wednesday books

[landofnowhere]

Unnatural Death and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Dorothy Sayers. This weekend I decided I could use some Peter Wimsey to cheer me up, and it worked! Though now there are only two of the Peter Wimsey mysteries I haven't read yet, which is sad. This scratched my itch for mystery and my itch for historical social commentary, while being much more wish-fulfilly than some of the stuff I read for the latter itch. I appreciate these books having the clear message that there's nothing wrong with being a women -- and even if one gets the impression that it's preferable to be a heterosexual woman, it's also OK not to -- I was not expecting that many lesbians in Unnatural Death.

Comments

[sorcyress]

Though now there are only two of the Peter Wimsey mysteries I haven't read yet, which is sad.

I feel this reaction to authors very strongly (and this is why I've never read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency even though I'm sure it's fabulous --if I read it, then I'm one step closer to Douglas Adams no really never having written any more books.

[landofnowhere]

I know the feeling there! But I'm also sad that you haven't read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, it was a formative book of my adolescence!

[choco_frosh]

Though now there are only two of the Peter Wimsey mysteries I haven't read yet, which is sad.

I'm afraid that in addition, Thrones, Dominations is kinda missable, and The Five Red Herrings is said to be decent as a puzzle mystery, but not great as a novel about the characters: so if those are the ones you haven't read...

I was not expecting that many lesbians in Unnatural Death.
It's a weird book. Personally, I felt that it seemed very anti-gay, and I've sometimes wondered if she wrote that bit about a very functional lesbian relationship in Strong Poison partly in deliberate attempt to make up for that.

(Which reminds me, I really need to read Mo's book, in part b/c they may address this...)

[landofnowhere]

I wasn't counting Thrones, Dominations -- the two I haven't read are The Five Red Herrings and Busman's Honeymoon. I'm curious what my reaction to Five Red Herrings will be, having been amply warned, but don't object in principle to puzzle mysteries.)

Five Red Herrings

[lauradi7dw]

I liked FRH, and I'm not very good at puzzles. I think I like the train schedule aspect, plus one exasperated character. There is a stereotype of a certain category of bellringers who are rail fans and I've always been a little jokey about them, but maybe I am one, in a mild way. I don't trainspot, a couple of experiences of steam trains has been enough for me, and I don't go on outings with other enthusiasts, but yeah, trains.

[landofnowhere]

I'm not in the best position to judge, but my take on it was that the older lesbian couple were portrayed generally positively, taking into account the sexism/homophobia of many of the characters, and the younger lesbian couple were no better or worse than if they'd been a straight couple.

[oracne]

I loved that despite having read BELLONA CLUB for the first time in middle school, I didn't get all the WWI stuff until I in college.

[lauradi7dw]

What I mostly remember about Unnatural Death is Miss Climpson swallowing her religious indignation about seances, yet very professionally learning to make spectral noises by clacking metal soap boxes together with her knees.

[landofnowhere]

That's Strong Poison -- which I'm looking forward to rereading now that I know Miss Climpson better! Unnatural Death is the one which introduces Miss Climpson, and has her infiltrate the small town to hear all the gossip and be judgy about lesbians.

almost used up

[lauradi7dw]

In addition to the novels, there are a few short stories. I really like "Talboys," which is more about Peter and Harriet as parents than the mystery (missing peaches, not dead bodies). I own a collection of the stories in a thick paperback that I absurdly was about to offer to lend you, without stopping to think that you, I, and the book are in three different states. And there is some fan fiction (presumably a LOT of fan fiction, but I only read the stuff about Hilary Thorpe).