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Summary: Ian Carmichael IS Lord Peter Wimsey
Review: I should admit my prejudice up front: to me the English actor Ian Carmichael IS Lord Peter Wimsey. I was introduced to Dorothy L. Sayers by "Masterpiece Theatre," which ran at least five dramatizations of her Wimsey novels beginning in the 1970s. While I certainly acknowledge the artistry--both as actor and audiobook reader-- of Edward Petherbridge, who appeared later in the three Harriet Vane-Wimsey stories broadcast by PBS on "Mystery!," I still tend to visualize Lord Peter as Mr. Carmichael when re-reading the books or when listening to audio cassettes. There are other British actors who excel at audiobooks--Martin Jarvis comes to mind--but I like listening to Ian Carmichael whether he is reading Sayers or P.G. Wodehouse. I might even be tempted to listen to him read Miss Sayers' translation of Dante's "Inferno." Well, no, that would be going too far. "Strong Poison" is the first of the Harriet Vane stories. Murder is done in a diabolically clever manner. The aristocratic detective comes to the defense of the accused and falls in love with her, a romance that is continued through three additional novels, four if you count the recently-published fragment "Thrones, Dominations." There is a neat blend of familiar characters from previous books and a number of new and interesting supporting players. Be prepared to go on to "Have His Carcase" and "Gaudy Night" and "Busman's Honeymoon." Did I mention that Ian Carmichael is really good at this sort of thing?
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Summary: Love At First Sight In The Dock
Review: In public life, Dorothy L. Sayers was a scholar, writer, and woman of impeccable morals. In private life, however, she had a torrid love affair and bore a child out of wedlock. In her literature, Sayers expressed the schism between these aspects of her personality via the character of Harriet Vane, who makes her first appearance in the Lord Peter series in STRONG POISON as a fallen woman on trial for her life.Published in 1930, the novel opens with Harriet Vane in the dock, listening as the judge presiding over trial sums up against her. She is a writer of mildly popular mysteries who has had a liaison with Philip Boyes, a rather pretentious author better know to critics than to the public. Their acrimonious separation is quickly followed by Boyes' death from arsenic--and it seems that Harriet, and Harriet only, had both motive and opportunity. But the judge reckons without juror Miss Climpson, employee of the celebrated Lord Peter Wimsey, who derails what would seem an open and shut case--and gives Lord Peter the opportunity to unravel the crime. And, not incidentally, to fall in love with the accused. With an infamous actress of the Victorian age lurking in the background and a sizable inheritance on the line, Wimsey rushes to sort out the mystery and save the woman he loves before the case can be retried. STRONG POISON is not really among Sayer's greatest novels, which combine a unique literary style, memorable characters, and complex plots to remarkable effect. The opening description of the trial, with its detailed account of the judge's comments, feels excessive; the solution to the crime is tricksy and relies heavily on coincidence; and Harriet Vane stands out less effectively than such supporting characters as Miss Climpson. Nonetheless, it has its charms, most particularly in Sayers' witty and highly literate style and the continued evolution of the characters she had previously created. Most particularly, STRONG POISON sets the stage for two novels in which Harriet Vane will become one of the most memorable characters in the golden age of the English mystery: GAUDY NIGHT and BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON, both of which are regarded as high-water marks in the genre. Sayers wrote several memorable novels in which Harriet Vane does not appear at all, most notably the famous MURDER MUST ADVERTISE, but her development of the character is a remarkable process to behold, and fans will enjoy watching the process. Enjoyable, but recommended more to established Sayers readers than first time visitors. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Rating:
Summary: Love At First Sight In The Dock
Review: In public life, Dorothy L. Sayers was a scholar, writer, and woman of impeccable morals. In private life, however, she had a torrid love affair and bore a child out of wedlock. In her literature, Sayers expressed the schism between these aspects of her personality via the character of Harriet Vane, who makes her first appearance in the Lord Peter series in STRONG POISON as a fallen woman on trial for her life. Published in 1930, the novel opens with Harriet Vane in the dock, listening as the judge presiding over trial sums up against her. She is a writer of mildly popular mysteries who has had a liaison with Philip Boyes, a rather pretentious author better know to critics than to the public. Their acrimonious separation is quickly followed by Boyes' death from arsenic--and it seems that Harriet, and Harriet only, had both motive and opportunity. But the judge reckons without juror Miss Climpson, employee of the celebrated Lord Peter Wimsey, who derails what would seem an open and shut case--and gives Lord Peter the opportunity to unravel the crime. And, not incidentally, to fall in love with the accused. With an infamous actress of the Victorian age lurking in the background and a sizable inheritance on the line, Wimsey rushes to sort out the mystery and save the woman he loves before the case can be retried. STRONG POISON is not really among Sayer's greatest novels, which combine a unique literary style, memorable characters, and complex plots to remarkable effect. The opening description of the trial, with its detailed account of the judge's comments, feels excessive; the solution to the crime is tricksy and relies heavily on coincidence; and Harriet Vane stands out less effectively than such supporting characters as Miss Climpson. Nonetheless, it has its charms, most particularly in Sayers' witty and highly literate style and the continued evolution of the characters she had previously created. Most particularly, STRONG POISON sets the stage for two novels in which Harriet Vane will become one of the most memorable characters in the golden age of the English mystery: GAUDY NIGHT and BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON, both of which are regarded as high-water marks in the genre. Sayers wrote several memorable novels in which Harriet Vane does not appear at all, most notably the famous MURDER MUST ADVERTISE, but her development of the character is a remarkable process to behold, and fans will enjoy watching the process. Enjoyable, but recommended more to established Sayers readers than first time visitors. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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Summary:
Sayer's best poisoning to date . . .
