tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post4230641003236369790..comments2024-03-28T10:31:55.774-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: Just Deserts: The Affair in Death Valley (1940), by Clifford KnightThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-66631079003738222742012-10-15T06:57:28.645-07:002012-10-15T06:57:28.645-07:00If ever there was a true Humdrum it was Clifford K...If ever there was a true Humdrum it was Clifford Knight. THE AFFAIR OF THE CIRCUS QUEEN is one of the most boring, unexciting mysteries out there. It was such a painful experience I have never been able to read another book by Knight. Like you it took me several days to get through it, though it seemed like months. I've heard certain writers described as unreadable who aren't (Gladys Mitchell, John Dickson Carr and Anthony Wynne come to mind), but IMO Knight is the epitome of the unreadable mystery writer. The book I read wasn't even fun as an "alternative mystery" it was just soporific.<br /><br />This is one of the examples of collectability in the world of detective fiction being a true mystery to me. Why bother looking for these books or paying high prices for them? The artwork on the DJs isn't all that "exceptional" compared to other books of the same era if you ask me. Look at the one for <i>...Death Valley.</i>J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-57409996777022918382012-10-14T14:05:17.484-07:002012-10-14T14:05:17.484-07:00True. The three novels by Knight which I possess, ...True. The three novels by Knight which I possess, are in fact of the 40s and 50sPietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-60850218983561773482012-10-14T14:03:21.007-07:002012-10-14T14:03:21.007-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-20314795447500048132012-10-14T13:28:13.768-07:002012-10-14T13:28:13.768-07:00Pietro,
The specific impetus for my reading Cliff...Pietro,<br /><br />The specific impetus for my reading Clifford Knight in fact was Todd Downing, who seems to have liked Knight. I have one Knight book that has a Mexican setting. I think he wrote two novels with such.<br /><br />That's interesting about Scarlet Crab and Scarab. Yes, Huntoon Rogers and his sidekick Joe seem to be emulating Philo and Van (and of course Holmes and Watson), although Knight's pair is very bland.<br /><br /><br />I hope to look at a few others by him. Many of his books are hard to find.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-13874357293317653712012-10-14T11:32:59.422-07:002012-10-14T11:32:59.422-07:00Several of the novels Knight takes place in exotic...Several of the novels Knight takes place in exotic places if not strange. For which reason I would have expected from someone like you, who has just delivered to his publisher a certain text, which you had put in relation with Clifford Knight, Todd Downing, for some traits they have in common.<br />I agree with you that some of his novels have extremely classic features. I would add to what you said, that surely, though not commonly called a vandinian, he is. Membership was succinctly outlined by Mike Grost. I would add that the line of union between the two writers are right in the etymology of a noun. In Van Dine there is a "Scarab" at The Scarab Murder Case (1929);in Knight there is a "Crab", at The Affair of the Scarlet Crab (1937). It seems to me an extremely interesting thing to point out that I've noticed that the Greek word "karabos" means not only Crab, but also Scarab. Non only.<br />If you see well, SCARAB = (S)C(A)RAB, i.e. SCARAB (AS) CRAB.Pietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-4878939096997783242012-10-14T10:01:33.184-07:002012-10-14T10:01:33.184-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.com