Yamamura assembles the suspects and tells them that none of them is guilty. That was a surprise. Just one example:
"'Monday night Torvald was at the - at his friend's place till eight. Lauring was attacked in Golden Gate Park about nine, after walking aimlessly for close to two hours. So Torvald could not have shadowed him for those two hours, as the killer must have done.'" (p. 179)
Such reasoning continues for several pages. No way would I have deduced any of it. Nor do I get a big kick out of reading a novel that climaxes with such deductions. Not putting the book down. Just saying that mysteries are not my thing and I read this one because it was by Poul Anderson.
I did wonder why Lauring's attacker was so consistently unsuccessful.
An aside. Torvald:
"'...damn it, why do you reactionaries have to be such decent people?'" (p.182)
Come of it, Arne. I share some, not all, of your politics. And the "reactionaries" are as human as you and I.
The chapter ends without the revelation although I am beginning to glimpse a light in the darkness. While Yamamura fusses with his pipe, keeping his audience in suspense:
"...the wind blew and the sea ramped." (p. 182)
The wind as Greek chorus approaches the status of a continuing character in Poul Anderson's works.
Just one chapter still to be reread but right now I must go out. When the time comes, should I respect the conventions of mystery fiction by commenting on the conclusion of the novel without naming the murderer?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I don't say ALL Marxists think like this, but many of the more dogmatic ones do: so called "reaction" is evil, therefore any such persons with such ideas are evil reactionaries.
I am inclined to think Anderson's three Yamamura books are not among the more/most successful of his works, even if the author himself enjoyed writing them. That probably contributed them to being among Anderson's lesser known works. Even so, thousands of people must have read them, meaning the identity of the murderer is not that unknown. But, it's up to you whether or not to reveal his identity!
Ad astra! Sean
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