Yeah. It's also the same Mike Hammer who killed women who
were using him in several books. Shot them to death in most
cases. I'm not saying hardboiled dicks never fall in love
with villainous women. I'm saying that in The Maltese Falcon,
the first book of its kind, Sam Spade is not actually in love
with Brigid O'Shaunassey. His relationship with O'Shaunassey
is a manipulation technique from the beginning. Does he enjoy
having sex with her? I suspect he probably does.
Remeber near the end of the book, Guttman tells Spade words
to the effect: I dare say you're going to give her some
money. Be very careful if you don't give her as much as she
thinks she ought to get.
Spade says "Dangerous?" and Guttman affirms, "Very."
Spade already knew it. That's why Bogart reads that line with
exaggerated irony. While the reader may, up until this point,
hold romantic notions about Brigid, Spade does not.
Patrick King
---
DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net wrote:
> Patrick wrote:
>
> "He's the original hard boiled detective;
the
> prototype of Mike Hammer
> and James Bond, and the woman does not get to
him."
>
> Is this the same Mike Hammer who was engaged to
the
> killer he was
> searching for in I, the Jury? Seems being
> hardboiled does not rule out
> falling in love with murderous women, nor does
that
> love rule out its
> being "easy" to turn on them.
>
> Mark
>
>
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