Overview of the British taste for true crime and crime novels. I say British: Worsley makes a big deal of how it's a super special national obsession Overview of the British taste for true crime and crime novels. I say British: Worsley makes a big deal of how it's a super special national obsession while not actually drawing comparisons with any other countries' taste for true crime and detective novels to indicate what makes it 'British'.
It's also a bit sloppy with a taste for random assertions and odd turns of phrase. My copy is dog eared with ??? notes. Points for the reference to 'William Coleridge', though at least it's not paired with Samuel Taylor Wordsworth. And mostly it just rubbed me the wrong way with the extremely dismissive attitude towards the subject matter. Worsley makes it clear that melodrama was shit and we clever moderns would now see it as absurd, public murder obsessions were creepy, most of the Golden Age writers weren't very good, etc etc, like we have to be told that she's more intellectual than this nonsense.
Fascinating read, full of name dropping and embellished stories, but likeable for all that. Niven is sufficiently aware of his own flaws forit not to Fascinating read, full of name dropping and embellished stories, but likeable for all that. Niven is sufficiently aware of his own flaws forit not to come across as excessively bumptious. Most fascinating is that he obviously had a spectacular war--joined the Commandos, trained under Sykes and Fairbairn!--and doesn't give any detail on that at all, on the grounds that it was too serious for anecdotes.
Extraordinary account of the basically feral manner in which the British upper classes raised their kids. Explains a lot. ...more
Eliot is, regrettably, the author of some of the poetry I most love in the world. He is not my favourite poet, because, as this extraordinary book makEliot is, regrettably, the author of some of the poetry I most love in the world. He is not my favourite poet, because, as this extraordinary book makes clear, he was a pretty awful person in many ways: poor friend, terrible husband, largely driven by disgust and despair. Disgust, of course, correlates with bigotry, and this book doesn't shy away from Eliot's antisemitism or attempt to weasel around it (plus very informative on the violent racism of his American home).
The disgust/despair that rendered his interior landscape so broken and ugly also built The Waste Land, a poem that arose out of a broken world full of terrible things, and probably couldn't have been written by someone less fucked up. This book does a really good job of illustrating that world: the political chaos, the ongoing damage of WW1 and the flu pandemic, the Treaty of Versailles already dooming Europe to a second round, the neurasthenia and bed-hopping and general acting out of people staggering under the incredible psychic load of the times they were living through, the uncountable deaths.
If you like The Waste Land, this is revelatory in many ways, few of them flattering. It's got tons on Ezra Pound's editorial interventions, and lots of chewy physical detail of typewriters and manuscripts and fonts. Plus the best explanation of the objective correlative that I've come across: the concept may even stick now.
An excellent book if you want a ridiculously deep dive into The Waste Land or TS Eliot's psyche, which you may well not. ...more
A Russian man gambles with the devil, loses, and is cursed with immortality. It doesn't really bear the comparisons with The Master and Margarita: RubA Russian man gambles with the devil, loses, and is cursed with immortality. It doesn't really bear the comparisons with The Master and Margarita: Rubashov isn't a very interesting character, more just a viewpoint on a fairly limited account of twentieth century history (all Europe, overwhelmingly male with women barely getting to speak), and very heavy on the horrors of humanity. If you're trying to argue against the stereotype of the gloomy Scandinavian, I would not start here....more
1920s occult novel of the 'wimbly nonsense' variety rather than the 'demons eat your soul' type, which is a shame. The author's primary concern is pus1920s occult novel of the 'wimbly nonsense' variety rather than the 'demons eat your soul' type, which is a shame. The author's primary concern is pushing the thesis that men ought to be really chill about their wives fucking other men. I cannot overstate quite how much of the book is him pushing this argument, repeatedly, from various angles. Anything you need to tell us, Cyril.
In many respects this is surprisingly likeable. The hero's efforts to spiritually reform a prostitute are coupled with him *giving her money to support her family* rather than just nagging about morals, it repeatedly specifies there's nothing wrong with extramarital sex, and there's even a sequence with a gay character that is a lot less awful than you might think in the context of 1920s occult believers. (There was a *lot* of homophobia, see the horrible Dion Fortune, whereas Scott is weird AF about gender but not hateful.) Masses of gender essentialism but whatevs.
The second half of the book is entirely taken up by a really, really bad fable about enlightenment and spiritual journeys in a cod medieval style, avoid....more
I was hugely anticipating this after Seven Days in June. It didn't quite get there for me, which I really regret because there's so much good stuff anI was hugely anticipating this after Seven Days in June. It didn't quite get there for me, which I really regret because there's so much good stuff and it should have.
