The Maltese Falcon

Elle, thank you for choosing this book and also explaining why you chose it. I think that having a personal story to go along with your choice really added to it.

I don't know that I have ever read a book from this time period before, and I really enjoyed it. Like Elle said, it was a little slow-going at first. But things pick up and you just have to keep reading to find out what happens. I liked that fact that it kept you guessing until the very end. Everyone was so secretive and deceptive that you really had no idea who were the "good guys" or the "bad guys".

I was a little disappointed with the ending because Miss I-don't-know-how-to-pronounce-her-name-O'Shaughnessy ended up being one of the murderers and was turned in by her -(should I say lover?)- just so he could save his own skin. I guess I see Mr. Spade as a shallow man. I also had a hard time imagining what he would actually look like. What does it look like when your face is made up of a bunch of V's?? Aside from that, I did appreciate the vivid descriptions of all the characters in the book. What a diverse group of people the author imagined up!

Here is my favorite quote from the book:

Effie Perine: "What about Miss O'Shaghnessy?"
Sam Spade: "I missed her too, but she had been there."
Effie Perine: "On the La Paloma?"
Sam Spade: "The La is a lousy combination."
Effie Perine: "Stop it. Be nice, Sam. Tell me."

. . . Maybe you didn't think it was that funny, but I laughed!


My plan is to now watch the classic movie starring Humphrey Bogart and see what I think of it. Maybe they have it at the library . . .

P.S. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!