Average customer rating:
- Great Fun Read
- Classic mystery plus more
- Dashiell Hammett weaves a captivating noir-style mystery
- "THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF."
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The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Vintage
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Binding: Paperback
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Farewell, My Lovely
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ASIN: 0679722645
Release Date: 1989-07-17 |
Amazon.com
Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's archetypally tough San Francisco detective, is more noir than L.A. Confidential and more vulnerable than Raymond Chandler's Marlowe. In The Maltese Falcon, the best known of Hammett's Sam Spade novels (including The Dain Curse and The Glass Key), Spade is tough enough to bluff the toughest thugs and hold off the police, risking his reputation when a beautiful woman begs for his help, while knowing that betrayal may deal him a new hand in the next moment.
Spade's partner is murdered on a stakeout; the cops blame him for the killing; a beautiful redhead with a heartbreaking story appears and disappears; grotesque villains demand a payoff he can't provide; and everyone wants a fabulously valuable gold statuette of a falcon, created as tribute for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Who has it? And what will it take to get it back? Spade's solution is as complicated as the motives of the seekers assembled in his hotel room, but the truth can be a cold comfort indeed.
Spade is bigger (and blonder) in the book than in the movie, and his Mephistophelean countenance is by turns seductive and volcanic. Sam knows how to fight, whom to call, how to rifle drawers and secrets without leaving a trace, and just the right way to call a woman "Angel" and convince her that she is. He is the quintessence of intelligent cool, with a wise guy's perfect pitch. If you only know the movie, read the book. If you're riveted by Chinatown or wonder where Robert B. Parker's Spenser gets his comebacks, read the master. --Barbara Schlieper
Book Description
A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, and Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett’s coolly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted three generations of readers.
Customer Reviews:
Great Fun Read.......2007-10-06
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It took a bit for me to adjust to his style of terse dialogue and, at times, almost overly detailed description. The book was a bit dated, as well, and thus a bit sexist at times. Also: everybody chain smoked. But a fun, fun read..!
Classic mystery plus more.......2007-07-19
"The Maltese Falcon" is the epitome of the early twentieth-century private-eye detective story. However, is does not exactly follow the usual cut of a mystery. There is no cut-and-dry explanation of all of the characters' actions and motivations, giving the reader more food for thought than usual. The unexpected twists in the plot keep the reader guessing and the unexpected ending keeps the reader thinking! A wonderful mystery. I want to read more of Hammett's work.
Dashiell Hammett weaves a captivating noir-style mystery.......2007-05-30
As few have failed to mention, The Maltese Falcon was a significant piece of literature when it was published in1930, defining the classic noir-style detective genre and influencing many of today's writers. The story begins like this: Samuel Spade is a hard-boiled private eye established in San Francisco. He and his partner, Miles Archer, are approached by a beautiful woman from New York who asks them to tail a man named Floyd Thursby, who supposedly ran off with her younger sister. One of them is murdered that night and things take off from there. If you decide to traverse deeper into the novel, you'll soon become completely absorbed in one of Dashiell Hammett's glowing treasures.
You can probably compare this book to a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie --- by the last quarter, loyalties shift and advantages are earned by gaining the right type of leverage. As the title suggests, there's a Maltese falcon in the middle of it all. It's an intricate framework but nothing that you'll get lost over.
Gutman, Cairo, "Miss Wonderly," and Wilmer are great characters, each with a very distinct personality. They are defined by their unique mannerism and dialogue during conversation. Samuel Spade, the main character, has appeared in some of Hammett's other stories, and is considered the archetype of tough detective characters. Based on the decisions he makes at the end of the book, you'll see what kind of person he is and what kind of code of ethics he lives by.
Hammett's writing style was sometimes compared to Hemingway's and it's easy to see why in this novel. The Maltese Falcon is written economically. There's no extravagant embellishment or flowery description. Only the essentials. Here's a paragraph that demonstrates Hammett's deft touch nicely:
"A telephone-bell rang in darkness. When it had rung three times bed-springs creaked, fingers fumbled on wood, something small and hard thudded on a carpeted floor, the springs creaked again, and a man's voice said ..."
