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michael5000's review against another edition
3.0
A perfectly serviceable tour of British detective fiction, noteworthy only because it's written by a famous practitioner, but not especially benefiting from being written by a famous practitioner.
mundinova's review against another edition
3.0
A catch-all book about history of the British mystery and James's approach to writing.
As a P.D. James fan, this was a no-brainer for me to pick up and read. It's short and informative, and if you're at all interested in the origins of the whodunit or what P.D. James thinks about murder mysteries, then this is a no-brainer for you as well.
A word of caution: This book is not all-inclusive. You won't walk away feeling like you just finished a semester of History of Mystery Literature. You'll pick up some interesting insights and check the reference list in the back for future books to add to your TBR pile. You'll also learn the "rules" each reader expects the author to follow when they pick up a mystery. Then you'll learn about all the authors who broke those rules and how they got away with it.
James is one of the best writers there ever was, regardless of genre. I believe if she hadn't picked murder mysteries as her favorite stories to tell then we would be talking about her in the same breath as noted modern literature masterpiece creators. Genre gets a bad wrap at the expense of genius storytellers like James. When someone as talented as James wants to share their love of the craft with you, well, you sit down and take what you can get.
Message: 3 stars
Writing: 5 stars
As a P.D. James fan, this was a no-brainer for me to pick up and read. It's short and informative, and if you're at all interested in the origins of the whodunit or what P.D. James thinks about murder mysteries, then this is a no-brainer for you as well.
A word of caution: This book is not all-inclusive. You won't walk away feeling like you just finished a semester of History of Mystery Literature. You'll pick up some interesting insights and check the reference list in the back for future books to add to your TBR pile. You'll also learn the "rules" each reader expects the author to follow when they pick up a mystery. Then you'll learn about all the authors who broke those rules and how they got away with it.
James is one of the best writers there ever was, regardless of genre. I believe if she hadn't picked murder mysteries as her favorite stories to tell then we would be talking about her in the same breath as noted modern literature masterpiece creators. Genre gets a bad wrap at the expense of genius storytellers like James. When someone as talented as James wants to share their love of the craft with you, well, you sit down and take what you can get.
Message: 3 stars
Writing: 5 stars
debralewi's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
playerprophet's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty basic primer on the history of detective fiction as written by a woman in the UK. Come for the information of the developing genre, stay for James' cranky evisceration of all your faves.
elusivity's review against another edition
4.0
Informative, engaging, and erudite. I laughed out loud a few times from the low-key British humor. A worthwhile read.
If I were closing on 90, I wish I would still be able to think and write like P. D. James.
If I were closing on 90, I wish I would still be able to think and write like P. D. James.
deeclancy's review against another edition
5.0
In this fairly small but extremely enjoyable volume, P.D. James takes readers through the history of the detective novel, from the Golden Age of detective mysteries up to the present day. She addresses the origins of detective fiction, crediting Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, and Edgar Allen Poe, among others, with its creation. The Golden Age of detective fiction, which is often taken to mean, roughly, the period between World War I and World War II, is when the classic English mystery novel appeared. It often consists of a confined setting, such as a manor house or a small village, and a cast of characters, often archetypes of those found in English villages at the time, who make up the suspects. Famous writers in this genre include Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
There is an informative chapter devoted to the 'Four Formidable Women' of the Golden Age of detective fiction: Christie, Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. These are all writers whose books were in the house as I was growing up, though I read some more than others and had a tendency to prefer other types of fiction until later in life, when suddenly my mother's fondness for the genre emerged within me. For this reason, it is interesting to read about the social forces that fuelled the popularity of these writers.
There are also some fascinating thoughts on the best literary devices for writing detective fiction in a chapter about the craft, which also touches on how the genre has evolved throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. James also provides some brief thoughts on how she sees the future of the genre evolving.
Though this is a fairly slim book with eight chapters, it's clear that P.D. James was something of a scholar of detective fiction, as well as one of its most successful creators. The book is written with a lightness and wry humour, which makes it a really entertaining and informative read.
There is an informative chapter devoted to the 'Four Formidable Women' of the Golden Age of detective fiction: Christie, Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. These are all writers whose books were in the house as I was growing up, though I read some more than others and had a tendency to prefer other types of fiction until later in life, when suddenly my mother's fondness for the genre emerged within me. For this reason, it is interesting to read about the social forces that fuelled the popularity of these writers.
There are also some fascinating thoughts on the best literary devices for writing detective fiction in a chapter about the craft, which also touches on how the genre has evolved throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. James also provides some brief thoughts on how she sees the future of the genre evolving.
Though this is a fairly slim book with eight chapters, it's clear that P.D. James was something of a scholar of detective fiction, as well as one of its most successful creators. The book is written with a lightness and wry humour, which makes it a really entertaining and informative read.
dana_naylor's review
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Interesting essays. Focus is mainly on England and before 1950s.