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Title details for The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - Available

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett
William Dufris
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

The Maltese Falcon is the definitive masterpiece of the hard-boiled detective genre. It introduces legendary PI Sam Spade, a loner who follows his own code and the rules of the street as he zeros in on his partner's killer and the famous jewel-encrusted bird. Humphrey Bogart immortalized the tough-guy detective in the classic 1941 film.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 31, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780792758860
      • File size: 205719 KB
      • Duration: 07:08:34

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 420
    • Text Difficulty: 1-2

  • Reviews

    • 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
    • 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
      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
    • 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

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:420
  • Text Difficulty:1-2

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