A clear picture is created from those sentences without all the unnecessary pronouns and articles. Hammett's writing is quick and neat. (This novel, in my opinion, only reveals the beginning of Hammett's way with prose. I must admit, after reading "Nightmare Town" I was surprised to see Hammett's full range and ability. He manages to describe things more atmospherically while maintaining elements of his terse style.)
In this novel, Dashiell Hammett purposely withholds the reader from certain knowledge, such as the motives for Spade's actions. Although you are always with him, you are never really told what Spade's plans or intentions are, leaving you to fit the pieces of that puzzle on your own. When Spade tells the infamous fat man, Gutman, that he possesses valuable information about the falcon, the fat man can not tell for sure whether he's telling the truth or bluffing. And neither can you! Rather than being frustrating, this is a preferred method of story-telling since it produces mystery and suspense. It helps that Hammett's conversations are described to minute detail since figuring out intentions involve examining the mien of conversations, looking at small gestures and facial expressions.
Overall, this is a great book and worth a few hours of your valuable time. If you're looking for one of the best in the classic detective genre, then look no further than The Maltese Falcon.
"THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.".......2007-04-19
THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AS A REVIEW OF THE FILM VERSION OF MALTESE FALCON. THE MAIN POINTS THERE APPLY HERE TO THE BOOK . THE DIALOGUE AND SEQUENCING IN THE MOVIE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE WAY THE ACTION UNFOLDS IN THE BOOK.
In literature and film there have been no lack of private detective-types depicted from the urbane Nick Charles (also a Hammett creation) to Mickey Spillane's rough and tumble Mike Hammer but the classic model for all modern ones is Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade (the Humphrey Bogart role in the film) in Maltese Falcon. Some may argue Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe and may have a point but as for film adaptation Spade wins hands down. Compare, if you will, Bogart's performance in Maltese Falcon with the Big Sleep. Get my point. But enough of that. What make's Spade the classic is his intrepidness, his orneriness, his dauntless dedication to the task at hand, his sense of irony, his incorruptibility, his willingness to take an inordinate amount of bumps and bruises for paltry fees and his off-hand manner with the ladies and a gun. And in Maltese Falcon he needs all of these qualities and then some.
And for what? It is the bird, stupid. You know, the stuff that dreams are made of. This modern tale of greed and desire gets nicely worked with a cast of adventurers, including Sam's love interest, who are serious, inept, and ultimately dangerous. There is a certain amount of off-hand humor as is warranted by some of the situations thrown in to boot. Sam is well up to handling everything thrown at him by is male adversaries. But, the dame (played by Mary Astor in the film), that is a different question. She is as greedy (if not more so) than the rest but she is ready to use her feminine wiles on even the incorruptible Spade in order to get that damn bird. That, dear friends, puts her beyond the pale and she will have many a lonely night in prison to think that through. In the end Sam's honor and the honor of his profession is intact, and that's what counts.
Hammet.......2007-03-08
One of the best writings from Hammet, if not the best. I enjoyed it very much. I couldn't stop reading to look for what happens next. A must.
Book Description
Complete in one volume, the five books that created the modern American crime novel
In a few years of extraordinary creative energy, Dashiell Hammett invented the modern American crime novel. In the words of Raymond Chandler, "Hammett gave murder back to the kind of people that commit it for reasons, not just to provide a corpse.... He put these people down on paper as they were, and he made them talk and think in the language they customarily used for these purposes."
The five novels that Hammett published between 1929 and 1934, collected here in one volume, have become part of modern American culture, creating archetypal characters and establishing the ground rules and characteristic tone for a whole tradition of hardboiled writing. Drawing on his own experiences as a Pinkerton detective, Hammett gave a harshly realistic edge to novels that were at the same time infused with a spirit of romantic adventure. His lean and deliberately simplified prose won admiration from such contemporaries as Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner.