There's tons to love in here. The historical sections of Ezra's backstory are amazing and compelling, going from a Georgia sharecropper to a GI in WW1 and then the Harlem renaissance. Really fascinating, and I'd have liked twice as much of it (or indeed for that to be the entire book). Tuesday is a hugely entertaining supporting character; I'd have read her book with pleasure. The author is proper funny and there are loads of good jokes, and well as some really powerful stuff about the experience of being Black in the US then and now.
I feel like what got in my way was Ricki herself--I never really got a strong sense of her as a character, rather than a necessary element of the story. This is partly because she and Ezra have a love at first sight fated mates thing, which for me kind of skips the really important part of the romance where we see *why* they love each other, and it's partly because there's an awful lot of small inconsistencies and implausibilities throughout the story, centring on Ricki, that chipped away at my absorption. A better edit could have made this absolutely sing because there's so much terrific stuff in here, and if you're not a nitpicky git like some people you may well love it....more
A terrific, deeply unnerving book. It's post WW1, post flu, and as the heroine says, everyone is dead. This terrifically conveys the desperation both A terrific, deeply unnerving book. It's post WW1, post flu, and as the heroine says, everyone is dead. This terrifically conveys the desperation both for cheer and normality and for some sort of communication with all the lost, in a ravaged world of the dead and damaged, where good hosts tie nailbrushes to the sink for the convenience of the many one-handed men.
Evelyn is a youngish wife; Robert her husband announces he is getting messages from spirits. It's really a character piece as we see Evelyn's distress and fear, her greed for the wealth and connections Robert's new life offers, her desperate need for it all to be true. The self-delusion is particularly well done, with mediums and sitters alike persuading themselves of non-existent miracles. But we can also really see it's not just driven by greed and stupidity: Robert, who wasn't fit to fight, is desperate to make some sort of contribution; Evelyn is easily seduced by grief into spiritualism because she wants it to be true.
There isn't a huge amount of plot, but I didn't mind that at all, since the milieu and character work are so compelling, and the ending is a terrific punch in the face.
Highly recommended. Will look for more by this author....more
A very well presented 1920s clubland murder in the Golden Age style will a half Chinese detective. Lots to like here: ingenious plot, excellent minor cA very well presented 1920s clubland murder in the Golden Age style will a half Chinese detective. Lots to like here: ingenious plot, excellent minor characters.
Unfortunately, for me, the detective himself is a bit of a void in character terms : he comes across much more as the null 'reader eyes' sidekick than as a character in his own right. This is baffling as on paper he's really interesting: at once the subject of endless sneers because of his parentage on his mother's side, and bursting with upper class (male) entitlement from his father's family background, plus a dose of war trauma. He should be a really interesting character, but he's pretty much eclipsed by all the extremely well drawn minor characters, who are without exception full of life. IDK, maybe others will feel differently, or possibly the author got a bit too deep into
Very good period/Brit feel except for the moment where someone gives a taxi driver "half a pound", which did make me ask of what....more
Pulp thriller by the exceedingly variable Wallace. This is one of the ones with a plot and characters (good) including a female lead who stays the leaPulp thriller by the exceedingly variable Wallace. This is one of the ones with a plot and characters (good) including a female lead who stays the lead and doesn't go all wifey (excellent) but sadly no murderous chimpanzees, lost Anglo Saxon legions, secret underground guillotines, vengeful archers, armies of villainous blind beggars, or exploding death contraptions (shame).
It's a fun collection of stories about super-thief Four Square Jane who runs rings round the law in order to rob the rich and give to the poor. Entertaining. ...more
I have tried with Josephine Tey and I'm giving up. Inspector Grant is a ghastly smug prick constantly being fellated by the narrative, without anythinI have tried with Josephine Tey and I'm giving up. Inspector Grant is a ghastly smug prick constantly being fellated by the narrative, without anything like the charm of an Alleyn or Wimsey. Tey's writing has more than a whiff of Not Like Other Girls and a double helping of racism, plus irritating self-consciousness in the narrative. And when 60% of the book is an elaborate red herring, the whole process of reading a murder mystery suddenly starts to feel like a massive waste of time. No, I didn't like it, why do you ask.
