The Maltese Falcon Book Short Summary

The maltese falcon summary.

The maltese falcon book short summary. Also significant for the novel is the period of economic prosperity known as the roaring twenties. Those who know about the statue will. It s been painted black to hide its true worth. The novel begins when the knockout miss wonderly walks into spade s office.

When archer and then thursby are murdered spade realizes that he s getting more than he bargained for. 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. Can he track down the jewel encrusted bird a treas. Therefore it is unsurprising that hammett critiques all levels of authority by revealing their incompetency and possible corruption.

Dashiell hammett s the maltese falcon chapter summary. The maltese falcon by dashiell hammet was originally published serially in the magazine black mask in five parts between 1929 and 1930. 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. It is a detective novel set in 1928 in san francisco featuring protagonist sam spade who also appears in three other lesser known short stories.

Taking place in 1929 this novel occurs at the. 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. In san francisco during the late 1920s the beautiful miss wonderly arrives at samuel spade and miles archer s detective agency. Neither spade nor his partner miles archer buy her story.

After the war many americans felt that the government and traditional authorities failed the american people by engaging in an unnecessary war. There is no description whatever of any character s thoughts or feelings only what they say and do and how they look. 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. It turns out she s a knockout with money.

Hammett began writing the maltese falcon after serving in world war i. Plot summary of the maltese falcon the maltese falcon itself is a statue of a bird covered in valuable jewels. The story is told entirely in external third person narrative. The novel has been adapted several times for the cinema.

She asks the detectives to follow a man named floyd thursby who she claims has run off with her younger sister corinne. Find summaries for every chapter including a the maltese falcon chapter summary chart to help you understand the book.