Lamar County Library System
National Endowment for the Arts
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
Hattiesburg is Reading ...
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
Vote on Next Year's Book of Choice
Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon is arguably one of the best detective novels ever written. It's also a brilliant literary work, as well as thriller, a love story, and a dark, dry comedy. The only criticism one could offer Hammett's private-eye classic is that it is so much fun to read, it might be hard the first time through to realize how deeply observed and morally serious it is.
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. The Big Read brings communities together to read, discuss, and celebrate books and writers from American and world literature.
A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us. Whether you're a regular reader already or making up for lost time, thank you for joining The Big Read.
(Quoted from the National Endowments for the Arts "The Big Read" website.)
