tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post968851273468972182..comments2024-03-27T11:26:20.466-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: Henry Wade, The Dying Alderman (1930), and the Great WarThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-50523728621098538112023-11-19T19:37:37.254-08:002023-11-19T19:37:37.254-08:00Wade was an interesting observer of English class ...Wade was an interesting observer of English class structure, from the gentry standpoint. I think Orion reprinted his books in the UK but they do little or nothing to publicize.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-40399636550017846102023-11-01T16:25:47.930-07:002023-11-01T16:25:47.930-07:00Ten or eleven years on, and Henry Wade is still ho...Ten or eleven years on, and Henry Wade is still hopelessly neglected. I do hope a publisher rediscovers him soon - or perhaps there are disputes over copyright? I have yet to locate a copy of The Dying Alderman at any reasonable price, but have just read Released for Death. It's not HW's finest, but it is (for the most part) strongly plotted, and psychologically convincing. It's hard to think of a writer better than HW at showing the interactions of men cooperating in a hierarchy. Richard Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673368212652820920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-405708692523865782012-09-03T22:57:06.732-07:002012-09-03T22:57:06.732-07:00Scott, thanks for the comment. I fully agree. No...Scott, thanks for the comment. I fully agree. No disrespect to Charles Todd, for example, but when I see people praising the Todd novels, I wish they could read Wade, who experienced the war first hand and wrote about it with great sensitivity and authority.<br /><br />There is movement underfoot to get the books reprinted.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-53243165999891050652012-09-03T03:44:11.444-07:002012-09-03T03:44:11.444-07:00A very well written article and I agree with your ...A very well written article and I agree with your assessment of the under-appreciated qualities of Wade. I am in the process of assembling the Wades so I can read them in chronological order and write a short article for Geoff Bradley's CADs later this year. I am two or three short and it's a disgrace that a first rank crime novelist like Wade is OOP while many not fit to oil his typewriter are easily available.<br /><br />One of the aspects of his writing I most admire is the subdued way he uses his extensive experience - military, legal, country pursuits, local government etc without obtruding his own opinions to the detriment of plot or pace.<br /><br />A small regret is hat he did not make more extensive use of war time settings or his cricket career - a first world war crime novel would have been something worth evading though I'd guess the public appetite might not have been there.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15953014580424034894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-68811183056326246302012-02-05T07:40:57.463-08:002012-02-05T07:40:57.463-08:00My first Wade will be THE DUKE OF YORK'S STEPS...My first Wade will be THE DUKE OF YORK'S STEPS sometime at the end of this month. I have a few paperback Harper Perennial reprints around here somewhere, but never read any of those. I had a hard to find copy of HERE COMES A COPPER but foolishly never read any of those stories before I sold it. I should've held onto it as I have now discovered it's an ultra rare book in the edition I had - an American reprint with a DJ. Drat!J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-34195322576604200662012-02-04T11:32:12.883-08:002012-02-04T11:32:12.883-08:00Some early reviews compared Wade to Crofts, appare...Some early reviews compared Wade to Crofts, apparently because his second book has a Croftsian alibi problem; but even that one shows more sophisticated treatment of character than Crofts accomplished.<br /><br />Of course, having written a book defending the Humdrums I disagree with Symons on a number of points. But I can see the logic of grouping Freeman Wills Crofts, John Street and J. J. Connington together as a "school." Wade, however, was doing different things. Though he didn't really write light manners novels he, like the Crime Queens Sayers, Allingham and Marsh, was interested in making the puzzle tale more like a mainstream novel. To have missed this, Symond simply can't have had much familiarity with Wade's work (and he never indicates what he has read by Wade).The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-1347832253788366282012-02-04T09:05:05.982-08:002012-02-04T09:05:05.982-08:00Very perceptive review of an enjoyable book. Wade ...Very perceptive review of an enjoyable book. Wade was terrific, and much as I admire Symons' judgment, he did get Wade wrong. I've just read The Verdict of You All, published in either 1926 or 27 (sources differ, so I'm not sure) which I think was a really impressive debut.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-60509251144575743342012-02-02T13:22:55.745-08:002012-02-02T13:22:55.745-08:00Arun,
