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A review by sathyasekar
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
5.0
This book is touted as Ms Sayers' best book. I have read only one mystery featuring Lord Wimsey before this but as I closed on this book, I knoew I had read something special. I have earlier likened some books to works of art. "The Nine tailors" falls into a similar category. There is a sense of harmony, a sense of symphony through the book. I could almost imagine Lord Wimsey walking around playing a flute all the time !! Without doubt, this is a glorious piece of English literature of the twentieth century. I would go so far as to deem it a near perfect mystery book. A wonderful setting -a quaint English village, a set of well sketched characters who seem to jump out of the pages and enact their parts in front of your eyes, brilliant wit - a few passages are really Wodehousian in their ability to make you laugh-out-load, a chilling setting for a murder and I must say, a most unexpected and horrifying solution to the mystery. The singular form of the word "mystery" however could not be more inappropriately used. For, there seems to be a mystery lurking at every turn. Each of these was eventually closed and tied together beautifully and most satisfactorily by Ms Sayers.
Then there is the whole change-ringing thing. Ms Sayers, in her preface, expresses her disappointment at some complaints of the time about church bells being too loud and causing disruptions. She takes the part of the bells and goes on to express her fondness for the very English tradition of change ringing. I spent some time reading up and looking at Youtube videos about it. You dont need to do so to enjoy the book but the authour kindles your interest so much that you cant but help looking it up. Being a Hindu in India, I have never heard of this term or this practice before. But I was fascinated by it and enjoyed some great explanations of how mathematical patterns were used to ring the bells and how they came into being. Most interesting stuff!!
This being a book of multiple mysteries spawning a decade or so, I find it difficult to articulate the plot well. Here is a stab at it anyway.. Lord Wimsey seeks refuge in a small English village after a car accident and being adept at change-ringing, takes part in a 9 hour marathon change-ringing exercise to welcome the new year at the request of the village Rector. He leaves with pleasant farewells but it was not meant to be a farewell. Shortly, he is recalled to the village by the Rector with a request to investigate the appearance of a mutilated dead body in a grave. There is a ten year old mystery of a stolen emerald necklace that ties itself up into it as well. Identification of the dead person itself is a tedous process for the face is beaten beyond recognition and the figers of the hands have been cut off as well. A charming thief, a scheming butler, a suspicious couple, French connections, a knowing "potty" chap.. all of them make this a very very mysterious but entertaining mystery. There is a lot of thrill and chills in this story, not the least being the final solution to the mystery.
To add to all of this, there is a tangential story of the state of the sluice and the floods that hit the village when the decaying gates finally give way. There is grimness to the final moments as we forget the mystery itself in the onslaught of nature. There are beautiful moments as people come together to help each other survive the floods, Lod Wimsey adding his own support. Ms Sayers seems to be adding in a personal touch here and it really makes for a beautiful end to the book.
I cannot end with a mention of Lord Wimsey himself. He is an utterly charming and enjoyable company. There are some traces of Psmith, that most charming of P.G.Wodehouse's creations, that I find in him. Lord Wimsey may well be the personality Psmith would be if he chose to become a detective, with a lot more eloquence.
A wonderful read and certainly the best book I have read in a long time. Thank you Ms Sayers !!
Then there is the whole change-ringing thing. Ms Sayers, in her preface, expresses her disappointment at some complaints of the time about church bells being too loud and causing disruptions. She takes the part of the bells and goes on to express her fondness for the very English tradition of change ringing. I spent some time reading up and looking at Youtube videos about it. You dont need to do so to enjoy the book but the authour kindles your interest so much that you cant but help looking it up. Being a Hindu in India, I have never heard of this term or this practice before. But I was fascinated by it and enjoyed some great explanations of how mathematical patterns were used to ring the bells and how they came into being. Most interesting stuff!!
This being a book of multiple mysteries spawning a decade or so, I find it difficult to articulate the plot well. Here is a stab at it anyway.. Lord Wimsey seeks refuge in a small English village after a car accident and being adept at change-ringing, takes part in a 9 hour marathon change-ringing exercise to welcome the new year at the request of the village Rector. He leaves with pleasant farewells but it was not meant to be a farewell. Shortly, he is recalled to the village by the Rector with a request to investigate the appearance of a mutilated dead body in a grave. There is a ten year old mystery of a stolen emerald necklace that ties itself up into it as well. Identification of the dead person itself is a tedous process for the face is beaten beyond recognition and the figers of the hands have been cut off as well. A charming thief, a scheming butler, a suspicious couple, French connections, a knowing "potty" chap.. all of them make this a very very mysterious but entertaining mystery. There is a lot of thrill and chills in this story, not the least being the final solution to the mystery.
To add to all of this, there is a tangential story of the state of the sluice and the floods that hit the village when the decaying gates finally give way. There is grimness to the final moments as we forget the mystery itself in the onslaught of nature. There are beautiful moments as people come together to help each other survive the floods, Lod Wimsey adding his own support. Ms Sayers seems to be adding in a personal touch here and it really makes for a beautiful end to the book.
I cannot end with a mention of Lord Wimsey himself. He is an utterly charming and enjoyable company. There are some traces of Psmith, that most charming of P.G.Wodehouse's creations, that I find in him. Lord Wimsey may well be the personality Psmith would be if he chose to become a detective, with a lot more eloquence.
A wonderful read and certainly the best book I have read in a long time. Thank you Ms Sayers !!