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azwahine_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
raharris001's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Winner of the Edgar for best first in 1947. At a small women’s college in Connecticut a young professor of English that most of the girls had a crush on is murdered and a young freshman goes completely to pieces. Dated, but in a good way, as it was a look at college life that was completely different than my experience.
fragglerocker's review against another edition
4.0
More than a mystery or a noir novel, this is a commentary on the anxieties of academics, always present even after a murder.
cattywampus's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very of-its-time
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
Murder, madness and psychosexual drama at a women's college in the forties - if that's not the perfect rainy day read, I don't know what is.
This was apparently the author's debut novel, and she goes all in. There's the plucky college student who goes sleuthing, the cocky reporter who falls for her (and she for him, despite his constant "fatty" and "chubby" remarks), eccentric professors, a hysterical librarian, a majestic divorcee with a healthy sex drive, lovelorn girls with mental problems and a town doctor who has a hard time keeping up with the neuroses.
It's rather overwrought at times, well, almost all of the time, but that's part of the fun. I'm not sure the psychology could withstand a critical review, but then again, that's true for most of modern serial killer depictions too. The big twist is comically obvious from early on, but may not have been so for readers back in the day.
It's clumsy and messy, but if you can get past that (and the hopelessly dated gender stereotypes) it's a very fun read.
This was apparently the author's debut novel, and she goes all in. There's the plucky college student who goes sleuthing, the cocky reporter who falls for her (and she for him, despite his constant "fatty" and "chubby" remarks), eccentric professors, a hysterical librarian, a majestic divorcee with a healthy sex drive, lovelorn girls with mental problems and a town doctor who has a hard time keeping up with the neuroses.
It's rather overwrought at times, well, almost all of the time, but that's part of the fun. I'm not sure the psychology could withstand a critical review, but then again, that's true for most of modern serial killer depictions too. The big twist is comically obvious from early on, but may not have been so for readers back in the day.
It's clumsy and messy, but if you can get past that (and the hopelessly dated gender stereotypes) it's a very fun read.
stuff4bd's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I loved the writing style in this book. Wonderfully descriptive and encompassing. What I couldn’t get past was the contempt that the author seemed to have for almost every permutation of human being. Awful comments were made about fat girls, punsters, divorcees, gays, academics, those who were mentally ill, and whatever groups I forgot. Some of this is due to the time frame in which the book was written, but it felt beyond that to me. I stuck with it to the end hoping for improvement but this did not happen
salbulga's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
robberbaroness's review against another edition
It's rough when a book has the same damn twist as a later, much more famous book.
polywogg's review against another edition
3.0
BOTTOM-LINE:
Doesn't hold up through the years
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
A professor is killed, and a young student in love with him confesses to the murder. But there are lots of other more likely suspects.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Eustis won the 1947 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and it is easy to see why it won. The sense of place is strong, and a strong foreboding all the way through the novel adds some suspense. There is more than a hint of psychological darkness lurking in the shadows.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are some parts that just don't hold up. The understanding of mental health disorders were not as rich, and the interactions of the two protagonists are misogynistic to read (he continually calls her fatty and comments when she drinks a beer that there too many calories). There's also an underlying current that women are nothing without a man. Hard to read in 2019, even as historical. The red herrings clear by midway through the novel, and the solution / foreshadowing is obvious, leaving the last 40% of the novel just "get to it, already".
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
Doesn't hold up through the years
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
A professor is killed, and a young student in love with him confesses to the murder. But there are lots of other more likely suspects.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Eustis won the 1947 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and it is easy to see why it won. The sense of place is strong, and a strong foreboding all the way through the novel adds some suspense. There is more than a hint of psychological darkness lurking in the shadows.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are some parts that just don't hold up. The understanding of mental health disorders were not as rich, and the interactions of the two protagonists are misogynistic to read (he continually calls her fatty and comments when she drinks a beer that there too many calories). There's also an underlying current that women are nothing without a man. Hard to read in 2019, even as historical. The red herrings clear by midway through the novel, and the solution / foreshadowing is obvious, leaving the last 40% of the novel just "get to it, already".
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.