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Bezig met laden... Heiliger Bimbam: Kriminalroman (Professor Gervase Fen ermittelt 2) (origineel 1946; editie 2019)door Edmund Crispin (Autor), Ulrike Wasel (Übersetzer), Klaus Timmermann (Übersetzer)
Informatie over het werkHoly Disorders door Edmund Crispin (1946)
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. A mystery from 1940, the classic British gold age type with a map of the murder scene and the amateur detective draws up a timetable of everybody's movements and explains the crime to the police. The detective is a quirky Oxford don and this is the first in a series of at least ten. It's wartime and characters say things like "Mustn't forget to fix the blackout curtains" and mention shortages. Most of the characters are strange or unpleasant or both but the plot is nicely twisted and the writing is top notch. I felt chuffed at recognizing quotations and certainly missed a lot more, and love his habit of saying "Oh my ears and whiskers!" I immediately ordered more Gervase Fen mysteries from Powell's. Gervase Fen and his friend, Geoffrey Vintner, are in the town of Tolnbridge where shenanigans are afoot and church organists are dropping left and right. In fact, Vintner nearly becomes a fatality on the way to join Fen. An amusing mystery, with many literary allusions, the mystery itself is pretty good, although solvable, I missed some of the clues which told me why I was correct. Probably because I was skimming the parts which annoyed me. The characters didn't seem consistent, and their moods and temperaments were difficult to justify. Also, similar weird names left me befuddled because the ones which bore them had no special characteristics to set them apart. In spite of all that, it was an enjoyable read, but I won't be seeking out more Crispin novels to read. There have been some rather untoward goings-on in the organ loft of a West Country cathedral, and church-music composer Geoffrey Vintner finds himself playing Watson to the tetchy Professor Gervase Fen's Holmes as they try to disentangle an increasingly complex plot. There's a great deal of silliness, most of it fun but quite irrelevant to the crime, as well as bucketloads of allusions to both serious and light literature. However, it's a bit disconcerting to find that Crispin can't quite make up his mind whether he's writing a lurid thriller or the kind of English detective story that relies on the reader keeping track of the movements of a whole chapter of clergy to the nearest minute and understanding the significance of a 32' organ stop: there's nothing really wrong with mixing the two subgenres, you just don't quite expect it... geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Onderdeel van de reeks(en)Gervase Fen (2) Onderdeel van de uitgeversreeks(en)DuMont's Kriminal-Bibliothek (1105) Penguin Books (1303)
This 1945 classic British mystery from "a master of the whodunnit . . . combines a flawless plot, witty dialogue and a touch of surreal hilarity" (The New York Times Book Review). On holiday in the town of Tolnbridge with his butterfly net in hand, Prof. Gervase Fen, Oxford don of English Literature, is all set for a good frolic when he learns that the cathedral organist has been murdered. With Scotland Yard unable to make sense of the crime, Fen stands ready to step in. Whether he's chasing butterflies or catching criminals, it's all the same to this amateur sleuth with a penchant for literary allusions and an uncanny knack for solving the unsolvable: like why a small-town church musician would be mixed up with a local coven of witches-or a spy ring of Nazi sympathizers? Finding the answers provides endless amusement for Fen-and for readers as well-in this golden age English detective novel from Edmund Crispin, "an absolute must for devotees of cultivated crime fiction." -Kirkus Reviews Praise for the mysteries of Edmund Crispin "A marvellous comic sense." -P. D. James, New York Times-bestselling author of the Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series "Master of fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek mystery novels, a blend of John Dickson Carr, Michael Innes, M.R. James, and the Marx Brothers." -Anthony Boucher, author of the Fergus O'Breen series "One of the most literate mystery writers of the twentieth century." -The Boston Globe "Beneath a formidable exterior he had unsuspected depths of frivolity." -Philip Larkin, author of A Girl in Winter "One of the last exponents of the classical English detective story." -The Times (London.) Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)823.912Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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The pseudo-Gothic history of Tolnbridge combined with the overlay of the Nazis in WW2 make this a really ripe setting for all sorts of goings on. Crispin capitalizes on all these things and writes a story with hilarity, good props, red herrings, and seemingly familiar characters.
So many "Easter eggs" and homages and little hints about other books make this a nested joy. For example, the second half of chapter eight, in which a visit is made to Garbin's house is absolutely awesome writing. The stoic straight-facedness of Garbin combined with the utter ridiculousness of the props in the setting make this chapter awesome. Highly recommended that readers with wit read this novel - if only for this amusing chapter.
Great vintage mystery. Easy to read, highly enjoyable. ( )