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[Uncle Robin]

Back to the Golden Age for me, with Wimsey 2

[Quoth]

Great series, though I don't like that series edition of covers!

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Great series, though I don't like that series edition of covers!

I like this particular cover because I found the constant Blandings-speak in the first two tiresome. I'm reading them all in order in the hope that Wimsey grows as Campion did, but the monocle on this cover seems a good fit for the OTT foppishness of pretty much all the characters

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I like this particular cover because I found the constant Blandings-speak in the first two tiresome. I'm reading them all in order in the hope that Wimsey grows as Campion did, but the monocle on this cover seems a good fit for the OTT foppishness of pretty much all the characters

I read the first book and I found it awful. There's so many better books to read.

[anesthezea]

I've been making my way through the Sherlock Holmes stories & novels.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I read the first book and I found it awful. There's so many better books to read.

C’mon, Jon, Sayers is one of the greats. You really can’t (well of course you can and have) dismiss her on the basis of one book. And I can’t resist pointing out that this is the argument for not reading series books in order; sometimes the first book stinks and the author has yet to find her feet, although Whose Body? really wasn’t all that bad.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by issybird

C’mon, Jon, Sayers is one of the greats. You really can’t (well of course you can and have) dismiss her on the basis of one book. And I can’t resist pointing out that this is the argument for not reading series books in order; sometimes the first book stinks and the author has yet to find her feet, although Whose Body? really wasn’t all that bad.

Having just read Martin Edwards EXCELLENT "The Life of Crime", it renewed my interest in reading Sayers. I had already read Whose Body and am quite deliberately reading them all in all in order precisely to see how she grows. Whereas with Ellery Queen & Dickson Carr, I'm only reading the first 3 to get a feel for the characters and then jumping to the few that I've had especially recommended.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

C’mon, Jon, Sayers is one of the greats. You really can’t (well of course you can and have) dismiss her on the basis of one book. And I can’t resist pointing out that this is the argument for not reading series books in order; sometimes the first book stinks and the author has yet to find her feet, although Whose Body? really wasn’t all that bad.

I didn't care at all for the racism.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I didn't care at all for the racism.

The racism in Ellery Queen's first (and second) is FAR worse, I hope you reacted similarly to them.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

The racism in Ellery Queen's first (and second) is FAR worse, I hope you reacted similarly to them.

I've not read it.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I didn't care at all for the racism.

Which makes it difficult to read any books of that period. Moreover, you don’t seem to have any problem with the misogyny of science fiction. And it’s one thing to accept it as of its time when reading classic sci-fi, but it’s much harder to justify, IMO, with poor sci-fi and at a time when people should have been more aware.

And yes, Star Trek, I’m looking at you. In fact, I have no problem with people reading whatever, but I think that if you’re going to condemn classics and genres for bigotry you should strive to be consistent.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Having just read Martin Edwards EXCELLENT "The Life of Crime", it renewed my interest in reading Sayers. I had already read Whose Body and am quite deliberately reading them all in all in order precisely to see how she grows. Whereas with Ellery Queen & Dickson Carr, I'm only reading the first 3 to get a feel for the characters and then jumping to the few that I've had especially recommended.

Sayers has the advantage of a bibliography of reasonable length! I’ll be interested in your reactions; I personally think she loses her moorings a bit when she gets to Harriet Vane.

I particularly like early Ellery Queen for its New York flavor. I’ve not read as much Carr although I remember liking some books more than others; in fact I recently abandoned one.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I read the first book and I found it awful.

I ditched it after a few chapters. It was just an insufferable read. The main character was so milquetoast I just wanted to punch his face.

Now, I almost abandoned The Caine Mutiny at the beginning for similar reasons and that would have been a tremendous mistake. You are intended to dislike Willie Keith at first and he grows over the novel.

I didn't get the feeling Pete Wimsey would do the same. Though I am open to admitting I may be missing a treasure.

[Uncle Robin]

Dorothy Sayers demonstrating how ONE word can really take one out of the story. How could she do such bloody murder to a favorite line?

[Uncle Robin]

She did it AGAIN:

CHAPTER IV
A BIT MENTAL
“A babbled of green fields.”

KING HENRY V

Two bungled Shakespeare quotes had me wondering if there was something wrong with my copy, so I bought another at Kobo just to check. The Google Play Books edition free sample let me check the "evil" quote, and it is the same there too. The problem exists in all editions. It would be interesting to know what paper versions have there.