tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post7150660224917931409..comments2024-03-28T10:31:55.774-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: Underwhelming: Murder Underground (1935), by M. Doriel HayThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-14604243847442757842016-11-14T12:21:18.108-08:002016-11-14T12:21:18.108-08:00Perhaps the flippant attitude to the murder of an ...Perhaps the flippant attitude to the murder of an old lady (even one whom no-one seems to have liked - if you read the book carefully, you will see that she was not a 'nice' old lady - righteous maybe, but not very nice) is why the book and the authoress are largely forgotten in our time; and perhaps it is right that it and she should be forgotten, and not reprinted for a modern, discerning audience. Just a thought.Godfrey Godfreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10486967652098531381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-88219078990772795822013-11-20T09:49:26.498-08:002013-11-20T09:49:26.498-08:00Yes, very fair play! An enviable work from a novic...Yes, very fair play! An enviable work from a novice, I'd say. No silly tone, but a few lighthearted moments. The family is a bitter one so lots of sardonic humor rather than farcical touches. Review is up now <a href="http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-brief-santa-klaus-murder-mavis.html" rel="nofollow">here.</a>J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-53531641845011189482013-11-20T08:37:44.648-08:002013-11-20T08:37:44.648-08:00Oh, yes: let's by all means bring more GA work...Oh, yes: let's by all means bring more GA works back in print!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-79832256337213055712013-11-20T08:36:42.640-08:002013-11-20T08:36:42.640-08:00Noah, I do agree with you about Taylor/Tilton, her...Noah, I do agree with you about Taylor/Tilton, her books are so clearly farcical (Rice too), I don't have a problem with that and in fact enjoy those books.<br /><br />Blind Barber seems to me in many ways a brilliant book, but, as Doug Greene has said, one can argue that there are tone issues. There's some rather unpleasant elements in that book when you think about it, that would go more more with a horror emphasis. But there's hilarious stuff as well.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-42561103579241969452013-11-20T08:20:20.534-08:002013-11-20T08:20:20.534-08:00I do agree that murder should be treated seriously...I do agree that murder should be treated seriously; one of the bases upon which detective fiction is founded is that the community finds murder so outrageous that it is legitimate (in fictional terms) for an amateur to investigate crimes that shock the community. But I'm prepared to accept that occasionally a story about murder can be the basis of a farcical work of fiction, like the novels of Phoebe Atwood Taylor writing as Alice Tilton, or John Dickson Carr's "The Blind Barber". I don't usually enjoy them, but I can accept them. It doesn't sound like Ms. Hay meant her work to be farcical… and I dislike the idea that murder can merely be mildly amusing and part of a kind of gentle social commentary, as you seem to be suggesting. <br />I'd like to read these, though, and you always do such a good job of making me want to!! I say, bring EVERYTHING back from the Golden Age in e-book format and let me decide -- and I'll hope that publishers continue to make available as physical books some of the better ones.<br />(smiling) If anyone wants to store backup electronic copies of their Rhodes and Burtons with me, I'd be happy to take on the onerous task of storing them. Just out of the goodness of my heart, you know!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-62724010752200147562013-11-19T07:31:59.084-08:002013-11-19T07:31:59.084-08:00As I said, I'll probably never get any review ...As I said, I'll probably never get any review copies from them now!<br /><br />Was the book a real fair play detective novel? And I take it the tone was not so silly?The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-2329337874404910332013-11-19T07:11:04.679-08:002013-11-19T07:11:04.679-08:00I liked The Santa Klaus Murder even if it was rath...I liked <i>The Santa Klaus Murder</i> even if it was rather run-of-the-mill. (Review coming tomorrow!) Some interesting things to say about WW1 veterans and one unusual woman character in the veteran's wife. And the villain is a nasty piece of work, rather like Iago. I get copies of all these British Library reprints ever since the Univ of Chicago Press (the US distributor for British Library) liked my review of THE FEMALE DETECTIVE and used a bit of the review as a blurb on their web page for the book.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-12065413916197557952013-11-19T00:45:46.570-08:002013-11-19T00:45:46.570-08:00It would be nice to see all the Burtons and Rhodes...It would be nice to see all the Burtons and Rhodes reprinted. John Street was a rather more notable mystery author than M. Doriel Hay. But with the copyright situation, it's a challenge. I'm planning to review a Rhode this month, by the way, including the jacket, which as far as I know has never been seen before.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-29893767798144156772013-11-17T18:55:53.507-08:002013-11-17T18:55:53.507-08:00I have Death on the Cherwell and I've always t...I have Death on the Cherwell and I've always thought it reads more like a mystery for juvenile readers rather than a standard golden age mystery. But being ex Oxford it's fun for the locations if nothing else. I digitised my copy years ago in case I mislaid it. Of late I've also been scanning and OCR ing some of my Rhode and Burtons. Living in Bush fire country these days I realised that it would be just about impossible to replace them even if they are insured.Bevishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10052265072511397644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-84664428095096536472013-11-17T17:55:07.109-08:002013-11-17T17:55:07.109-08:00Margot, yes, I actually found myself feeling quite...Margot, yes, I actually found myself feeling quite sorry for Miss Pongleton and not much liking the characters. I'm all for bringing old books back, as you know. There are a lot of good overlooked ones, but I' don't believe this is one. Maybe The Santa Klaus Murder is better. I just felt I had to call it like I see it, or I'm not helpful as a reviewer.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-90775411604412380122013-11-17T17:35:30.940-08:002013-11-17T17:35:30.940-08:00Curtis - Sorry to hear you didn't like this on...Curtis - Sorry to hear you didn't like this one any better the second time. I have to say I agree completely with you too about t hat attitude towards something as terrible as murder. I prefer mysteries where it's at least taken seriously and I don't care much for characters who don't. Shame too because I really do applaud you and others who are working to bring some of these old stories back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com