The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

First published in 1930, this book was originally a serial in a magazine called Black Mask. Written by Dashiell Hammett, it's now considered one of the greatest books of the modern detective genre - particularly when it comes to the sub-genre: hardboiled crime. It introduces us to the disillusioned Sam Spade, a cynical private detective who becomes an archetype overall, for the detectives we tend to meet in this genre. It proved to be a grand influence on the books that came after it.

Sam Spade is involved in a case surrounding a priceless statue of a Maltese Falcon and, in San Francisco - it is already dangerous to be in his line of work. We are let into a world of absolute corruption, of deceit, of murder and more as the lines between right and wrong become evermore blurred. The darker moments of human nature is usually what this book is celebrated for, even before we look at the crux of the storyline. There is a clear departure away from the more sentimental portrayals of human relations in detective novels gone by - there is something incredibly rigid and raw about Hammett's writing which shows us he was clearly doing something different. He didn't want us to be comfortable.

Sam Spade would come to influence characters like Philop Marlowe from The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. But of course, the most famous thing about this book is the star-studded 1941 movie led by the incredible Humphrey Bogart as the brooding protagonist. Bogart would become famous for portraying these kinds of men on the line of ambiguous morals.

Themes like greed, betrayal and morality are explored in extensive detail in this text, making it one of the most famous, and the darkest, detective novels ever written. You could call it a social commentary on society: sometimes things aren't always black and white. There's a massive grey area that we're usually missing.

Plot

The story begins when Sam Spade is approached by Miss Brigid O'Shaughnessy, who hires him to find her missing sister. Spade’s partner, Miles Archer, agrees to help, but when they stake out a suspect’s location, Archer is murdered. Spade’s investigation quickly becomes more complicated as he uncovers multiple conflicting stories and discovers that Brigid’s motives might not be entirely genuine.

Soon, Spade learns that Brigid is part of a larger scheme involving the coveted Maltese Falcon and it has been missing for centuries. A group of criminals: Joel Cairo, a shady, effeminate man, and Casper Gutman, a suave but sinister man of means, are also after the falcon. They are willing to go to any lengths, including murder, to obtain it. Throughout the story, Spade finds himself entangled in a complex web of lies and deceit as all the characters seem to want the falcon for themselves, each willing to betray and manipulate the others.

Spade plays his cards close to his chest. He deceives everyone around him while trying to piece together the true nature of the Maltese Falcon. While he grows closer to Brigid, he remains emotionally detached, aware that her beauty and charm are part of a larger, dangerous game. As the plot thickens, Spade discovers that the falcon is not the precious artefact it was believed to be, but a fake, one that had been passed around for years in a futile chase for wealth and power.

The book's climax occurs when Spade uncovers the truth: Brigid and the others had been lying to him from the start. He realises that Brigid has used him for her own selfish gain and, despite his feelings for her, decides to turn her over to the police for her role in the murder of his partner, Miles Archer.

Into the Book

Greed and Corruption:

One of the main themes of The Maltese Falcon is greed and its corrupting influence on the characters. The pursuit of wealth drives every character’s actions, leading them to lie, cheat, and kill in order to possess the falcon. The book critiques the idea of the American Dream, which promises success and prosperity to anyone who works hard enough. In the text, the characters' pursuit of material wealth through deception and criminal acts exposes the emptiness behind the ideal of achieving success at any cost.

In the midst of this is the falcon itself as a symbol of unattainable wealth and power. The object’s allure is so strong that it blinds the characters to reason and morality, showing how greed distorts their actions and leads to their eventual ruin. This theme is most clearly seen in Casper Gutman, who is willing to manipulate, betray, and murder for a chance to possess the falcon. His obsession with the artefact reflects a broader societal critique: the corrupting power of wealth and how it can lead people to abandon all sense of decency and human connection in its pursuit.

“He looked rather pleasantly, like a blonde satan.”

- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Moral Ambiguity:

The character of Sam Spade represents the hardboiled detective whose moral compass is often ambiguous. He is not a typical hero; he is self-serving, often cynical, and willing to bend the law to achieve his own goals. Spade’s actions throughout the book reflect his personal code, which is not based on conventional notions of good and evil. His decision to turn in Brigid O'Shaughnessy at the end of the book, despite his feelings for her, demonstrates his belief in a strict, impersonal sense of justice.

Spade is a product of a corrupt world where the distinction between right and wrong is blurred. Throughout the novel, he lies, manipulates, and deceives in order to find the truth. However, despite his flaws, Spade emerges as a somewhat moral character, showing that even in a world of corruption and deceit, there can still be a glimmer of personal integrity. His refusal to let Brigid escape justice, despite their emotional entanglement, defines his character as one who adheres to his own code, no matter the cost.

The theme of moral ambiguity extends to other characters as well. Brigid O'Shaughnessy, for example, is portrayed as a femme fatale who is both manipulative and vulnerable. She uses her charm to deceive Spade and the others, yet she is also portrayed as a victim of circumstances, driven by desperation and the fear of being caught. Gutman, Cairo, and the others are also morally complex, their motivations shaped by greed, lust, and a desire for control. Through these characters, Hammett presents a world where traditional moral distinctions are often blurred, and survival requires a certain degree of ruthlessness.

“I distrust a man that says when. If he's got to be careful not to drink too much it's because he's not to be trusted when he does.”

- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Betrayal and Loyalty:

The theme of betrayal continues through the book, with almost every character betraying someone or something in their pursuit of the Maltese Falcon. The most significant instance of betrayal occurs when Brigid O'Shaughnessy deceives Spade, leading to the murder of his partner, Miles Archer. Despite this, Spade does not allow his emotions to cloud his judgment. He understands that his loyalty to his partner must come first, even though he finds himself drawn to Brigid.

The idea of loyalty also comes into play in Spade’s relationship with the falcon. Spade’s investigation is driven not just by the promise of a reward but by his desire to uncover the truth. His persistence in finding the falcon is not simply about obtaining riches but about holding people accountable for their lies and betrayals. This sense of loyalty, both to his profession and to his own personal code, sets Spade apart from the other characters, who are only concerned with self-interest and personal gain.

“That's wonderful. I do like a man that tells you right out he’s looking out for himself. Don’t we all? I don’t trust a man that says he’s not. And the man that’s telling the truth when he says he’s not I distrust most of all, because he’s an ass and an ass that’s going contrary to the laws of nature.”

- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Why It's a Masterpiece

This book broke the detective genre in ways that other books of the time were not willing to. It has incredible explorations of human desperation and how crime fiction was blending with realism to create these seedy underworlds of people who will stop at nothing to get their way. Spade's complex character moves away from the more Victorian almost Sherlock-esque detectives who are near-perfect in their understanding of the world (even though Sherlock himself is morally flawed as well).

I think that perhaps one of the greatest things about this book is Hammett's sparse and curt writing style. It feels almost aggressive at times. There's no elaborate puzzle-solving, only underwhelming realisations that nobody can be trusted, even the people the reader thought could be trusted. It is deception after deception, that leaves even the audience feeling jaded by the end. We understand why Sam Spade is the way he is.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the real world is self-serving and nobody cares about anyone else, everyone is only out for themselves - but Dashiell Hammett showed us that in a way that was gritty, horrifying and dark. He completely reworks an entire genre to fit these maxims about life and human nature into the masterwork. With a fast-paced plot and these vivid characterisations of morally grey characters, he rejects the romanticism of times gone by. It is noir, it is terrifying, it grew and flourished over the years as the gold-standard of its genre...

Next Week: The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac