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Maltese Falcon
by HAMMETT, Dashiell
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930. Full Description:
HAMMETT, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.
First edition. Octavo (7 7/16 x 5 1/8 inches; 188 x 131 mm). [4, blank], [8], 267, [1], [4, blank] pp.
Original light gray cloth decoratively stamped in dark grayish blue and black on front cover and spine. Front cover stamped with a falcon. Top edge stained dark blue, others uncut. Spine a bit sunned. With a portion of the front flap of the first issue dust jacket neatly affixed to front pastedown. A very good or better copy without any wear.
The Maltese Falcon was "one of the first examples of hard-boiled fiction, and it marked the first appearance of Hammett's famous private eye, Sam Spade. Dealing with the theft of a jewel-encrusted falcon, which originally belonged to the Knights Templars, the story was as romantic in content as it was realistic and tough in manner. It was filmed three times, and in the version by John Huston (1941), the story became one of the great examples of Film Noir" (Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia).
The Maltese Falcon was first published in five parts in Black Mask between September 1929 and January 1930.
Layman A3.1.a.
HBS 68970.
$1,850.
HAMMETT, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.
First edition. Octavo (7 7/16 x 5 1/8 inches; 188 x 131 mm). [4, blank], [8], 267, [1], [4, blank] pp.
Original light gray cloth decoratively stamped in dark grayish blue and black on front cover and spine. Front cover stamped with a falcon. Top edge stained dark blue, others uncut. Spine a bit sunned. With a portion of the front flap of the first issue dust jacket neatly affixed to front pastedown. A very good or better copy without any wear.
The Maltese Falcon was "one of the first examples of hard-boiled fiction, and it marked the first appearance of Hammett's famous private eye, Sam Spade. Dealing with the theft of a jewel-encrusted falcon, which originally belonged to the Knights Templars, the story was as romantic in content as it was realistic and tough in manner. It was filmed three times, and in the version by John Huston (1941), the story became one of the great examples of Film Noir" (Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia).
The Maltese Falcon was first published in five parts in Black Mask between September 1929 and January 1930.
Layman A3.1.a.
HBS 68970.
$1,850.
Synopsis
The Maltese Falcon , author Dashiell Hammett’s third novel, set the standard by which all subsequent detective fiction would be judged. Set in San Francisco in the late 1920s, the novel introduces us to private detective Sam Spade, who characterizes the archetype of the hard-boiled detective in his dead-pan pursuit of the recovery of a black figurine. Having worked for a time for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in San Francisco, Hammett reportedly drew upon his years as a detective in creating Spade and many of the other characters for The Maltese Falcon . The Maltese Falcon was originally serialized in HL Mencken’s “pulp” magazine, Black Mask, beginning with the September 1929 issue. For publication of the book form, editor Blanche Knopf tried to tone down the overt sexuality of the magazine version, fearing the references would alienate readers, but Hammett prevailed. However, the 1941 film adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor (the best known of the novel’s three film versions) excised the homosexual subtext of the novel due to Production Code restraints. Today, the movie is considered a film noir classic and the novel is ranked 56th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century as well as 54th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels. -
Read More: Identifying first editions of Maltese Falcon
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Details
- Bookseller
- Heritage Book Shop, LLC
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 68970
- Title
- Maltese Falcon
- Author
- HAMMETT, Dashiell
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Alfred A. Knopf
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1930
- Keywords
- American Literature|Mystery and Detective Fiction|Twentieth Century Literature
Terms of Sale
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Biblio member since 2006
Beverly Hills, California
About Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Owned and operated by Ben Weinstein, who has been in the business of antiquarian books for over fifty years, Heritage Book Shop\'s inventory consists of some of the finest items in the areas of first editions, early printed books, bindings, illustrated books, literature, and manuscripts. Heritage Book Shop serves a clientele base consisting of private collectors as well as esteemed public institutions. We take great pride in the dedication we offer our clients. Whether you are building a first-rate collection of a favorite author or an extensive library, we look forward to offering the experience of our knowledgeable and helpful staff.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
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