The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

When The Maltese Falcon was published in 1930, the world was only beginning to appreciate the detective novel. Though the first few detective novels that preceded Falcon received good enough reviews, they have equally been accused of being overly formulaic and vastly impersonal. Hammett revolutionized the detective novel by applying wild plots, well-rounded characters, and beautifully detailed settings.

The story of The Maltese Falcon follows the devilish detective Samuel Spade in his search for the infamous maltese falcon statuette, a historical artifact said to be worth millions. Spade must conquer his emotions, forcing himself to remain unaffected by the beautiful Brigid O'Shaughnessy, his romantic ties to his dead partner's wife, and threats and promises made by Gutman and his cronies Cairo and Wilmer.

Hammett masterfully paints a picture of an idealized San Francisco, the city in which The Maltese Falcon takes place. This San Francisco is unlike the factual city, as it is unrealistically (but pleasantly) overrun with corruption and bad guys looking for a quick million. Anyone can be a friend one moment and an enemy the next, therefore nobody can be trusted. This distrustful mentality can be seen thriving in each of the characters in the novel and could easily be associated with the time period in which it was set. This novel was written amidst the struggles of the Great Depression: nobody was catching a break and everyone was out to make a buck. While Samuel Spade is driven by a passion for justice and a personal interest, he is equally driven towards financial gain, even if it means betraying those close to him.

The ultimate lesson of The Maltese Falcon, however, is one in justice. Spade is willing to go to any lengths necessary to ensure that justice is served, whether it be something as lowly as sleeping with his corrupt partner's wife or something as noble as turning in a criminal whom he actually loves.

The Maltese Falcon was an easy and enjoyable read and undoubtedly deserves a place on the Best 100 Novels list among other greats, especially due to the striking quality of the language and imagery in regard to the nature of the novel's subject matter.