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Spade And Archer (2000)

by Joe Gores(Favorite Author)

3.6 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1415960615 (ISBN13: 9781415960615)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

review 1: Did this book need to be written...? It's flap offers that it gives rationale and backstory to much of Sam Spade's dark personality in Maltese Falcon... But Spade's unexplained backstory was Hammett's choice. This is not another writer's turf! In fact, why doesn't he invent new characters? Why do they do this?So, as per usual, I was annoyed through most of the book. Authors enlisted to revive (steal?) classic characters of the past just make me cranky. But, I have to admit, i really enjoyed this so I think my orneriness is more indicative of my personality than the quality of the book. (Is this the wrong space to review my personality - oops, sorry.)Gores is a great writer (I've read many of his other books.). And he truly loves Hammett (who doesn't) and he take... mores his task seriously. So I forgive him. I blew through this book in record time. So, like any guilty pleasure - I feel guilty but I still gots lots of pleasure. P.S. Not a crazy idea to do a refresher read of Maltese Falcon before breezing through this one. I didn't and hated missing the subtle references to obscure passages of the original. You could just tell they were in there.Ok carry on.
review 2: "Spade & Archer: The Prequel to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon" by Joe Gores is first rate and a real addition to the tradition of the hard boiled detective genre. Gores, a noted Hammett scholar and Edgar Award-winning novelist, got authorization from the Hammett estate for this novel. I am suspicious of "authorized works" because authorized novels have been disappointing in the past and tend to be bland and less than creative in the name of preserving the memory of some long dead person. Gore's work is fortunately anything but bland and is in the Hammett style.This prequel begins seven years before Joel Cairo, Casper Guttman et al cross paths with Spade. Sam is a young man when the story begins in 1921 but he already has that special toughness we learned to love in the Maltese Falcon. Spade recovers part of a haul of gold stolen from a ship. The missing gold, the mastermind behind the heist, and a litany of characters, some of whom we know from the Falcon crop up throughout the novel weaving an interesting plot that plays itself out to a Hammett like conclusion all the while building the backstory on Spade himself. We are introduced to Miles Archer, his cheating wife Iva, the incompetent bully cop Dundy, his friendly, professional subordinate Tom Polhaus, and smart and adoring secretary Effie Perine. Unfortunately we don't learn a lot about this well know cast of characters but through them we come to know Sam Spade.The original's gritty dialogue is back. It's as though were transported to the 1920's once again. No matter who he talks to Spade is short and to the point. The reader can feel the delivery Bogart would have given these lines. Gores delights the reader familiar Hammett with quotes from the Maltese Falcon and references to other Hammett works.Spade & Archer is wonderful novel. Its inventive plot is entertaining and moves the story forward all the while craftily teaching us about a classic character, Sam Spade. This book is well worth the read. less

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