Solid account of the writers of the Detection Club, which comprised most of the top mystery authors of the Golden Age, led by Sayers and Christie. IntSolid account of the writers of the Detection Club, which comprised most of the top mystery authors of the Golden Age, led by Sayers and Christie. Interesting stuff with some illustrious writers and many (justly) forgotten ones. I have a lot of titles to pursue now. ...more
A very interesting collection of essays around queerness in the Western occult tradition (including the parts of practice taken from other traditions A very interesting collection of essays around queerness in the Western occult tradition (including the parts of practice taken from other traditions eg Tantra). I am in no way informed on that so can't comment: I came here for Dion Fortune and Crowley era stuff, and found that really in-depth and informative. There's also a marvellous piece on gender and sexual fluidity in the Norse traditions, and a note-perfect Round the Horne parody (no, I didn't see that coming either) called Bona Shamans, which mad props if you like me are a Julian and Sandy devotee. (Bona Law: "we have a criminal practice that takes up most of our time". I will never stop laughing.)
Niche, obv, but should you be into the historical occult it is super interesting, and immensely readable. I wish everyone in this area (or any academic area) could write with this level of humour and clarity. ...more
Gothic novel aiming at an MR James vibe. Great set up: MC is art valuer, goes to spooky isolated house, discovers all the art is of horrific medieval Gothic novel aiming at an MR James vibe. Great set up: MC is art valuer, goes to spooky isolated house, discovers all the art is of horrific medieval torture and also there's a scary butler, brooding master of the house, and mysterious woman in the library. Weirdness ensues.
Sadly it doesn't really live up to itself. Partly this is because the MC is far too passive. He doesn't confront the strange footsteps, he takes forever to ask questions, he stays static. I know the Gothic is very much about being trapped in a house, and the dream/halluciantion/shifting reality feelings he has are well done. But nevertheless, we needed forward motion, and every time it looks like he's going to discover something or do something, or even *have the entire plot explained to him* he pulls back and does nothing.
(view spoiler)[In particular, the point where he and Victor have sex. This looked like the book was about to accelerate into *something*--a love/sex triangle with Amy, a redemptive or destructive relationship with Victor, blackmail, pages of kinky sex, MC being lured into being part of Victor's dark deeds, literally anything would have done me as long as it was something. Instead...he feels a bit embarrassed and doesn't do it again. There are no consequences. Wtf. There aren't even any real consequences to him killing two people, which really gets handwaved in the plot. (hide spoiler)]
This is, in fairness, the effect the book is going for with the overall story, where the house is in a weird timeless place, but for me, tbh, it ended up feeling like a lot of pages of something being about to happen and then not.
Basically if you're going for MR James style terrifying allusiveness you need to be really good at it, otherwise it's just 'not explaining'. I would have been totally on for delving into the dark horrific experiments or evil sex games or any of the things this promised but didn't really deliver. Maybe I'm just melodramatic.
Moreover, and this is entirely on the publisher not the author, but the blurb compares it to The Haunting of Hill House, a book so purely terrifying that, having read it in my flat on my own, I literally had to go and stay the night with my mum, at the age of 25. Senator, you're no Haunting of Hill House. ...more
Entire nonsense pulp fun. It is refreshing to read tales of 1930s derring do that aren't massively racist (still period clunky but Charteris was half Entire nonsense pulp fun. It is refreshing to read tales of 1930s derring do that aren't massively racist (still period clunky but Charteris was half Chinese and had experience of being on the sharp end) though we're not short of sexism. I wouldn't call it misogyny, it's mostly too breezy, in the same way that the stories are really quite violent but in a completely teflon way, where you beat the hero to a pulp with a rope end to the face, and he bounces up with his good looks unmarred thrity seconds later.
There's also a fascinating thing going on, whereby we spend about a third of the book just drooling over Simon's good looks and charm and brilliance and courage and ingenuity and good looks (it's hilarious how we have been given 'Mary Sue' as a self insert character when Simon Templar is right there), admiring his seconds admiring him, ranking his crew of young men by handsomeness and charm, etc. It's not homoerotic in the slightest because for a man who married three times, Charteris couldn't write sexual attraction for shit, whether deliberately or unconsciously. It's more that...IDK, he's just *really* into writing incredibly handsome and charming Englishmen, so if you like reading them, voila.
