Does Poul pull off a murder mystery as well as dear old Agatha or is the sword in the title really just a blunt knife?
Now, I must admit that this is the first Poul Anderson book that I have in fact read. I have not yet traveled the depths of time with him via the Time Patrol series.
As a follower of good mysteries containing bodies on vicars’ hearth rugs I thought I would try this well known author from the 50s onwards, despite a word from Mr. Paul Shackley that, for him, this was not one of his favorite Poul books. (The sword stays firmly in the time period that it is set in and does not slip into a different stream or dimension of history, past or future.)
To be honest, I set up my camp with Mr Shackley, although a few tents along.
The mystery was solid.
The writing very good.
The words used created the atmosphere and the feel of the late 1950s (the book itself was written in 1959 and was the winner of the ‘Cock Robin’ mystery award).
But for me the problem was the bit between the lines. The feel of the characters and situation as I took my eyes off the page and turned it. They were lost to me until I hooked onto the words again.
If an Agatha Christie story was a painting, it would be a fine line drawing shaded with water colour pencils containing the odd patch of heavy red. Poul’s, on the other hand, would be a solid ink illustration, logically made up of thick firm black lines. With no shading.
After the sword had been wielded for the last time, after the culprit had been revealed, after the book had been closed, I didn’t have the feel of heart to want to join some of them again for the two follow up books (Murder in Black Letter and Murder Bound).
A solid read. But without the depth of characters that I can connect with.
5 out of 10.
7 comments:
Dear Mr. Harrot,
First, let me say I'm very glad to see another guest article by a person other than me. For a long time I was the only one doing so!
I thought your review of Anderson's PERISH BY THE SWORD interesting and very fair. I can see how or why many readers of that mystery would find the book interesting enough to read but not MEMORABLE. Not the kind of mystery that stays in one's mind as did, for example, many of the works of John Dickson Carr, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, etc., did for me. In all truth I would not include Agatha Christie because her mystery novels mostly did not appeal to me. So I have to agree with what you said about PERISH BY THE SWORD.
I did like your analogy about Poul Anderson's mystery reminding you of a well done black and white line drawing--albeit one of Christie's "colored" works was done better. Of the three mystery novels written by Anderson, I liked best MURDER IN BLACK LETTER.
Sean M. Brooks
To all,
Our new guest writer, Mr. Harrot, will also post about James Bond, Doctor Who etc on other blogs.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Good! The more the better.
Sean
Thank you for your comments Sean, I really must get around to reading the Time Patrol series.
Oh and thank you for the recommendation for 'Murder in Black Letter'. In return I recommend 'By the Pricking of my Thumbs' by dear old Agatha.
Kaor, Nygel!
And I hope you read not only Anderson's Time Patrol stories but also many others of his works, such as the Technic series.
I did read a fair number of Agatha Christie's mysteries, but they simply never appealed to me as did the ones written by the authors I listed in my earlier comment.
Sean
The period flavor is very interesting. Note that interest in Japanese swords is a rare, esoteric hobby and that the swords can be bought rather cheaply. The blades mentioned in that mystery would be almost literally priceless now, and virtually impossible for a private citizen to acquire.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Yes, I noted with great interest the period background of Anderson's three mystery novels, set as they were in the late 1950's of CA and the US. It's so different from what we see today. And that same period flavor can also be seen in the opening chapters of Anderson's SF novel BRAIN WAVE.
Sean
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