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Title details for The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - Available

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett
Yuri Rasovsky
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

"Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be. That kind of reputation might be good business."—Samuel Spade, private investigator

"Spade...is what most of the private detectives I worked with would like to have been and in their cockier moments thought they approached."—Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon first appeared in the pages of Black Mask magazine in 1929. Almost immediately it was acknowledged as not only a great crime novel but an enduring masterpiece of American fiction. Sam Spade, its protagonist, is the archetypal tough, cynical PI, "able," as his creator explained, "to take care of himself in any situation, able to get the best of anybody he comes in contact with, whether criminal, innocent bystander or client." And what a client!—the irresistible and treacherous femme fatale Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

Believing the book's vividly drawn characters and memorable dialogue cry out for theatrical treatment, Blackstone Audio commissioned this faithful dramatization by the award-winning Hollywood Theater of the Ear, in which a brilliant cast brings to life all the excitement and suspense of Hammett's original in the playhouse of the mind.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    October 30, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481544740
      • File size: 94937 KB
      • Duration: 03:17:47

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Text Difficulty: 9-12

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      They're all here--Sam Spade, the streetwise detective; the gorgeous but dangerous dame; the squirrelly guy; and the fat man--all chasing an elusive statue of a mythical bird across the most American of literary landscapes, fog-bound San Francisco in the 1920s. Few novels have been more "noir"--or more influential. With fine talents like Michael Madsen, Sandra Oh, and Edward Herrmann, Blackstone Audio and the Hollywood Theater of the Ear have created a taut, well-paced audio production, drawn directly from the novel, first serialized in BLACK MASK MAGAZINE in 1929. All of Hammett's signature descriptions and stylish dialogue are at the forefront. Sexy, darkly comic, and broodingly moral, THE MALTESE FALCON is like a jolt of bourbon--it wakes you up and keeps you listening. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 26, 2009
      The classic noir story is given new life with this full-cast adaptation. When a damsel in distress steps into Sam Spade's office spinning a yarn of a kidnapped sister and shady older man, Spade is doubtful but intrigued. Soon, he's pulled into an international hunt for a bird made of gold that leaves a trail of dead bodies, including his partner. Michael Madsen initially comes on a bit strong as Spade with a tone and growl that goes beyond previous renditions, but by the end, he has appreciatively mellowed. The supporting cast (including Sandra Oh and Edward Herrmann) are fine but unmemorable. The sound effects fading in and out of the production prove so subtle that it's often hard to determine if one is hearing them from the story or from the real world. The occasional musical score is reminiscent of old-time radio and used sparingly. A Vintage paperback.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      All the characters in this story are famously despicable. Private eye Sam Spade is motivated by personal gain and his own ego. His clients are no more moral--they are selfish, dishonest, double-crossing, greedy, and sometimes even violent. At the heart of this classic "noir" is the search for the valuable jewel-encrusted falcon. Despite the repugnance of the characters, William Dufris's reading is tremendously likable. His enthusiasm is well suited to creating distinctive voices for each character and an overarching atmosphere of distrust. Dufris's use of timing is impeccable--forcing slow, tortured silences that increase the suspense just when a print reader would be flying through the pages to discover the ending. A.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      April 15, 2009
      This full-cast audio dramatization of Hammett's 1930 pulp fiction best seller features performances by actors Michael Madsen, Sandra Oh, and Edward Herrmann. Each narrator reads not only his/her character's lines but the narration associated with that character as well; the resulting abrupt switches can be distracting. The music and other secondary production effects, however, are unobtrusive. A very enjoyable version of a genre classic that is recommended for all popular fiction collections. [Audio clip available through www.blackstoneaudio.com; alternate recordings available from Sound Library: BBC Audiobooks America and Books on Tape; the Vintage pb was deemed "the best hard-boiled PI story and one of the great American novels, period," "LJ" 2/15/05.Ed.]I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA

      Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      It's 1928. San Francisco PIs Sam Spade and Miles Archer are engaged by a young lady to shadow a man she alleges has kidnapped her sister. Not true--and Archer is soon the late Archer, leaving Sam to seek both his killer and the titular statue. This dramatization is heavily influenced by the movie version of Hammett's novel. The actor who reads Sam Spade closely follows Humphrey Bogart's style. The Sidney Greenstreet role is delivered as a carbon copy of Greenstreet's speech pattern. The roles played by Peter Lorre and Mary Astor escape this mimicry. All in all, this is an entertaining performance that makes one want to see the movie again. R.E.K. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Even though Sam Spade thinks his partner was a rat, the private detective's code compels Spade to get to the bottom of things when he turns up dead. Michael Prichard does a creditable job with this classic detective yarn, especially with the voices of some of the secondary characters. However, he doesn't sound quite gritty enough in his portrayal of tough-guy Sam Spade. P.B.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Perhaps better known as a movie than a book, The Maltese Falcon set a standard for tough-guy detective whodunits. This presentation is more radio dramatization than audiobook reading. The stage is set by the soulful tones of a tenor sax lyrically painting a mournful picture of fog-bound San Francisco, steeped in death and deceit. Reader William Dufris is a one-man band, covering the entire cast of diverse characters with unbelievable ease. His shifts from tough Sam Spade to the damsel in distress to any of a host of bad guys is just short of amazing. Some may find his presentation of the leading lady close to overacting, and he does stretch to find unique voices for the minor players, but, overall, this is a top notch presentation. T.J.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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