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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
This is a complicated mystery written in an easy to follow way. The story has everything, murder, mystery, jewels and their thieves, natural disaster, and an edifying bell-based setting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Peter and Bunter end up in Fenchurch St Paul after Peter drives his car into the ditch in a snow storm. Taken in by the Rector and his wife (the delightful Rev and Mrs Venables), Peter is persuaded to take the place of a sick bell-ringer in a planned nine hour marathon bell ringing session. (Is there nothing he cannot do?) Months later he is asked to help the police out with the case of the handless body found in some one else's grave. The whole case unfolds over months and months with a noticeable lack of urgency, although the story ends with a dramatic flooding disaster.
Sadly no Harriet, although Hilary seemed to be a teenage version of her. A bit more of Bunter and, indeed, my favourite moment was Bunter claiming Peter to be his flirtatious chauffeur. I made no attempt to understand the intricacies of bell-ringing and it made no difference. I likewise paid little attention to the pages about drainage on the fens, but maybe I ought to have done! This one was just OK for me - none of the characters really called to me and Peter was just a bit more superficial than in others in the series.
The story made clear the role played by a conscientious minister and his wife in their parish at the time of writing and I liked the touch about the Thodays feeling obliged to skip communion, but being able to face matins.
Sadly no Harriet, although Hilary seemed to be a teenage version of her. A bit more of Bunter and, indeed, my favourite moment was Bunter claiming Peter to be his flirtatious chauffeur. I made no attempt to understand the intricacies of bell-ringing and it made no difference. I likewise paid little attention to the pages about drainage on the fens, but maybe I ought to have done! This one was just OK for me - none of the characters really called to me and Peter was just a bit more superficial than in others in the series.
The story made clear the role played by a conscientious minister and his wife in their parish at the time of writing and I liked the touch about the Thodays feeling obliged to skip communion, but being able to face matins.
Re-read this again; it is just an excellent book. There's a quote from Sinclair Lewis on the back cover:
"In the realm of mystery stories there are four books which everyone should read. They are The Lodger, Malice Aforethought, Bleak House, and The Nine Tailors. I am not sure but that of all these The Nine Tailors is the best."
I've read the Nine Tailors and The Lodger, so I guess I will have to start on Malice Aforethought and Bleak House.
"In the realm of mystery stories there are four books which everyone should read. They are The Lodger, Malice Aforethought, Bleak House, and The Nine Tailors. I am not sure but that of all these The Nine Tailors is the best."
I've read the Nine Tailors and The Lodger, so I guess I will have to start on Malice Aforethought and Bleak House.
What a beauty!! An absolute joy to read. And yes I did learn something new about bells and bell ringing. Loved the mystery and loved everything about it especially the last few pages damn had me gripped right from the start.
Dorothy L Sayers' dramatisation with Ian Carmichael. Another interesting BBC dramatization.
Free download available at Faded Page.
Free download available at Faded Page.
I'd heard the phrase "ringing the changes" my whole life but never knew what it meant. The descriptions of the English style of bell ringing in this book are detailed and obsessive; long story short, the tuneless cacophony you hear after weddings in English movies is a deliberate effect that people are working very hard to achieve. So, worth the admission for unlocking a new genre of YouTube videos to watch when you don't have or feel prone to a headache. The mystery is convoluted, and if you sometimes have a hard time remembering who is who in a multi-character mystery, take notes. But the characters are delightful and the language is thrilling, with beautiful descriptions of land and people; no doubt there is also an underlying structure to the book related to bell-ringing. You can sense this is a bit of a time-killer before Harriet Vane comes back on the scene, but it's not wasted time.
I listened to this as a BBC full cast recording, and quite enjoyed it. It's very much of its time, but that is part of its charm. As I remember doing before, when I read a paper copy, I got a bit muddled about who was who in the centre part of the novel, which was full of village gossip and things that had happened in the past, and dragged a little. The ending fell a bit flat for a murder mystery in my opinion, but was certainly clever and unexpected. I like Lord Peter, but he can't hold a candle to Albert Campion.
Have been making my way through all the Wimsey books in order and have enjoyed them all (except for Five Red Herrings which I confess I couldn't finish - too many indistinguishable Scots and way too many train timetables!) but this is hands down my favourite so far. It's wonderfully written, such a detailed account of a certain time and place and so British. Loved the description of the fens and of village life. And while the technical aspects of change ringing are a bit much, this is easily skipped and is made up for by the sheer majesty and strangeness of the bells that Sayers evokes so well, with their names and inscriptions and the legends about them. I found that really moving. Add in a good mystery that I guessed bits of quite early in (which always makes you feel good when reading a detective novel!) but had some good twists and a final denouement that I wasn't expecting, Wimsey being Wimsey and Bunter being Bunter, well, I thought it was perfect.
For some reason it's taken me almost a decade to realise this is the first book in the series, technically. And it's actually really good? Also I'd completely forgotten this is where Hilary Thorpe comes in and I love her. I'm also in tears over the references to the War and how it affected Peter. Time to re-read the entire series I guess!
Guessed part of the ending. Intriguing subject is bell changing