Each novel is distinct in mood and structure. Red Harvest (1929) epitomizes the violence and momentum of his Black Mask stories about the anonymous detective the Continental Op, in a raucous and nightmarish evocation of political corruption and gang warfare in a western mining town. In The Dain Curse (1929) the Op returns in a more melodramatic tale involving jewel theft, drugs, and a religious cult. With The Maltese Falcon (1930) and its protagonist Sam Spade, Hammett achieved his most enduring popular success, a tightly constructed quest story shot through with a sense of disillusionment and the arbitrariness of personal destiny. The Glass Key (1931) is a further exploration of city politics at their most scurrilous. His last novel was The Thin Man (1934), a ruefully comic tale paying homage to the traditional mystery form and featuring Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated inebriates who would enjoy a long afterlife in the movies.
Customer Reviews:
The Maltese Falcon.......2006-11-07
An intriguing plot with just the right blend of wry humor, sex and secrets.
Very exciting and convenient.......2006-06-19
I do like these stories, though they are so rough! It is very helpful to be able to have them all together in this one good volume, I think. But it is dangerous to read them late at night, because you either get too excited to sleep, or you dream of bad men with their car headlamps switched off in the dark!
The first benchmark.......2005-08-19
Very nice edition of the master's novels. In addition to my love of Hammett's prose, I am fascinated by the subtle political aspects of his work: he was the first crime writer to question the status quo so frankly. K. C. Constantine said, "The crime writer is society's stoolie", and Hammett is still a reliable informant.
A classic.......2004-08-26
"A Classic"
What makes a classic? In the case of a detective novel, it is a book that can be read and reread and that gives pleasure on each reading. The Maltese Falcon is now seventy-five years old, yet it continues to amaze, to amuse, to engage.
You may know the plot, but you still can't remember every twist and turn of the unfolding story, and you are surprised by details here and there you did not previously notice, or had forgotten. You may know the principal characters-the cynical detective Sam Spade, the seductive adventuress Brigid O'Shaughnessy, the exotic Joel Cairo, the crafty Caspar Gutman. But they are so expertly drawn, so powerfully realized, that you learn more about them on each reading.
You may already have committed some of the most famous lines of dialog to heart ("The cheaper the crook the gaudier the patter"-- "You're good. You're very good. It's chiefly your eyes, I think, and that throb you get into your voice when you say things like `Be generous, Mr. Spade'"). Yet you continue to discover more, and you continue on each reading to relish the bite, the humor, the intelligence of Hammett's prose.
It's practically impossible to read this book without thinking of the motion picture starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet. Don't try. John Huston's script departs here and there from the story line of the novel, but not in any serious way. Most of the changes are efforts to streamline the story and make it fit the standard (for 1941) length of a screenplay. And the best lines spoken by Bogart, Astor, Lorre, and Greenstreet are pure Hammett. The movie is true to the spirit of the book, and if you are familiar with both you can love them both.
At age seventy-five, The Maltese Falcon is a classic, and there is good reason to believe that in another seventy-five years it will still be one.
Well worth the time........2004-07-28
I have read all five novels at least twice. Will go for three times when winter arrives.
Average customer rating:
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Maltese (Descriptive Grammars)
Azzopardi-Alexa
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0415022436 |
Book Description
Maltese, the national language of the Island of Malta, remains the only Semitic language of Europe, and is spoken by almost 400,000 people. Focusing primarily on Standard Maltese, the authors clarify many areas which, until now, remain undefined, with emphasis on syntax and intonation. English loanwords continue to find their way into Standard Maltese, especially as the Maltese inhabitants become increasingly bilingual, and the variations are studied, as well as their morphological behavior. The book describes the syntactic, morphological and phonological structure of Maltese as one integrated linguistic system composed of different strands (Arabic, Romance and English).
Book Description
It's no wonder the Maltese is the 20th most popular breed registered by the AKC. He combines good looks with a strong physique and clownish, endearing temperament. He is the epitome of a showman and a companion.
Written by the country's foremost authority on the Maltese, this Best of Breed Library title combines information the smitten pet owner needs to know to take the best possible care of his new friend with the history, show, and breeding information more enthusiastic fanciers need to help them fully understand and successfully compete with a Maltese. The book is filled with photos of this captivating breed, along with instructional diagrams and numerous appendices.
