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cupantaesociety's review against another edition
3.0
Encore un British Crime Classic que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. J'aime décidemment les mystery de cette époque là et le classique Whoddunit qui vous garde en suspens jusqu'à la fin. Ce genre d'histoire où on se mets à la place du détective et essaye de trouver soi-meme des indices et preuves contre le ou les coupables.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Colour of Murder is one of the books selected for re-release as part of the British Library Crime Classics series. Originally published in 1957, this reformatting was released 5th Feb 2019 by Poisoned Pen, is 280 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions are available in other formats). This edition also includes an interesting and insightful introduction and historical biographical notes written by Martin Edwards. I always enjoy his intros because I inevitably find more mysteries and authors who were hitherto unknown to me. His knowledge of the genre is encyclopedic.
The book itself is a thriller split into two sections. The first is a lengthy soliloquy by the main character, John Wilkins, to a consulting psychiatrist and is told in first person pov. The second part is third person and details the discovery of the murder (there's a long buildup to the identity of the victim) and the subsequent court procedure. The writing is very spare and direct. There were several points in both sections of the book where I found myself more or less uncomfortable reading. It's very well written but very direct and visceral. The main character (by his own admission) is something of a bully and abusive to his wife.
The book's ending is quite subtle and for people (like me) who prefer Poirot gathering everyone together in the library for the grand denouement, you might be left wanting. The ending is somewhat subtle and left a bit to the reader's interpretation.
I enjoyed it as a change from Poirot in the library. It did leave me unsettled though.
Four stars, I'll look up more of the author's works.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
The Colour of Murder is one of the books selected for re-release as part of the British Library Crime Classics series. Originally published in 1957, this reformatting was released 5th Feb 2019 by Poisoned Pen, is 280 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions are available in other formats). This edition also includes an interesting and insightful introduction and historical biographical notes written by Martin Edwards. I always enjoy his intros because I inevitably find more mysteries and authors who were hitherto unknown to me. His knowledge of the genre is encyclopedic.
The book itself is a thriller split into two sections. The first is a lengthy soliloquy by the main character, John Wilkins, to a consulting psychiatrist and is told in first person pov. The second part is third person and details the discovery of the murder (there's a long buildup to the identity of the victim) and the subsequent court procedure. The writing is very spare and direct. There were several points in both sections of the book where I found myself more or less uncomfortable reading. It's very well written but very direct and visceral. The main character (by his own admission) is something of a bully and abusive to his wife.
The book's ending is quite subtle and for people (like me) who prefer Poirot gathering everyone together in the library for the grand denouement, you might be left wanting. The ending is somewhat subtle and left a bit to the reader's interpretation.
I enjoyed it as a change from Poirot in the library. It did leave me unsettled though.
Four stars, I'll look up more of the author's works.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
glowe2's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Winner of the Gold Dagger award for mysteries in 1957. A man who suffers from blackouts and in an unhappy marriage falls in love with another woman. She is found murdered and he is charged with murder.
The story starts slowly but picks up the pace when the trial begins. Well written and straight-forward, an entertaining murder mystery.
The story starts slowly but picks up the pace when the trial begins. Well written and straight-forward, an entertaining murder mystery.
ashleylm's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it--the prose style was straightforward, spare, and what I think of as modernist (e.g. Hemingway, not that I every read him), which it turns out, surprisingly, I like. (Jane Austen is also perfectly straightforward, but incredibly witty).
If you like Gone Girl for its unreliable narration, sudden changes of viewpoint character, and central mystery element, you might enjoy this one for very similar reasons.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
If you like Gone Girl for its unreliable narration, sudden changes of viewpoint character, and central mystery element, you might enjoy this one for very similar reasons.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
fictionfan's review against another edition
4.0
Marry in haste...
When John Wilkins realises married life with his wife May isn’t living up to his expectations, he begins to fantasise about another young woman he’s met, his local librarian, Sheila. The first half of the book is taken up with John telling his story to a psychiatrist. In the second half, we are shown a murder trial. We, like the jury, have to decide whether the evidence against John stacks up, or have the defence put up strong enough counter arguments? The book doesn’t reveal who the victim is till quite late on, so I won’t either.
I do feel modern crime fiction suffers terribly from our increasingly lax laws and social order! This plot works because John is trapped in his marriage, at a time when divorce could only be obtained by mutual consent or by proving the other party at fault. May might be a dull wife, but she’s a perfect one, and since she declares she loves John, she’s not willing to countenance the idea of divorce. Sheila, on the other hand, might be a dreadful flirt but, in line with the times, this doesn’t mean she’s sexually promiscuous, to John’s great disappointment.
John is a deeply unlikeable character – narcissistic and selfish, spoiled by his doting mother, but also insecure, suspecting the motives of those around him. He’s convinced, for example, that it’s not him May loves, as much as the respectable house he provides for her. He could be right about that – she’s an aspiring social climber, though her ambitions are for John as much as herself. There’s no doubt he’s abusive towards her, emotionally and occasionally physically. And though we are hearing the story from John’s perspective, it’s clear that there are times when she’s rather scared of him.
John is a troubled man, who has blackouts whenever he drinks. It’s left rather ambiguous as to whether this is because he drinks to excess or whether it’s some kind of unfortunate reaction, meaning that it’s difficult to decide whether he deserves any sympathy for it. But there are periods, sometimes lengthy, when he can’t remember what he did or where he went, and as his emotional state grows more fragile, these episodes are becoming more frequent. So when he declares he can’t remember what happened on the night of the murder, there’s a good chance he’s being truthful. It’s up to the detective hired by his loving mother to try to find out what he was doing over the relevant time.