Wade's clueing really is exemplary in ...Arun, <br /><br />Wade's clueing really is exemplary in this one, isn't it? It's so nice to find someone else besides Christie who can do it so well.<br /><br />Karyn,<br /><br />I look forward to reading your future reviews. Your comments on such writers as Wade and Cyril Hare frequently had me nodding my head in agreement. You definitely expressed things I had been thinking when reading their books.<br /><br />Sergio,<br /><br />My problem with Symons here is that he really doesn't get Wade right at all. We can all debate about Humdrums and the crime novel versus the detective story, etc., but the thing is, Wade was actually one of the key British writers in making the transition, like Sayers and Anthony Berkeley Cox. Why Symons lumps him in with the Humdrums I can't see (and no one else who has read Wade can see it either). Symons gives us nothing on which he based his judgment of Wade, so it's very frustrating.<br /><br />In my judgment Symons and Barzun/Taylor wrote the most interesting broad studies of the genre. They are often treated, with some good reason, and antithetical to each other, but on the other hand they did hold high opinions of some of the same authors, so their differences can be exaggerated (Symons himself declared they had no common ground whatsoever). Both men like Raymond Chandler, for example. Barzun included Symons' Narrowing Circle is his 100 Crime Fiction Classics. Personally I think both men were too dogmatic and am looking for common ground. But the aesthetic conflict between the two certainly produced a lot of colorful sparks.<br /><br />By the way, the review is intended to be spoiler-free. Normally I don't like blogging at length about a mystery plot to leave most of the reading experience to the reader, so I can understand your concern. I am trying hard to get Wade's book back in print and currently am talking to both publishers and family members.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-36317536965116765672012-02-02T13:08:45.111-08:002012-02-02T13:08:45.111-08:00Really intriguing post Curtis though I only got th...Really intriguing post Curtis though I only got through part of it as I have not read the book but perhaps foolishly imagine that one day I will actually manage to get a copy! It really would be nice to find some reasonably priced Wade novels in the UK before the year is out. I do find it fascinating that so many of us in the GAD fan community keep coming back to Julian Symons on the one hand and Barzun & Taylor on the other- it seems incredible that after 40 years fans still seem to be polarised upon 'Bloody Murder' and CoC lines. Personally I tend to agree with Symons a lot more often than I do with B & T but it is the blogosphere that is really making the difference nowadays. Hard to imagine a book coming out that will ever have anything like the same kind of impact.<br /><br />Keep up the good work!<br /><br />SergioAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-70465327436346137582012-02-02T02:11:46.775-08:002012-02-02T02:11:46.775-08:00Hi Curt,
Thanks for such a kind mention. As you k...Hi Curt,<br /><br />Thanks for such a kind mention. As you know my exposure to these old Golden Age mystery novels is fairly random, determined firstly by which old Penguins I manage to find, and then by those I randomly choose off the shelf. Many are mediocre, but this haphazard method occasionally directs me to some gems which I otherwise wouldn't have found, and I count The Dying Alderman as one of those (and Green for Danger by Christianna Brand as another). I really enjoyed it, and am always hopeful of coming across his other titles. Penguin seemed to have published another 3 of his novels which I am yet to find.Karyn Reeveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02813830021253923326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-69885079560938546942012-02-02T00:29:41.615-08:002012-02-02T00:29:41.615-08:00The Dying Alderman was my first Wade and I was hig...The Dying Alderman was my first Wade and I was highly impressed with it - the twist or the clue in the last sentence of the book is absolutely stunning and yet so simple! I have been lucky to get several Wade titles - eagerly looking forward to devour them.Arun Kumarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08653087890201599878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-61574980866129463112012-02-01T17:43:27.024-08:002012-02-01T17:43:27.024-08:00Patrick,
I'm so pleased you liked Wade as mu...Patrick, <br /><br />I'm so pleased you liked Wade as much as you did, as I mentioned on your blog. I just wish more people had a chance to read him.<br /><br />Helen,<br /><br />I think the byplay between the police antagonists works well here because Lott's not really sympathetically presented. Lott's needling of the local man is funny but it's also rather cruel--I think the author meant to portray it as such. Lott is not really a sympathetic character!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-80216677470477854522012-02-01T17:34:37.457-08:002012-02-01T17:34:37.457-08:00Symons, as we have discussed before, may not have ...Symons, as we have discussed before, may not have read him. I shall read this one as it is not one that has come my way before. One point, though: the clever-dick Scotland Yard man needling the local constabulary is a common theme in GAD and later novels.It's often very unpleasant.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-80244025599419310142012-02-01T16:51:27.598-08:002012-02-01T16:51:27.598-08:00As someone who has become a major fan of Henry Wad...As someone who has become a major fan of Henry Wade, I would also like to chip in with your plea for reprints. I would gladly buy them; Wade is simply a great talent, and I would love to read his books in nice, new paperbacks instead of hardbacks from 1925 that are falling apart. His is a great talent that slipped through the cracks somehow... I'm not at all sure why. You'd think Symons would be enamoured of his stuff...Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.com