Your Classic Detective Story

I've never read classic American detective novels before. But I can say that having this novel be my first taste of what the genre has to offer did not leave my disappointed. I will be frank in saying that it possesses just as many stereotypes as you would expect: a masculine "manly-man" detective, subservient maiden who is actually a villainess, ruthless gangsters, and bumbling police officers. But it is within these stereotypes that a classically entertaining mystery unfolds. The maltese falcon is an ancient figurine in the shape of a small bird covered in fine jewels that several people are determined to claim as their own. Sam Spade, San Francisco detective, finds himself caught up in the drama and inner workings of several individuals' attempts to locate this treasure, investigating murders and a mysteriously attractive Brigid O'Shaughnessy along the way. One of the recurring themes of this novel is never trusting completely what seems to be plain and simple, thus keeping readers actively wondering who and what is viable. I certainly enjoyed this book, even though its somewhat overworked descriptions and lack of perceptual subjectivity with  characters differs from the more concise language and writing styles used in most novels today. I must say that the certain sophistication of books from the 1930s and such have a quality that is much more fun to read than it might seem. 


Of the sometimes overworked details in this book, these two lines stood out to me as prime examples of superior figurative language to incorporate into my own writing:

"His eyes were shiny in a wooden satan's face."

"Her eyes were cobalt-blue prayers."

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