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Title: Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, Edward Petherbridge ISBN: 0-88646-284-3 Publisher: Dh Audio Pub. Date: October, 1991 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 2 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.68 (31 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Superb mystery
Comment: Gaudy Night has long been my favorite Dorothy Sayers mystery. The plot involves Harriet Vane and Peter Wimsey investigating a murder at Harriet's old college at Oxford. The plotting is excellent and the dialogue intelligent and witty. This is classic Sayers. What really adds to the story is the continuing love story between Harriet and Peter. Before Harriet came along, Wimsey seemed to me to not be a fully fleshed out character. Adding Harriet to the mix livens up Wimsey and makes him seem more real and more human. This is an excellent golden age mystery from a master writer. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful blend of mystery and romance
Comment: Dorothy Sayers has frequently used autobiographical experiences as a starting point for her writing - as an example, "Murder Must Advertise" was set in an advertising agency and based on Sayers' own experiences in the field. Here again, Sayers goes back to her past days as an Oxford student at Somerville College and this makes "Gaudy Night" a unique entry in the Lord Peter Wimsey series. Harriet Vane, an Oxford alum, attends the Gaudy, which is a reunion of past students and is asked by her old professors to turn her talents as a detective writer to practical use. Someone is terrorizing the faculty and students of the college by sending vicious anonymous letters. The college is terrified of this leaking out to the press and giving education for women a bad name, therefore discretion is vital. Rather relectantly, Harriet accepts and comes down to Oxford to stay for a term. She discovers that the perpetrator is not now satisfied by just sending letters and is moving on to more serious offences like trying to burn the books in the college library, destroy the works of the faculty and eventually attacking certain faculty members. Harriet struggles with the realization that the perpetrator may be a professor as well as with the realization of her growing feelings for Lord Peter Wimsey. The actual unraveling of the mystery is fascinating by itself, but I was particularly intriuged by Sayers taking the opportunity to discuss issues such as society's view towards University education for women, and the need to maintain one's own identity, even in a serious relationship. "Gaudy Night" is therefore a truly feminist work and Harriet's internal struggle between her love for Wimsey and her desire to maintain her independence is something all women can identify with, even today. Although she is hard to like at times, being prickly and sensitive to a fault, we can all sympathize with her predicament. In a nutshell - absolutely fabulous and required reading for all Sayers fans!
Rating: 5
Summary: A detective story with romantic interruptions
Comment: This 1936 novel is the 12th Lord Peter novel. Lord Peter Wimsey (for anyone not familiar with the series) is the very wealthy younger brother of the Duke of Denver. He is a very sought after man about town, "lends a hand at the Foreign Office from time to time" and pokes his nose into private detection from time to time.
Five years before (STONG POISON) he saved the unjustly accused Harriet Vane, a well-known mystery writer, from execution for the murder of her former lover. During the case Peter fell head over heels in love with Harriet who was too upset to even consider romance. Their romance proceeded in this very one-sided manner for five years.
GAUDY NIGHT focuses on Harriet and her detection efforts. She has been invited by an ill college friend to attend the "Gaudy", and end of term celebration at their alma mater, the fictional Shrewesbury College at Oxford. Harriet reluctantly agrees and finds herself embroiled in a poison pen campaign that has been plaguing the college. She takes up residence in the college to try to get to the bottom of the problem.
During her time there she makes the acquaintance of Lord Peter's nephew, Viscount St. George, and through him, begins to see her persistant suitor in a new light. When Peter himself appears Harriet finds facets of him that she had not seen before. Working together they solve to problem of the poison pen and resolve the long standing romantic issues as well.
Those looking for a 'straight' detective novel like some of the earlier Lord Peter stories will probably be frustrated by this one although the mystery is challenging, in and of itself would it would justify a long short story at best. Those looking for a romance story to resolve this long courtship will be even more frustrated by the very scant amount of interaction between the 'lovers'.
So just what makes this worth 5 stars? Harriet Vane finally emerges as a character every bit as complex and interesting as Peter. Do read this one and the next book, BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON.
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Title: Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers ISBN: 0061043508 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers ISBN: 0061043516 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers ISBN: 0061043524 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers ISBN: 0061043559 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers ISBN: 0061043532 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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