Customer Reviews:
Essential guide.......2002-10-22
My friend Phil, who likes to experiment in the animal husbandry area, is for some reason convinced that if you cross one of these dogs with a peregrine falcon, you'll get something known as "The Maltese Falcon." I have no idea where he got this idea, but he sure likes to watch lots of old Humphrey Bogart movies. He hasn't succeeded yet, but that's not for lack of trying.
Unfortunately, the people in our neighborhood who own Maltese dogs and/or peregrine falcons refuse to allow him to walk or exercise their dogs and birds anymore, at least at the same time, because of the amazing racket that comes out of the toolshed in the back of Phil's house whenever he takes them in there together. Oh well, he'll soon recover from his disappointment and figure out something else to play with.
I tried to encourage him by suggesting he try to create the mythical winged Phoenix by combining a Harpy eagle with some lit charcoal briguettes, but Phil says I just don't have the knack for animal husbandry like he does.
Excellent maltese educator.......2001-03-19
This is the best book on the maltese breed I have read. It gives real, practical, and detailed advice and tips on grooming (the most important question for this breed!) as well as the basics for showing, sports activities and the breed itself. It is wonderful in its review of the top maltese since the 50's - it will give you great information on the top pedigree lines and their history. This author was the top breeder/handler of maltese, with impecable creditials and integrity to match no other in the show dog world. Owners and handlers are very lucky to now have Ms. Abbott in the ring as a judge. If you are serious about this breed, this book is invaluable.
Great information.......2000-09-15
I didnt read the firt one she wrote. This has information that really is related to this beautiful breed. I found everything that I was looking for.
Book Description
One union, one currency - and an abundance of languages; Europe's intrigue lies in its variety. When you find yourself on a busy feast day in Chios, in a smoky Maltese kazin, or courtside at a Basque pelota match, don't let the moment escape - say something!
Covers: Basque, Catalan, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Maltese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Turkish & Welsh
- join in the sport & festivals from Athens to Belfast
- menu decoders for trying the tastiest local dishes
- tools to help you break the ice and plunge in
- essential transport talk to get you from Ankara to Lisbon
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Quick Reference.......2006-07-15
An excellent quick reference for all your travel language necessities in Europe. And it's a handy little size too.
Minority languages.......2005-06-15
it is great to see the smaller langauges of Europe in this guide!!
WE DO EXIST REMEMBER!!
Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Basque and Catalan take their positions as European languages of note!
All BRITISH and SPANISH people should know some words in THEIR lesser used languages! Otherwise they are not really British/Spanish!!!
Even covers Welsh! .......2005-03-18
If you plan to travel all over Europe, this book may get you through and save the time and trouble of carrying a different phrasebook for each country. It is small, just slightly larger than the average palm and full of basic phrases.
It doesn't cover every language but DOES include Basque, Catalan, Welsh, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Dutch, French, German and a wealth of others.
WHat I especially liked:
1. The tips on how to break the ice in each country and join in conversations
2.Menu decoders and suggestions for each country
3.Essential words to get you through transportation checkpoints and on your way
4. Some of the basic sports and festivals in each country.
5. Written FOR the traveler with a strong emphasis on the most essential situations when a phrasebook might be needed.
compact comprehensivephrasebook with pronunciation.......2002-07-12
This book has several advantages over other phrasebooks:
* Its got most of Europe (except Eastern) covered, including Irish!
* It is small - about the size of two decks of cards.
* It has the english phrase, the phrase in the translated language and then in blue how you actually pronounce the phrase. The pronunciations are spot on - the best thing about this book.
* It has phrases on absolutely everything - I even got to use my Greek phrase for "I would not like it extracted please" when I spoke to a greek student at the Oktoberfest who was studying dentistry. Everything's covered: getting on buses, going to the laundromat, getting directions, etc. About 20 pages on each language with everything that you will need to get by for a while.
* It's cheap and all in one book.
* A must have for anybody going to Europe who doesn't speak all their languages - I think that's everyone.
Very Useful but Missed out on Eastern Europe.......2001-12-14
This book is a useful guidebook to many languages of Europe, however some of the omissions are a bit strange; It includes Catalan and Basque but not Eastern European, or Scandinavian languages. It's convenience lies in being able to look up the same phrases for different languages.
