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amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorites in the Campion series, less gangsters and more of an actual mystery. Love Allingham's 1930's British slanguage and the introduction of Amanda Fitton as a character who adds a level of active purpose to Campion's determinedly oblique actions.
sensiblejames's review against another edition
1.0
I enjoyed reading this book purely from an analytical point of view, it is a gold mine of examples of bad writing. This should have been a real tedious and irritating read, but having resigned myself to it being a complete mess very early on it turned out quite entertaining.
Allingham will string very awkward sentences together, in particular those describing characters. The character descriptions are confused, under developed and very often completely contradictory from page to page (sometimes she cant even wait that long).
One of my favourite examples is of Lugg on page 109 where he manages to give a look 'warily, and at the same time favouring them with a horrific, but conciliatory smile'. If someone could deliver to me an artist's impression of this facial hoo-ha I would absolutely love one.
Another favourite is the interview with the Curator in which Allingham points out his 'sing-song voice' (twice), and within the space of a few lines she decides actually his voice isn't sing-song anymore, it's 'droned' and 'monotonous'.
you avvin a laugh?
The comedic value really shines through again on page 105 where a Shakespeare quote is shoe horned in with no attempt at making it relevant at all. A valiant effort at adding a bit of class to the dialogue. I did occasionally wonder whether this book was a comedy.
Apart from these specifics I felt as though Allingham could only focus on one thing at a time. The story is 2-Dimensional, with no depth to situation or the emotional relationships. She chucks a bit of romance in as nonchalantly as the Shakespeare quote. Most of the behind-the-scenes goings on are woodenly explained by the characters. Also, does she have a thing against Campion? Keeps having a dig every time he speaks. He looks and sounds 'idiotic' and 'foolish' a lot. A LOT.
So yeah all in all pretty funny book
p.s...page 241...can you interrupt a nod???
Allingham will string very awkward sentences together, in particular those describing characters. The character descriptions are confused, under developed and very often completely contradictory from page to page (sometimes she cant even wait that long).
One of my favourite examples is of Lugg on page 109 where he manages to give a look 'warily, and at the same time favouring them with a horrific, but conciliatory smile'. If someone could deliver to me an artist's impression of this facial hoo-ha I would absolutely love one.
Another favourite is the interview with the Curator in which Allingham points out his 'sing-song voice' (twice), and within the space of a few lines she decides actually his voice isn't sing-song anymore, it's 'droned' and 'monotonous'.
you avvin a laugh?
The comedic value really shines through again on page 105 where a Shakespeare quote is shoe horned in with no attempt at making it relevant at all. A valiant effort at adding a bit of class to the dialogue. I did occasionally wonder whether this book was a comedy.
Apart from these specifics I felt as though Allingham could only focus on one thing at a time. The story is 2-Dimensional, with no depth to situation or the emotional relationships. She chucks a bit of romance in as nonchalantly as the Shakespeare quote. Most of the behind-the-scenes goings on are woodenly explained by the characters. Also, does she have a thing against Campion? Keeps having a dig every time he speaks. He looks and sounds 'idiotic' and 'foolish' a lot. A LOT.
So yeah all in all pretty funny book
p.s...page 241...can you interrupt a nod???
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
5.0
This novel is not really a fantasy: there's nothing impossible in it. However, the whole story is so implausible that it may be best thought of as a fantasy, first published in 1933, but akin to one of Jasper Fforde's more modern stories.
Along with being fantastic, it's also an exciting, charming, and romantic adventure story, set mostly in darkest Suffolk, although it begins with an unlikely encounter on the Mediterranean coast of France: starting as it means to go on.
Although the story is obviously dated, the writing style is remarkably fresh; Allingham was still in her twenties at the time of writing, and this is a young person's book.
The plot revolves around the lost title to the tiny kingdom of Averna, located somewhere on the Adriatic coast; although the story never takes us there. Both goodies and baddies are engaged in a treasure hunt for the means to claim the title, and they are a motley assortment of characters. We also encounter a country doctor with a secret obsession and a cellarful of priceless vintage port, although he's almost incidental to the plot.
Of course everything works out well in the end, after a spectacular finale the goodies triumph and the baddies are completely defeated, cheers all round.
This was the fifth outing for Allingham's regular adventurer-detective, Albert Campion, but it was the first that I read, long ago. Campion makes an odd hero, like a sort of adult Tintin with a sense of humour. He hides his inner seriousness with a taste for humorous dialogue; he's highly intelligent but likes to appear stupid.
Probably the most memorable character from this book is the vivid 17-year-old Amanda, who makes an impression on Campion and is destined to marry him in a later book, although I feel she could have done better. There's something oddly sexless about Campion, who's attracted to various women in different books, but hardly seems to know what to do with them. An odd hero for a female writer to create, but I suppose she knew men like that, and wrote about what she knew.
Campion is an interesting, amusing, and knowledgeable fellow, who'd make a good friend for man or woman, but I have trouble seeing him as a husband, especially for a live wire like Amanda; though admittedly I don't have a woman's point of view. As far as I can tell, he's about 15 years older than she is.
A woman he might have married from a previous book went and married someone else, which was rather sensible of her.
Along with being fantastic, it's also an exciting, charming, and romantic adventure story, set mostly in darkest Suffolk, although it begins with an unlikely encounter on the Mediterranean coast of France: starting as it means to go on.
Although the story is obviously dated, the writing style is remarkably fresh; Allingham was still in her twenties at the time of writing, and this is a young person's book.
The plot revolves around the lost title to the tiny kingdom of Averna, located somewhere on the Adriatic coast; although the story never takes us there. Both goodies and baddies are engaged in a treasure hunt for the means to claim the title, and they are a motley assortment of characters. We also encounter a country doctor with a secret obsession and a cellarful of priceless vintage port, although he's almost incidental to the plot.
Of course everything works out well in the end, after a spectacular finale the goodies triumph and the baddies are completely defeated, cheers all round.
This was the fifth outing for Allingham's regular adventurer-detective, Albert Campion, but it was the first that I read, long ago. Campion makes an odd hero, like a sort of adult Tintin with a sense of humour. He hides his inner seriousness with a taste for humorous dialogue; he's highly intelligent but likes to appear stupid.
Probably the most memorable character from this book is the vivid 17-year-old Amanda, who makes an impression on Campion and is destined to marry him in a later book, although I feel she could have done better. There's something oddly sexless about Campion, who's attracted to various women in different books, but hardly seems to know what to do with them. An odd hero for a female writer to create, but I suppose she knew men like that, and wrote about what she knew.
Campion is an interesting, amusing, and knowledgeable fellow, who'd make a good friend for man or woman, but I have trouble seeing him as a husband, especially for a live wire like Amanda; though admittedly I don't have a woman's point of view. As far as I can tell, he's about 15 years older than she is.
A woman he might have married from a previous book went and married someone else, which was rather sensible of her.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
5.0
One of my very favorite Campion mysteries, which is saying quite a lot.
bmip666's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
david_megginson's review against another edition
No! Not another 1920s/30s novel with a Ruritanian plot.
fruitkate's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
Another gem from one of the best writers of the Golden Age of Mystery.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
One of the earlier ones (1933), where Campion is even more fatuous than ever when it suits him, there's a Ruritanian plot, and a series of Rube Goldberg contraptions used to find the hidden treasure (too complicated to explain) are ridiculous fun. Oh, and a fierce villain, a mad doctor, and the first appearance of Amanda Fitton, flame-colored hair and all. A delight!