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verosnotebook 's review for:
The Red House Mystery
by A.A. Milne
3.5*
“Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one.”
Milne, famous creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, wrote one detective mystery, seemingly as a gesture for his father (as the dedication shows). Imagine my curiosity! And as it happens, I rather enjoyed it, even though it was a little too tongue-in-cheek for my liking.
Much of the ‘action’ consists in Anthony Gillingham, our would be investigator, taking on the mantel of Sherlock Holmes, finding himself someone to play the role of Watson, and thus attired, making the use of his grey cells to come up with various theories. The setting is pure classic murder mystery - a house with secret passages, a library, a lake, etc. The characters peopling this space did feel stereotyped but then they were not the focus of the novel. No, Milne concentrated on the conundrum, toying with the reader and the poor ‘Watson’.
From what I’ve gathered, the contemporary public enjoyed it and wanted more, but our author was attracted by very different pastures. Mind you, there is a parallel between mysteries and children stories - they both end with the order re-established and thus offer a very similar kind of ‘comforting feeling’. I guess that is one of the reasons mysteries are so popular :O)
“Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one.”
Milne, famous creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, wrote one detective mystery, seemingly as a gesture for his father (as the dedication shows). Imagine my curiosity! And as it happens, I rather enjoyed it, even though it was a little too tongue-in-cheek for my liking.
Much of the ‘action’ consists in Anthony Gillingham, our would be investigator, taking on the mantel of Sherlock Holmes, finding himself someone to play the role of Watson, and thus attired, making the use of his grey cells to come up with various theories. The setting is pure classic murder mystery - a house with secret passages, a library, a lake, etc. The characters peopling this space did feel stereotyped but then they were not the focus of the novel. No, Milne concentrated on the conundrum, toying with the reader and the poor ‘Watson’.
From what I’ve gathered, the contemporary public enjoyed it and wanted more, but our author was attracted by very different pastures. Mind you, there is a parallel between mysteries and children stories - they both end with the order re-established and thus offer a very similar kind of ‘comforting feeling’. I guess that is one of the reasons mysteries are so popular :O)