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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
"It's an odd thing, but when you tell someone the true facts of a mythical tale, they are indignant not with the teller but with you.
They don't WANT to have their ideas upset. It rouses some vague uneasiness in them, I think, and they resent it. So they reject it and refuse to think about it. If they were merely indifferent it would be natural and understandable. But it is much stronger than that, much more positive. They are annoyed.
Very odd, isn't it?"
This book was recommended to me by denizens of the r/suggestmeabook subreddit, as I was looking for other classic books from the Golden Age of mystery novels. I absolutely enjoy historical books and mysteries, so this was a great recommendation for me.
There's a reason it's stood the test of time: the way Josephine Tey wrote this (Inspector Alan Grant recovering in the hospital from a work-related leg fracture and ends up investigating one of the most notorious mysteries in English history, and does it by research instead of at the actual crime scene) really spoke to me. A plausible and convincing argument is laid out that King Richard III was NOT responsible for the murder of his two nephews, but a more likely culprit can be had in another with designs on the throne of England. The legwork (no pun intended) was done by research between Inspector Grant and Brent Carradine, an American researching at the British Museum.
With this book, I should (hopefully) join the Century Club at the Mystillery. I can't think of a better book to end that journey than The Daughter of Time. This is definitely a book I will re-read on multiple occasions.
Not all the water in the rough rude sea
Can wash the balm off from an anointed king.
~ William Shakespeare: King Richard II
Act 3, Scene II
They don't WANT to have their ideas upset. It rouses some vague uneasiness in them, I think, and they resent it. So they reject it and refuse to think about it. If they were merely indifferent it would be natural and understandable. But it is much stronger than that, much more positive. They are annoyed.
Very odd, isn't it?"
This book was recommended to me by denizens of the r/suggestmeabook subreddit, as I was looking for other classic books from the Golden Age of mystery novels. I absolutely enjoy historical books and mysteries, so this was a great recommendation for me.
There's a reason it's stood the test of time: the way Josephine Tey wrote this (Inspector Alan Grant recovering in the hospital from a work-related leg fracture and ends up investigating one of the most notorious mysteries in English history, and does it by research instead of at the actual crime scene) really spoke to me. A plausible and convincing argument is laid out that King Richard III was NOT responsible for the murder of his two nephews, but a more likely culprit can be had in another with designs on the throne of England. The legwork (no pun intended) was done by research between Inspector Grant and Brent Carradine, an American researching at the British Museum.
With this book, I should (hopefully) join the Century Club at the Mystillery. I can't think of a better book to end that journey than The Daughter of Time. This is definitely a book I will re-read on multiple occasions.
Not all the water in the rough rude sea
Can wash the balm off from an anointed king.
~ William Shakespeare: King Richard II
Act 3, Scene II
I didn't catch on right away that this was not going to be about a crime in the present day. It's a gradual piecing together of snippets of evidence that Richard III did or didn't have the the princes in the Tower murdered.
A fun, funny, well-written book, pretty well put together from start to finish: and yet I barely understand how it's a novel at all, much less a well-regarded one. That's not all bad--I like weird things--but God, how weird.
This book has the rare distinction of being a mystery that isn't about murder. Mystery is such a fun genre, but it's so tiresome to have them always be about violence. I wish there were more like this! Meanwhile, I'll flag it for that unusual trait in hopes of attracting recommendations for more such mysteries.
A fascinating novel of detection that leads to the conclusion that Richard III did not kill his nephews and was not the monster many people assume he was. Alan Grant investigates the case from his bed, where he is recuperating from an injury. He is assisted by a young American who discovers meaning in life through their joint project.
This is one of my favorite books. It is a mystery, but is not like any other mystery. Josephine Tey's detective, Adam Grant, is recuperating in the hospital. To occupy his mind, an actress friend brings him photos of faces/photos of paintings of faces. He happens to find Richard III in the stack and is fascinated by the fact that the face presented to him does not appear to be the face of a cold blooded murderer who killed his two nephews (the famous princes in The Tower).
Using the research services of a young American, Grant is able to piece together what he thinks actually happened and determines who he believes the murderer to be.
I think this is a marvelous book, even though I remain skeptical about anything history presents. Unless I am there to experience it, why should I take anyone's word for what happened? "History is written by the victors." (attributed to Winston Churchill)
Using the research services of a young American, Grant is able to piece together what he thinks actually happened and determines who he believes the murderer to be.
I think this is a marvelous book, even though I remain skeptical about anything history presents. Unless I am there to experience it, why should I take anyone's word for what happened? "History is written by the victors." (attributed to Winston Churchill)
While I enjoyed reading "The Daughter of Time" I would hardly call it "one of the best mystery novels of all time." I was already familiar with the defense of Richard III, so even the mystery itself wasn't a surprise for me.
I expected a mystery, and it isn't, really. It's more of a historical research book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were more familiar with English history and the succession of the throne. I can barely keep Henry VIII's wives in my head, so this, even with a family tree in the front, just didn't work well for me (other than for putting me to sleep.) Still, if that is something you enjoy (history! research! kings!) I think you will like it.
A detective getting into a history mystery because he’s bored is a pretty cool concept
(4.5)
"Tell all the truth, but tell it slant." -Emily Dickinson
This was a fun historical mystery solved (more or less) by a bed-ridden Scotland Yard Inspector and a friend of his friend. I knew very little of King Richard III but Tey's book shattered the myths I held and kept me captivated doing so. If you're not a novice of English royal history as I am, this may be old hat. But I enjoyed it deeply and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
"Tell all the truth, but tell it slant." -Emily Dickinson
This was a fun historical mystery solved (more or less) by a bed-ridden Scotland Yard Inspector and a friend of his friend. I knew very little of King Richard III but Tey's book shattered the myths I held and kept me captivated doing so. If you're not a novice of English royal history as I am, this may be old hat. But I enjoyed it deeply and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.