I suspect it covers a lot of material from other Lonely Planet Phrasebooks, such as the Spanish one, just not as comprehensively.
Product Description
92 pages, paperback, 6 1/2" x 8". All you need to know about feeding, training, grooming and caring for your dog's health. Special features include professional color photos, helpful sidebars and lists and expert tips.
Customer Reviews:
Copy Cat-Don't but this book AND An Owners Guide to.............2002-01-20
I am extreamley disapointed in this book. I can't even tell you how upset I was to find out that a large portion of this book is taken verbatim from another book I ordered from Amazon called "An Owners Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet:The Maltese." The reason I bought the 2 books is because they were offered as a package deal from Amazon, and I essentially ended up with 2 of the same book. There are actual parts of this book that are taken WORD FOR WORD from the fore-mentioned book. I had to check to see if the author gave credit to the other author because I thought it might be plagerized. Inside the third page it said, in small print, "This book is a revised edition of "An Owners Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet:The Maltese." Granted there is a bit more information added and a few cute pictures but I do feel badly ripped off. So be forewarned before you buy both books; that they are nearly the same book. Also most of the information is related to puppies and adult dogs as a whole and not overly specific to the breed. There is an interesting history of the breed that I enjoyed, as well as an informative section on Maltese prone health problems. I would recommend a good puppy book for anyone interested in raising a Maltese puppy instead and find the remaining information on the breed on the internet. These books really haven't taught me more than I already learned through the internet and puppy books. Proceed with caution on this purchase.
great book. was my super hero!!.......2001-09-04
i was worrying because i was going to get a maltese but i didn't know how to train it. i got this book and when i got my maltese i tried the way it says in the book and it worked!! i really reccomend this book to maltese owners that don't know how to train and groom their maltese.
An excellent book about Maltese.......2000-04-21
This is an excellent book about the Maltese that is perfect for either someone who is bringing a new puppy home or a Maltese owner that just wants to learn more about the breed. It includes helpful advice on bringing a new puppy home and what to expect. There are chapters on food and nutrition, health care, excellent grooming instructions, breed standards, history of the breed and comprehensive behavior training. Included throughout the book are beautiful color photos. This is a must have book and definitely worthy of five stars!
Book Description
The modern president must take on and fulfill multiple roles if he is to successfully command and lead. Chief executive, head of state, commander-in-chief, legislative manager, and party leader are a few of the president's responsibilities, each of which rely more on skilled political leadership than on an assertion of constitutional privileges. This has surely been the case for George W. Bush in the aftermath of 9/11 and up through the elections of 2004. His win and four more years in the White House--along with GOP gains in Congress--give this president an opportunity to fundamentally alter domestic policy as well as ameliorate the situation in Iraq. What will the elections of 2004 and Bush's second term say about the future of his presidency, of Republican dominance, of his legacy?
In the most up-to-date core text on the presidency, Pika and Maltese deliver comprehensive and engaging analysis of the increasingly political nature of the presidency, while artfully balancing the historical foundations of the office. Coverage includes analysis of the 2004 campaign and election, further scrutiny of the war on terror, a close look at Bush's new cabinet, and measured assessment of Bush's impact on the judiciary and the domestic agenda. The elections and judiciary chapters along with the epilogue will be thoroughly updated in this revised sixth edition.
As always, count on The Politics of the Presidency for in-depth assessment of the institution, the individuals who have served, the president's interactions with the public, and his impact on public policy.
Customer Reviews:
A good overview of the changing face of the Am. Presidency.......1999-04-05
I have this book as a text for a political science class I'm taking at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Though a bit pricey at $40, I truly find this a solid read. It should be appropriate for all levels of reader, though it seems to be geared towards those with at least basic knowledge of the American political system.