Ridiculous from soup to nuts but highly entertaining. ...more
Somewhat offbeat. It's framed as a murder mystery but really it's more a character piece on Skelton, a lawyer inspired by the real Norman Birkett, andSomewhat offbeat. It's framed as a murder mystery but really it's more a character piece on Skelton, a lawyer inspired by the real Norman Birkett, and a look at barrister life in the late 20s. There's great period detail, the characters are all fun and the writing witty. The main murder mystery is kind of underpowered amid all the other bits and pieces that pass through the pages, and it's also (view spoiler)[unresolved wtf we never actually find out what happened (hide spoiler)]. Which is fine in a book about a lawyer, but slightly discombobulating given it's literally presented as a whodunnit by the publisher and the structure.
Odd. I think I will read another now I know what it's getting at but I did spend a lot of this feeling slightly puzzled....more
Bio of Maundy Gregory, who I would have called the original "cash for honours" crook except this book makes it clear it was totally standard practice.Bio of Maundy Gregory, who I would have called the original "cash for honours" crook except this book makes it clear it was totally standard practice. I imagine Lloyd George felt quite aggrieved at being done for something all the rest of them were heavily up to.
It's a slightly weird book-- we don't get much sense of Gregory beyond "sweaty crook", and it's bizarrely coy about his homosexuality (as in 1950s style delicate hint type implications, like you know you can just say people were gay/bi now, yes?). Intensely detailed on the two murders he probably didn't commit. Doesn't help that a huge number of quoted passages are set as normal text (in the print edition), very sloppy from the publisher. But a useful 1920s and 30s immerser. Also has some stuff about the Vicar of Stiffkey, and now I really need a bio....more
Interesting bio of a man who decided to climb Everest on his own despite not having any meaningful mountaineering experience. Spoiler: it was a poor iInteresting bio of a man who decided to climb Everest on his own despite not having any meaningful mountaineering experience. Spoiler: it was a poor idea.
This is intriguing mostly for Wilson's character (coping with war trauma from the WW1 trenches, locked in an affair with a married woman which may have been some sort of menage a trois, possible gender issues, open minded, intermittently ascetic, incredibly strong willed). He was wildly, implausibly full of himself but able to achieve a startling amount because of that including learning to fly and then, more or less on qualifying, taking a small plane to India. He defied the governments of several countries at once to get to Everest. He pretty much set himself to do amazing things and achieved them, until he set himself against the highest mountain on earth.
A weird story, and I was irritated by the author's peculiar choice of second person to put in his own experiences, but lots of great period detail and a fascinating look into an extraordinary psyche. ...more
1980s written book on the actual spy career of various authors. Bought it primarily for the Dennis Wheatley chapter (uninformative if you've read the 1980s written book on the actual spy career of various authors. Bought it primarily for the Dennis Wheatley chapter (uninformative if you've read the excellent Baker bio) and also the incredible title which, props. My version also has an excellent cover.
I'm kind of running out of good things to say here because honestly this just reeks of old boys network. The entire British intelligence community was basically jobs for the boys: ridiculous numbers of relations and chums who went to school together, a fact that is made abundantly clear in the book, right up to the chapter on John le Carre who is presented as a vaguely unpatriotic meanie for writing about, er, how the place was run by old school chums. The author is basically revelling in his personal connection to all the authors still alive (wtf was the Len Deighton section except fluffing). It reeks of snobbery and low level homophobia. Bah, basically.
Also, let's be honest, the only author who comes out of this sounding like you'd trust him to run a whelk stall, still less an intelligence department, is John Buchan, a man of actual major talents and moral fibre, who gets sneered at for his 'Boys Own' stories throughout. (I would say the authors featured here couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery but actually it's fairly clear heavy drinking was well within their capability.)...more
I'm not a huge Lorac fan but this one was highly entertaining. A very weird family seething with mutual hate, set in a crumbling manor house, with a rI'm not a huge Lorac fan but this one was highly entertaining. A very weird family seething with mutual hate, set in a crumbling manor house, with a ridiculously over-complicated murder. This is what I go to golden age pulp for. ...more
A murder mystery set in the Raj where detective and sidekick are both Indian, which I only now realise it's quite weird that's unusual. And by weird IA murder mystery set in the Raj where detective and sidekick are both Indian, which I only now realise it's quite weird that's unusual. And by weird I mean absolutely typical of publishing.
File this one under 'fun but flawed'. I greatly enjoyed the setting, the characters are fun, and it's a good mystery, and the story rattles along with verve, but it really did need a hefty edit to smooth out the writing, which is pretty clunky. (What is the publisher even for at this point? Why wasn't this given the thorough copy edit that would have set it singing?) Hopefully the author will settle into her stride, or be given a competent editor, because there's so much to love here....more
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