the statue will. The maltese falcon is a 1930 detective novel by american writer dashiell hammett originally serialized in the magazine black mask beginning with the september 1929 issue. Hammett began writing the maltese falcon after serving in world war i.

When gutman summons him back to his hotel suite spade learns that the falcon is an ancient ornament made in malta encrusted with precious gems and later in its bloody history covered with black. Find summaries for every chapter including a the maltese falcon chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. It is an early example of the hardboiled detective novel which departs from novels in the romantic tradition that heavily emphasize characters emotions and instead introduces a cynical and detached. But miss wonderley is in fact the beautiful and treacherous brigid o shaughnessy and when spade s partner miles archer is shot while on thursby s trail spade finds himself both hunter and hunted.

Written by timothy sexton the maltese falcon is a slim novel that moves along at a rapid pace and feels almost as fleeting as watching the iconic film adaptation starring humphrey bogart as its world weary private detective sam spade. But with the money she s paying who cares.