Review: Lord Peter's world is upended when he falls for the "prisoner in the dock", the novelist Harriet Vane. Harriet is being tried for the murder of her lover, and Lord Peter must win not only her heart but her freedom. The ending is curiously satisfying and gives the promise of romance that Sayer's fulfills in her next books
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Summary: NOT POISON
Review: My initial impression was that Sayers gave far too much information on the trial of Harriet Vane. However, the witty characters of Lord Peter Wimsey and Miss Climpson caused me to become hooked.
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Summary: More minor errors (spoiler alert)
Review: The arsenic-eating peasants live in Styria, not Syria, and investigating spiritualists go in for psychical, not physical, research.
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Summary: The reader makes the tape
Review: This is an abridged tape of the story. If you have read the story you can tell many missing parts. However Edward Petherbridge does such an excellent job of reading and of the different voices that it is worth listening to even as an addition to the book.
As you know he plays Lord Peter on the BBC version that is available on DVD. So when he makes the different voices and nuances they sound like the BBC version. Petherbridge also was in the play "Busman's Honeymoon". This is the first of a fourth book series. The story is complete and can be used as a stand-alone story. The notorious Harriet Vane is on trial for poisoning her previous live in lover. Naturally Lord Peter Wimsey falling in love with her, is determined that she is innocent and will prove this. To save her from the gallows he must fined the real culprit (if there is one), because if Harriet gets off on a technicality, she will always be under suspicion.
Rating:
Summary: You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs
Review: This is still a masterpiece of the genre. Doroty Sayers was very aware of the issue of the writer as outsider. Her writing is sprightly. We begin promisingly, right in the midst of a trial. Nothing could be more action oriented. There is a wonderful jury instruction given on the burden of proof. Harriet Vane is charged with murder by arsenic and she is writing a mystery story about murder by arsenic. It is so very curious to write books about crime and to be accused of crime. There is a hung jury. With a month to erect a new defense if available, Lord Peter Wimsey undertakes to visit the father of the victim. Since both Harriet Vane , the alleged perpetrator, and the victim are writers, their books are selling enormously well. Wimsey seeks to insert his man, Bunter, into the household of the cousin with whom the victim resided and a lady confidential clerk into the cousin's law chambers. Lord Peter notes he collects books. Crime is not very decorative. Lord Peter's interference in bringing about his sister Mary's marriage is just dear. The plotting is excellent. The book does not age, although some of the renderings of the accents of the servants and the various classes of British society are heavy going.
Rating:
Summary: You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs
Review: This is still a masterpiece of the genre. Doroty Sayers was very aware of the issue of the writer as outsider. Her writing is sprightly. We begin promisingly, right in the midst of a trial. Nothing could be more action oriented. There is a wonderful jury instruction given on the burden of proof. Harriet Vane is charged with murder by arsenic and she is writing a mystery story about murder by arsenic. It is so very curious to write books about crime and to be accused of crime. There is a hung jury. With a month to erect a new defense if available, Lord Peter Wimsey undertakes to visit the father of the victim. Since both Harriet Vane , the alleged perpetrator, and the victim are writers, their books are selling enormously well. Wimsey seeks to insert his man, Bunter, into the household of the cousin with whom the victim resided and a lady confidential clerk into the cousin's law chambers. Lord Peter notes he collects books. Crime is not very decorative. Lord Peter's interference in bringing about his sister Mary's marriage is just dear. The plotting is excellent. The book does not age, although some of the renderings of the accents of the servants and the various classes of British society are heavy going.
Rating:
Summary: An independent woman in danger of the rope.
Review: This novel opens fairly abruptly at the end of a murder trial. We're in England in the 1920's . It's not an easy time to be an independent woman but Harriet Vane is doing pretty well as a writer of who-dun-its. Her private life, though, is clouded by an affair she has had with the conceited novelist Philip Boyes. Boyes was killed by arsenic; Harriet had bought arsenic; she's apparently the only person who the opportunity to adminster it and now she's in grave danger of hanging. To Harriet's eternal good fortune, the celebrated Lord Peter Wimsey has been struck down by love at first sight - not only does he want to prove her innocence, he wants to marry her... This is an excellent tale, and I have read it several times with pleasure. The dialogue is good, the plot keeps your attention throughout and the period detail adds to the enjoyment. For a 21st century reader it throws a light on the life of single women in the 1920s - especially as seen by the indomitable Miss Climpson, one of Lord Peter's associates: "I had no difficulty getting a comfortable room at the Station Hotel , late as it was. In the old days, an unmarried woman arriving alone at midnight with a suitcase would hardly have been considered respectable - what a wonderful difference one finds today!" If you want to explore the novels of Dorothy L Sayers, this seems a good place to start.
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