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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
This was okay. I like Lord Peter Wimsey, I liked the set up for the murder mystery, but sadly I don't think Dorothy L. Sayers' writing is for me. It's very long-winded and the slow pacing loses the suspense in the middle. It doesn't help that lots of the language is dated and sometimes hard to follow. I did enjoy the last 30% with the reveal (even though I guessed who did it and why as soon as the character was introduced). I probably won't carry on with the series, at least not for a while.
Delightful little 1920s crime/mystery. Lord Peter Whimsey made me laugh out loud a few times with his delightfully witty comments! Dare I say it - he has much more personality than Hercule Poirot, which is a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the banter between Lord Whimsey and Bunter very much and I’m looking forward to the rest of the books. Less one star because certain parts seem to ramble on too much and get distracting, but that may just be the style of the author.
Completely brilliant. I'm looking forward to reading a LOT more Sayers in the near future.
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
mysterious
FINALLY.
For anyone who may have paid attention, this book as been on and off of my currently reading list for MONTHS (along with, How to be a Victorian). My attempts to read this book were destroyed by my lack of interest. Seriously, this was the hardest book for me to get into. I've picked it up so many times, but in favor of another book I think I'd like better, it would be forgotten, into my library loan ended. Until this time, I put no other books in my way. If I wanted to read something, I had to stick it out with this book, and I'm glad, because it takes you on an interesting adventure. It eventually sucks you in to the time period, the case, the characters who were quite lovable, etc etc. So now, I'm on the long trek of going through these Wimsey books (although the next one has already caught my interest and is in my loans as we speak...)
My only complaint (and which prevents me from giving this 5 stars and adding it to my favorites) is the language at times. So extra!! Just like, ridiculous until I got used to the out bursts of npoetry, and the long winding stories...
For anyone who may have paid attention, this book as been on and off of my currently reading list for MONTHS (along with, How to be a Victorian). My attempts to read this book were destroyed by my lack of interest. Seriously, this was the hardest book for me to get into. I've picked it up so many times, but in favor of another book I think I'd like better, it would be forgotten, into my library loan ended. Until this time, I put no other books in my way. If I wanted to read something, I had to stick it out with this book, and I'm glad, because it takes you on an interesting adventure. It eventually sucks you in to the time period, the case, the characters who were quite lovable, etc etc. So now, I'm on the long trek of going through these Wimsey books (although the next one has already caught my interest and is in my loans as we speak...)
My only complaint (and which prevents me from giving this 5 stars and adding it to my favorites) is the language at times. So extra!! Just like, ridiculous until I got used to the out bursts of npoetry, and the long winding stories...
The premise was good; we have a body found in someone's bathtub and no one knew whose body it was. But I couldn't get pass the first quarter, with all these boring conversations and Wimsey being written with a quirky way of speaking or whatever. Even though this book was compared with Agatha Christie's books, I think this one really lacks the sinister atmosphere and is bogged down with unnecessary talks, and, as a result, paled so much in comparison.
2021 - I've read this one often enough to actually remember whodunnit and to see all the clues falling into place. The characterizations aren't quite as delightful as in later books - we're clearly just getting to know Peter, Bunter, Parker and the rest. With so much familiarity with the plot and characters, a lot of the fun comes from seeing how Sayers has laid the groundwork for the rest of the series. I know this one made an impression on me when I first read it in middle school, because I remember a nagging fear of finding a body in the bathtub!
3,5 stars
What a lovely little crime novel!
I did not dare go into this with any expectations really, though the book came to me as a recommendation so I was fairly confident I would like it. And so I did! It was difficult for me to get into at first, which may be due to a reading slump or the fact that I started reading it at work, but was partly because of the style of writing as well. The narrative jumps around in places and to actually grasp the story and the language one has to exercise a certain amount of focus. That being said, once I had read a few dozen pages, my brain had smoothly done the transition and I had no trouble breezing through it. I liked how the author employed slang and ellipsis to signal the standing of the character. The aristocrats had their own expressions and so did the middle-class. In addition to having difficulty getting into the writing, I, at first, was not compelled by the mysteries.
This all changed about halfway through. Not only was I familiar enough with the writing, but the story had properly taken off. Though I managed to guess the perpetrator fairly early on, I didn't mind it. I was swept up and could barely put the book down during the last 4 chapters! I am a character person through and through, so when I had gotten to spend more time with Wimsey, Parker, and Bunter, I was just looking forward to their interactions. The way they joked and went about was just plain fun. I quite liked the Dowager Duchess as well and I hope we see more of her in the following novels.
Bunter was such a joy to have. The butler was just as posh as his lord and a good spy for him. The way he judged a lower class man for having a cigar with port (illegal, I assure you) made me laugh out loud. Or when he made Lord Peter, who was throwing an adult hissy fit, to change his trousers because his lord could not be seen in such wrong attire. Just the right amount of pretentiousness. The same was with Peter as well, while Parker remained sensible and rational, bringing the trio some balance. Though I knew Lord Peter suffered from PTSD, as he was a general in WWI, I did not imagine him having these kinds of episodes. Utterly fascinating. I think this is because of the narrative style, but I do so wish I had gotten to know the characters more deeply, which is why the glimpse into Lord Peter's trauma was very rewarding for me.
In the end, although the last chapter being a summary felt tedious to me and there are other flaws, it was a fun read. What got me was the pretentiousness, since I love a bit of that everywhere, and the character dynamics. I'm excited to continue, as I have it on good authority that the third book is of the utmost quality.
What a lovely little crime novel!
I did not dare go into this with any expectations really, though the book came to me as a recommendation so I was fairly confident I would like it. And so I did! It was difficult for me to get into at first, which may be due to a reading slump or the fact that I started reading it at work, but was partly because of the style of writing as well. The narrative jumps around in places and to actually grasp the story and the language one has to exercise a certain amount of focus. That being said, once I had read a few dozen pages, my brain had smoothly done the transition and I had no trouble breezing through it. I liked how the author employed slang and ellipsis to signal the standing of the character. The aristocrats had their own expressions and so did the middle-class. In addition to having difficulty getting into the writing, I, at first, was not compelled by the mysteries.
This all changed about halfway through. Not only was I familiar enough with the writing, but the story had properly taken off. Though I managed to guess the perpetrator fairly early on, I didn't mind it. I was swept up and could barely put the book down during the last 4 chapters! I am a character person through and through, so when I had gotten to spend more time with Wimsey, Parker, and Bunter, I was just looking forward to their interactions. The way they joked and went about was just plain fun. I quite liked the Dowager Duchess as well and I hope we see more of her in the following novels.
Bunter was such a joy to have. The butler was just as posh as his lord and a good spy for him. The way he judged a lower class man for having a cigar with port (illegal, I assure you) made me laugh out loud. Or when he made Lord Peter, who was throwing an adult hissy fit, to change his trousers because his lord could not be seen in such wrong attire. Just the right amount of pretentiousness. The same was with Peter as well, while Parker remained sensible and rational, bringing the trio some balance. Though I knew Lord Peter suffered from PTSD, as he was a general in WWI, I did not imagine him having these kinds of episodes. Utterly fascinating. I think this is because of the narrative style, but I do so wish I had gotten to know the characters more deeply, which is why the glimpse into Lord Peter's trauma was very rewarding for me.
In the end, although the last chapter being a summary felt tedious to me and there are other flaws, it was a fun read. What got me was the pretentiousness, since I love a bit of that everywhere, and the character dynamics. I'm excited to continue, as I have it on good authority that the third book is of the utmost quality.