Cornflower Book Group - March 2012

 

    "The fascination of [Dorothy L. Sayers's] books is not only in the solving of bizarre crimes in out-of-the-ordinary locations (an advertising agency, an Oxford women's college, an East Anglian belfry), but also in the character of her detective, the super-sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. He is a languid, monocled aristocrat, whose foppish manner conceals the fact that he has a first-class Oxford degree, was in army intelligence during the First World War, collects rare books, plays the piano like Rubinstein, dances like Astaire and seems to have swallowed a substantial dictionary of quotations. He is aided and abetted by his manservant Bunter, a suave charmer adept at extracting confidences from the cooks, taxi-drivers, waitresses, barbers and vergers who would collapse in forelock-tugging silence if Wimsey himself ever deigned to speak to them. Several of the novels describe the unfolding relationship between Wimsey and the crime novelist Harriet Vane. Seldom have detective stories been so preposterous or so unputdownable."

    So says the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide in its entry on Dorothy L. Sayers, and that prompted me to choose one of her works for the Cornflower Book Group's March book. Bearing in mind - again according to the Guide - that some readers prefer the stories which don't feature Harriet Vane, I've chosen what is said to be one of the best of the other novels, The Nine Tailors, published in 1934.

    "When his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St. Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he came to be there.

    The lore of bell-ringing and a brilliantly evoked village in the remote fens of East Anglia are the unforgettable background to a story of an unsolved crime and its violent unravelling twenty years later."

    That's enough for me to want to pick it up and read forthwith - and test that 'unputdownable' claim above - and I hope that this choice will find favour with lots of people. If you haven't read along with the group before perhaps you'll feel like doing so now; we're not scary or intimidating, I hope, we just like to share our thoughts on the book in question, and while opinions often diverge, any debate is friendly and respectful.

    Surely every library will have a copy of this book in their system (those whose catalogues I've checked do), and for those who want their own, shops and internet retailers will supply it easily: I see that The Book Depository are currently charging slightly more than Amazon but they offer free international delivery; Amazon US has it, too. There are also plenty of used copies available, there is a Kindle version, and for fans of audiobooks, a BBC Radio 4 Full-cast Dramatisation.

    We'll be talking about Rebecca West's The Fountain Overflows from the 25th. of February, so let's begin our discussion of The Nine Tailors four weeks after that on Saturday, 24th, March. Please join us.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

I don't believe it! A book I have actually read (twice actually, though do not ascribe anything particular to that). If I can get hold of it I'll have another go.

[Rosie H]

For what it's worth, this was the first of Sayers' books that I read, and it got me hooked on the entire series. It's a good one to start with as one doesn't need to know any of the background given in the previous books.

[Cornflower]

You should be able to get hold of it! Yours is one of the library systems I check for availability, and they have a copy so no slacking!

[Cornflower]

Glad to hear that, Rosie. Thankyou.

[Claire]

I'm in. Haven't read any Dorothy L. Sayers (have always meant to) so look forward to this. Reading your post on it and comments will be helpful. Thank you.

[Cornflower]

You're welcome, Claire. I'm really looking forward to this one.

[Ros]

I love the Harriet Vane books most, I will admit, but this one is brilliant. I also adore Murder Must Advertise. Looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks of it.

[Barbara MacLeod]

Ditto.

[fifiquilter]

This is my favourite Wimsey novel - perhaps because of the fond memories I have of Ian Carmichael's t.v. version I saw as a child (not yesterday). I still listen to the 'talking book' umpteen times a year whilst quilting. I'm looking forward to see what others make of it!

[B R Wombat]

Lovely - my sister gave me a loan of her copy years ago and I've never had the impetus to get it read, probably because I know the ending from watching it on telly loooooong ago. I'm glad to have a reason to finally make me read it.

[Cornflower]

I'd like to read the Harriet Vane books, too. I read somewhere that there's a view the love interest 'muddies the waters' of the pure detective story, but I'm willing to take the chance!

[Cornflower]

How lovely to listen while sewing, and thankyou for mentioning the audiobook as I see there's Radio 4 full cast version which I've now included in the post.

[Cornflower]

I haven't read any Sayers at all, despite having had two of her books (but not The Nine Tailors) sitting on the shelves for years. I'm glad to have given myself the impetus at last!

[Georgina Glover]

Ah. My favourite. Every time I hear change ringing I think of this book and as I've recently moved to a cottage next to our ancient church I hear the bells a great deal and keep a copy of 'The nine tailors ' for visitors, along with a copy of The graveyard book. Much as I love the bells I hope the ringers won't take on anything like the marathon peal Peter Wimsey took part in.

[Cornflower]

I envy your proximity to the bells - it's a wonderful sound.

[Ruthiella]

Never read any Sayers before? I am so looking forward to hearing what you think of it. I will join in. I know I have read other Lord Peter books before but I can't really recall if I have read this one. I know I saw a televised version of The Nine Tailors a long time ago with Ian Carmichael.

[Cornflower]

So glad we have lots of Sayers fans among us.

[Margaretsbookblog.wordpress.com]

Yippee. My favourite Lord Peter book which has been read and re-read many times and shall be taken off my shelf and read again for this occasion. Thank you.

[Barbara]

What a treat you have in store!

[Jade]

Wonderful! One of the few Wimsey books I haven't read. I have been intending to join in your Book Group for ever and never end up with time to read the book, but I will do my utmost this time.

[P.K.]

I have an old Penguin paperback edition of a Sayers book on my bedside table, still waiting to be read. I'll join in with this title, might get me going on the book I have.

[Cornflower]

More keen souls, excellent!

[Julie Fredericksen]

I remember a Lord Peter on TV quite a while ago. I bet it was an English/British program. Have not read anything by written by her though.

[Rebecca]

It's wonderful as an audiobook as well: Ian Carmichael is a great reader, and the book really lives. I've read a number of Lord Peters this winter, and this will be another!

[Barbara M.]

Hurrah! One of my favorite books..... this will make it easy for me to join in the discussion. I happen to love Harriet Vane, and remember enjoying both Ian Carmichael and the later BBC/Masterpiece Theatre production of several Sayers books that featured a different British actor ,Edward Petherbridge. Two very different characterizations of Lord Peter, and I really cannot say which I preferred.

I'll be pulling this book off the shelf with great pleasure.

[Cornflower]

Great!