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epicmel's review against another edition
3.0
This book has been made into something like 7 or 8 movies. The one I've seen is House of the Long Shadows, which bears little resemblance to the book. But it's because of the movie that I tracked down a copy of the book and read it. I was expecting a bad murder mystery, so those expectations skewed my perspective.
wintermute47's review against another edition
2.0
This book was adapted into a successful Broadway play, which was in turn adapted to film on seven different occasions in the 20th century. After seeing two of the film adaptations on TCM recently, both of which were mediocre in very different ways, I decided to go the source, which found all news ways to underwelm.
Despite the structural similarities (a group of people gather at an isolated location, intrigue unfolds, people are killed) this book is not a thriller or a mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie--it's melodrama. We spend an inordinate amount of time with the protagonist professing his deep and abiding love for a woman he met hours prior and about whom he knows nothing. She, in turn, alternately adores him or despises him depending on whether or not he's doing what she asks him to do. The meaning behind all of it doesn't unfold until the final chapters, so the only thing at stake for most of the book with whether the woman likes him or not.
A final note: the two film adaptations I watched (Hamilton and Killy 1935 and Landers 1947) both incorporate the element that the author character has made a bet to write a story in one night at Baldpate Inn, in contrast to the novel where the author plans to spend several weeks writing a new book sans any wager. The 1935 film concludes by revealing that all the sensational events of the film were the story the author wrote as a way of illustrating how absurd his pulp novel theatrics would be in real life. This makes a point (the plot twists are all very silly) but it also means that none of what we've watched has mattered at all. The source novel features the author vowing to use his time alone to write a serious book, not like the thrillers he's written to date, but in his final line he makes a joke about how the thrills he's just experienced ARE the novel we've just read, which makes it seem like the entire 1935 adaptation is based on a literal reading of the source novel's closing line. Amusing, but still not worth the time I've invested in the Baldpate universe to date.
Despite the structural similarities (a group of people gather at an isolated location, intrigue unfolds, people are killed) this book is not a thriller or a mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie--it's melodrama. We spend an inordinate amount of time with the protagonist professing his deep and abiding love for a woman he met hours prior and about whom he knows nothing. She, in turn, alternately adores him or despises him depending on whether or not he's doing what she asks him to do. The meaning behind all of it doesn't unfold until the final chapters, so the only thing at stake for most of the book with whether the woman likes him or not.
A final note: the two film adaptations I watched (Hamilton and Killy 1935 and Landers 1947) both incorporate the element that the author character has made a bet to write a story in one night at Baldpate Inn, in contrast to the novel where the author plans to spend several weeks writing a new book sans any wager. The 1935 film concludes by revealing that all the sensational events of the film were the story the author wrote as a way of illustrating how absurd his pulp novel theatrics would be in real life. This makes a point (the plot twists are all very silly) but it also means that none of what we've watched has mattered at all. The source novel features the author vowing to use his time alone to write a serious book, not like the thrillers he's written to date, but in his final line he makes a joke about how the thrills he's just experienced ARE the novel we've just read, which makes it seem like the entire 1935 adaptation is based on a literal reading of the source novel's closing line. Amusing, but still not worth the time I've invested in the Baldpate universe to date.
paulhill53's review against another edition
4.0
So, I saw the piece on television about the Baldpate Inn in Colorado, inspired by this book. It took a while to find a copy of it, but finally I did. Fun, slightly wacky, and of course, slightly dated. Now I'll have to find the movie and watch it (and who knows, maybe I should go to Colorado and visit the inn).
belwood303's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this book when I stayed at the Baldpate Inn in Estes Park, Colorado. And for that reason alone I'm not going to talk about its literary failings. It is after all over 100 years old and still a charming example of pulp fiction at the turn of the 20th century, sexist comments and racial slurs included. I would recommend "And Then There Were None" by the Agatha Christie in place of this one, although for a one time read on vacation it wasn't the worse you could do. I left it at the lending library at the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs just in case anyone is interested ;)
krobart's review against another edition
3.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/day-1288-seven-keys-to-baldpate/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/day-1288-seven-keys-to-baldpate/
majortomwaits's review against another edition
It was just too melodramatic for my taste..
gretchenlouise's review against another edition
4.0
An amusing and unusual mystery from the author of the Charlie Chan series. A novelist seeks solitude in a summer resort at Christmastime, planning to write his great work of fiction, and finds himself swept up in a most unusual tale. You won't want to miss the twists and turns—or the very last lines of the book!
I found this little gem only because my grandfather acted in the stage play in high school. How I wish I could have seen him in the role of mayor!
I found this little gem only because my grandfather acted in the stage play in high school. How I wish I could have seen him in the role of mayor!
bibliobree's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
This book was a pain to get through. Infuriatingly sexist. Not as interesting as it pretends to be.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2. I wish that I had liked the entire book as much as I liked the ending, which made me very happy. It's solid in that classical mystery sort of way and I enjoyed reading it. Very farce-like and you know (maybe) what a soft touch I am for a book set in a rambling hotel during the off-season.
Open Road continues to be the best with their re-issues.
Open Road continues to be the best with their re-issues.