Product Description
This price is valid only online at Petco.com. Not available in stores at this price. For local in-store prices, please call your favorite Petco Store.Bring home America's top maltese breeder and learn everything a new owner needs to know about living with and training this elegant and friendly toy dog.A New Owner's Guide to Maltese, illustrated with more than 150 spectacular color photographs of the breed, gives a brief but concise history of the maltese, and overview of the breed standard, training and housebreaking, health care, showing, dental care, and much more.This book guarantees the right start with your new maltese and promises a longer, happier life for you and your dog.Contents include:History of the MalteseStandard for the MalteseCharacteristics of the MalteseSelecting the Maltese for YouCaring for Your MalteseGrooming Your MalteseHousebreaking and Training Your MalteseSport of Purebred DogsHealth CareDental Care for Your Dog's LifeIdentification and Finding the Lost DogTraveling with Your DogBehavior and Canine CommunicationSuggested ReadingIndex
Customer Reviews:
Very informative for the new Maltese owner.........2005-09-06
I have found this book to be very informative for the new Maltese owner. I would recommend this book again.
I found this helpful.......2005-07-18
Vicki Abbott, having handled the top winning Maltese of all time and having over 30 years of experience in the breed, is the perfect expert on this breed and we are glad that she is finally sharing her experience with the public. This book provides a unique perspective on the breed, and will be very helpful to those just buying a puppy as a new addition to their family, to those who have bred,handled, and raised Maltese for years. I would highly recommend this book, it is easy to read and could even be read with your children when learning how to take care of your new Maltese puppy. Do not miss out on this book, it is the best Maltese book on the market, and I should know as I am a career librarian.
Thank you!
I Took This Back!.......2004-06-28
This book was an "impulse buy" from Borders Books and Music. When I got it home and read it, I was so disappointed that I returned it-something I rarely do. For lighter reading, The Essential Maltese by Howell Book House is much more informative; for the more serious fancier, The Complete Maltese by Nicholas Cutillo is a must-have. Don't waste your time and money on this book!
Thoroughly Enjoyed This Book.......2003-04-25
I have grown up with maltese all of my life. This book is very informative, and a great reference to have. Mrs. Abbott obviously spent a great deal of care and time writing this book. Truly a compliment to the breed! This book is on my coffee table!
Should have read the reviews!.......1999-12-03
I wish I had read the reviews on here before purchasing this book. I was greatly disappointed with it. It gives an excellent view of the author, her show dogs and her daughter but I felt it lacked information about the Maltese which is what I had hoped for in a book entitled, A New Owners Guide to Maltese. It gave very generic information in my opionion and was not that helpful. If you are looking for specific information on how to care for your new Maltese keep searching.
Book Description
This exceptional novel about family, love, and the innocence and terror of childhood was one of the most applauded and auspicious debuts of the last year. Compared by reviewers to Angela's Ashes and Wuthering Heights, The Hiding Place was the only debut work to be shortlisted for England's prestigious Booker Prize -- in the company of Kazuo Ishiguro and Margaret Atwood -- and went on to become a universally praised U.S. national best-seller. Set in a Maltese immigrant community in Cardiff, Wales, and peopled with sharp-edged, luminously drawn characters, The Hiding Place is the story of Frankie Gauci, his wife, Mary, and their six daughters. With her "unusual gift for letting her characters' interior lives come forth" (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Azzopardi chronicles Frankie's unforgivable betrayal: gambling away his family's livelihood and eventually the family itself. The Gaucis' story is seen through the eyes of Dolores, the youngest daughter and the embodiment of bad luck in her father's estimation, condemned to bear the mark of a family that is rapidly singeing at the edges. Dolores presents an unsparing portrayal of the fear and hopelessness of childhood amid grim poverty and neglect, of children growing up without safety nets and on sunken foundations. Sustained by a tightrope tension and a stark, youthful wisdom, The Hiding Place conjures the coarse sensuality of life among the docks, the smoky cafes and bars, the crumbling homes and gambling rooms of Tiger Bay. "Astonishing and iridescent" (The Times, London), The Hiding Place is a mesmerizing exploration of how family, like fire, can shift suddenly from something that provides light and warmth to a dangerous conflagration, sparing no one in its path. "A harrowing and remarkably self-assured first novel [that] possesses all the immediacy and emotional power of a memoir...." -- Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Customer Reviews:
Don't Waste Your Money...........2005-12-10
After reading the other reviews, I felt compelled to warn the unwary and gullible people who believe them. This was her first novel, obviously, and in my opnion was atrocious. The characters are poorly created, and the only interesting person with any depth is the mother. I like my share of depressing novels, but this one really just bites the dust.
