Quote:
Originally Posted by bloodlover
This is the first detecive novel I've read and if this is the best (or one of the best) books in the genre, then I am not impressed.
Sam Spade, a private detective, is the main character of the book and he's an asshole (pardon my French). It's ironic that on the back of my book he is described as "a private detective, a little old fashioned but with strong ethical principles". The reality is quite the opposite I'm afraid: Spade is a 100% macho man that only impresses light-minded women. He goes around teasing them and treating them like garbage, except of course when he needs their help. The rest of the characters are mediocre at best and they fit well with Spade's personality.
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ah, the history revisionist, for whom it might be best to have old epic wars retold through diplomatic humanism and where kings don't rape, pardon me, marry stolen women
to read classics one should put himself in the right time frame: you should know you're inbetween wars, the great depression has just put a bullet in many men's skulls, rampant racism was still all the rage, alcohol was an obvious escape route. It was a pessimist era and being a tough asshole would make you go through.
now, with that mindset you're able to enjoy much more out of it, rather than demanding the character lives in your own time...