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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
This is a funny mystery that does a great job satirising and gently ribbing the popular detective fiction at the time especially Sherlock Holmes. I loved the quirky characters (the put upon servant Bunter was a particular favourite) and the fourth wall breaking comments about what was going on in the mystery.
I was, unfortunately, less invested in the mystery itself and felt that the big reveals happened too early which made the ending drag a bit.
I was, unfortunately, less invested in the mystery itself and felt that the big reveals happened too early which made the ending drag a bit.
A smart, interesting mystery—it’s been years since I’ve read one!—for me marred only by the anti-Semitic allusions throughout the novel. I would try other works still, but was disappointed that an otherwise good book was disrupted by this.
Four stars is more a reflection of the quality of this book rather than how satisfying I found it. This is why I like Agatha Christie better: Dorothy Sayers is such a gifted and able mystery-novel writer, but her books always leave me feeling faintly disturbed, which is not a sensation I appreciate. Butler Bunter, however? Classic. Probably a Jeeves ripoff but who cares?
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/03/2016-book-56.html
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2023/05/2023-book-98.html
Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries have been recommended to me a few times, and I honestly wanted to read something on the lighter side after my past few books (isn't it sad that murder mysteries are considered light reading?). And this was definitely light, and pretty funny, and a little bit clever. It involves Peter (the usual upper class goofball who's secretly sharp as a knife) getting called in when an acquaintance finds a dead body in his bathtub. There is also the case of the missing rich Jewish man (many of the characters here are casually anti-Semitic, which is certainly appropriate for upper-class British people in the 1920s, but I didn't feel like /Sayers/ was being anti-Semitic). Are these cases connected, and can Peter fit all the pieces together? I mean, it's pretty obvious who the murderer is, but I liked seeing the process of figuring it out, and really enjoyed the characters here. Very entertaining and just what my brain needed. A-.
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2023/05/2023-book-98.html
Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries have been recommended to me a few times, and I honestly wanted to read something on the lighter side after my past few books (isn't it sad that murder mysteries are considered light reading?). And this was definitely light, and pretty funny, and a little bit clever. It involves Peter (the usual upper class goofball who's secretly sharp as a knife) getting called in when an acquaintance finds a dead body in his bathtub. There is also the case of the missing rich Jewish man (many of the characters here are casually anti-Semitic, which is certainly appropriate for upper-class British people in the 1920s, but I didn't feel like /Sayers/ was being anti-Semitic). Are these cases connected, and can Peter fit all the pieces together? I mean, it's pretty obvious who the murderer is, but I liked seeing the process of figuring it out, and really enjoyed the characters here. Very entertaining and just what my brain needed. A-.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Enjoyed this and found out later it's the first Lord Peter which makes perfect sense. All the detail is in place -- especially in the dialogue -- and the puzzle is intriguing. Interesting to the start to a series with a strong start knowing how it continues with such pinache.
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
A very interesting mystery that's presented well and unfolds naturally. The characters are well-developed and enjoyable. Just a bit of fun.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Classic, Golden Age mystery. I can certainly see how it sparked a following but I will say it's an all in or all out experience. You're either up for an aristocrat named "whimsy" faffing about being a very particular type of British while getting right down to business on an outlandish murder and breaking the fourth wall as often as may be, or you aren't. Personally I think the campiness is all part of the fun.
Unfortunately, I listened to this book on audiobook, and it was interminably slow. No cliffhangers, no twists in plot. Some humorous incidents and pleasant characters, but Sir Peter Wimsey is not my favorite.