(4.5) "Third degree damage".......2005-03-07
"My father's love is chance." Frank Gauci is a gambler of Sicilian-Maltese descent who has lost his half of a business and the decent home his family occupied. Now the family of two adults and six daughters live in a few crowded rooms in Cardiff, Wales, while Frank thoughtlessly loses the few possessions left and his wife, Mary, cope with what is left of her dreams. It is hard to imagine a more destitute world than that of the Gauci family.
This is the story of poverty, of the loss of family and the respect of strangers, when the weight of an indifferent world presses against hope until it is extinguished, leaving only despair in its wake. Yet, even in this hollow den of few comforts, a mother's love for her children is indestructible. Delores is born in 1960, another disappointment to Frank, who wishes for boys, only to be denied. When the new baby is burned in a kitchen fire, her left hand permanently disfigured, the family is driven deeper into a black despair. Delores senses the rampant emotions in her house, particularly the anger: "I am breast fed: I get rage straight from the source".
The few small rooms of their home are filled with growing bodies, with no hiding place. Tragedy strikes randomly, leaving all without privacy, sorting emotions that fly through the rooms with nowhere to land as the clamor of need presses the air from the dismal rooms. Four girls who sleep in one room with their mother know everything about each other, form alliances against the weaker ones, especially "the crip", and yearn for space. But even this desperate place is a home, where children form attachments and memories. A raging, cruel father is still a father, a mother meant to be a source of comfort, even as her mind is unraveling.
Eventually, the mother breaks down and the girls are given into foster care, the young girls who crowded the small rooms scattered to the winds, disentangling from sisterhood. Their poor, rattled mother cannot save her daughters from the daily violence that weaves the fabric of their lives. Delores is marked for failure, the badly deformed left hand ruined by the fire; Fran's scars are self-inflicted, a continuation of the beatings that marked her childhood, a self-tattoo etched on the inside of her arm; Celesta rises above the past, her husband's wealth a key to forgetfulness; Luca and Rose are embittered allies with shared disappointments and Marina has long disappeared.
"Children burnt and children bartered. Someone must be to blame." Finally, the girls gather at the death of their mother, Dol in the lead, as they dredge up the pain of years of betrayal, exposing the withered heart of a selfish father and the desperate soul of a mother who could not protect her children. The past must be purged of secrets, harrowing images, lost childhoods, broken promises and heartless reality.
This book is ferocious, unsparing in its honesty and relentless in search of the truth. The prose is adamant, impossible to ignore. That such a story can be told is a testament to the wisdom and courage of the author, her brilliant prose seductive, yet terrifying, awakening the monsters that root so easily in the soil of abject poverty. But the spirit of survival is not easily extinguished, the innocent, battered souls released to the light. Luan Gaines/2005.
not bad, not great.......2004-06-14
The Hiding Place was a good book but it could have been better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences or paragraphs over b/c I wasn't sure what was going on.
Hidden Treasure.......2003-05-01
I won't easily forget this book, which is a story about people and remembering people. The most gorgeous aspect of the writing is how a moment or a feeling becomes perfectly captured in brief, humble lines of prose. Azzopardi does not use long discursive explanations which are so often relied upon by authors. Each character becomes flesh and blood through short paragraphs and careful breaths. The sensitivty of the telling draws you in just as much as the tragedy of the story. I am grateful for writers who seek our imagination via the heart. Azzopardi appears to be one of them.
wonderful.......2003-04-29
As in the big world of prizes, The Hiding Place was also shortlisted for our book group's summer selection. I'm glad it wasn't chosen for our discussion as it left me a bit speechless.
T.A. gives you a perfectly drawn world. Her talented writing does not require long discursive explanation (yet the story is far from short). Anyone who appreciates the work of writers like Virginia Woolf would be touched by this novel, which analyzes memory and human nature. It has been described as a book about child abuse but more accurately, it's a book about people and remembering people.
I won't forget this one.
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