Despite the unlikeableness of the main character, I enjoyed this one, for lots of different reasons. Symons does an excellent job of maintaining John’s voice in the first section, as he recounts his life experiences. Although his fantasies can be dark, he’s quite self-aware, and so there’s some self-deprecating and observational humour along the way. The trial section is done well, feeling quite authentic without becoming bogged down in too much detail. And I also liked the light the book casts on the society of the time. First published in 1957, it’s later than true Golden Age, and feels very much on the cusp of the change to the “modern” world of the ‘60s and beyond. Partly this is because of the social questions over divorce, at that time coming under pressure for change, and partly it’s because of the introduction of psychiatry into the story, and the examination of John’s culpability if he’s proven guilty. It also shows the worlds of work and marriage, and the beginnings of the more aspirational, socially mobile society of the second half of the century. All of this is done lightly, though, so that it doesn’t drag the story-telling down.
In the end, the way the plot played out didn’t have the impact on me that I felt was intended, though to be fair, that could well be that what was original back then feels a little too familiar now – often a problem with reading early novels that have influenced later writers. But I happily recommend it as an intelligent, enjoyable and well written psychological thriller, that has stood up very well to the test of time. My first introduction to Julian Symons, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When John Wilkins realises married life with his wife May isn’t living up to his expectations, he begins to fantasise about another young woman he’s met, his local librarian, Sheila. The first half of the book is taken up with John telling his story to a psychiatrist. In the second half, we are shown a murder trial. We, like the jury, have to decide whether the evidence against John stacks up, or have the defence put up strong enough counter arguments? The book doesn’t reveal who the victim is till quite late on, so I won’t either.
I do feel modern crime fiction suffers terribly from our increasingly lax laws and social order! This plot works because John is trapped in his marriage, at a time when divorce could only be obtained by mutual consent or by proving the other party at fault. May might be a dull wife, but she’s a perfect one, and since she declares she loves John, she’s not willing to countenance the idea of divorce. Sheila, on the other hand, might be a dreadful flirt but, in line with the times, this doesn’t mean she’s sexually promiscuous, to John’s great disappointment.
John is a deeply unlikeable character – narcissistic and selfish, spoiled by his doting mother, but also insecure, suspecting the motives of those around him. He’s convinced, for example, that it’s not him May loves, as much as the respectable house he provides for her. He could be right about that – she’s an aspiring social climber, though her ambitions are for John as much as herself. There’s no doubt he’s abusive towards her, emotionally and occasionally physically. And though we are hearing the story from John’s perspective, it’s clear that there are times when she’s rather scared of him.
John is a troubled man, who has blackouts whenever he drinks. It’s left rather ambiguous as to whether this is because he drinks to excess or whether it’s some kind of unfortunate reaction, meaning that it’s difficult to decide whether he deserves any sympathy for it. But there are periods, sometimes lengthy, when he can’t remember what he did or where he went, and as his emotional state grows more fragile, these episodes are becoming more frequent. So when he declares he can’t remember what happened on the night of the murder, there’s a good chance he’s being truthful. It’s up to the detective hired by his loving mother to try to find out what he was doing over the relevant time.
Despite the unlikeableness of the main character, I enjoyed this one, for lots of different reasons. Symons does an excellent job of maintaining John’s voice in the first section, as he recounts his life experiences. Although his fantasies can be dark, he’s quite self-aware, and so there’s some self-deprecating and observational humour along the way. The trial section is done well, feeling quite authentic without becoming bogged down in too much detail. And I also liked the light the book casts on the society of the time. First published in 1957, it’s later than true Golden Age, and feels very much on the cusp of the change to the “modern” world of the ‘60s and beyond. Partly this is because of the social questions over divorce, at that time coming under pressure for change, and partly it’s because of the introduction of psychiatry into the story, and the examination of John’s culpability if he’s proven guilty. It also shows the worlds of work and marriage, and the beginnings of the more aspirational, socially mobile society of the second half of the century. All of this is done lightly, though, so that it doesn’t drag the story-telling down.
In the end, the way the plot played out didn’t have the impact on me that I felt was intended, though to be fair, that could well be that what was original back then feels a little too familiar now – often a problem with reading early novels that have influenced later writers. But I happily recommend it as an intelligent, enjoyable and well written psychological thriller, that has stood up very well to the test of time. My first introduction to Julian Symons, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
taylorelm's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mouthoflethe's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
stw07's review against another edition
4.0
Since most of the other British Library Crime Classics I’ve read have been “cosy mysteries,” I was surprised by how un-cosy this one was. By that I mean it was darker in tone and the writing and storytelling felt pretty modern. (However, the characters’ sentiments about certain things—women, divorce, mental health, etc—were very much of their own time.)
I found the first half to be really compelling. This consists of the viewpoint of the accused murderer, speaking to his psychiatrist. The second half, which documents the trial, was less interesting to me.
Overall though, a well-crafted mystery that kept me guessing.
I found the first half to be really compelling. This consists of the viewpoint of the accused murderer, speaking to his psychiatrist. The second half, which documents the trial, was less interesting to me.
Overall though, a well-crafted mystery that kept me guessing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
farmgirlwrites's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0