The Maltese Falcon

 The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett is a good book that was turned into a great film. Unfortunately, I had seen the film (several times) before reading the novel, and it is the much better work of art. The book is slim and short and punchy, and it reads like a rough draft of a screenplay. The film, anchored by excellent performances from Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre, is the final product, the fully cooked version of the story. John Huston's screenplay maintains the best parts of the novel and adds more compelling lines ("the stuff dreams are made of"). Both are entertaining. The story's late shift of focus from the title falcon (maybe the most famous MacGuffin ever) to deeper ideas of loyalty and justice remains a thrilling turn, in whatever medium.