Reviews

Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

pinecone_mushroom's review against another edition

3.0

I had such high hopes; my low (for me) rating might be unfair, because I'm holding it against this book that it isn't "Gaudy Night." Very, very dated. Some interestingly (the prejudice against the Welsh), some annoyingly (the dialogue, the psychology).

I liked the setting and the humor. I'll try other Miss Pym books in the hopes that they aren't so eyebrow-based.

seonarella's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

I adore Miss Pym and I love the midcentury setting at a women's physical culture college. The characters are wonderful and I enjoy this more every time I read it.

barbarajean's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racial slurs

bronwynmb's review against another edition

4.0

This was such a treat. Why isn’t Josephine Tey better known?! It was perfect - started out like one of the mid-century women’s books I like and turned into a really well done mystery. The mystery is so late in the book I just didn’t see how it would all happen and be resolved so quick! The long set up is so perfect as you really get to know the characters much better than you might in a whodunnit that happens much earlier on. I loved it. I was already interested in other Teys but now I’m really looking forward to them!

poachedeggs's review

3.0

This book has everything I should love: the events play out in a boarding school setting; there is the casual cruelty of schoolgirls (which I quite perversely enjoy reading about); a visiting single female psychologist observes the foibles of her not-quite-subjects with affection and acuity; a passionate school principal attempts to protect her students and the reputation of the institution. Most interestingly, this school of which we speak is a phys. ed. college for young women, and they have to take classes on anatomy, dance, gymnastics as well as physiotherapy!

Yet something was missing. Perhaps it was because I kept expecting the murder/crime to happen fairly early. Perhaps it was the fact that I didn't quite know where to place the book when I was reading it (though I now see that it wasn't meant to be about the crime). The pacing seemed slow even though this book is exactly 200 pages.

Most probably, though, it was because I read 50% of it while sitting next to a group of rowdy family members who were engrossed in playing a card game. This is the kind of book that needs to be read in a quiet place, not when my family keeps asking me for my opinion on which card to play and when I have to keep replying, "I'm not here; I'm in England right now!"

celina31's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

foggy_rosamund's review against another edition

1.0

Set in the late 1940s, this novel describes a writer's visit to a girl's college. The book is extremely gentle: very little happens, and the world described is wholesome and cheerful. It reads a little like a girls' boarding school story, though its intended audience is adults. It's very easy to read, which is perhaps why it has remained in print for so long -- it is not a convincing or compelling story, and the characters are utterly flat.

maplessence's review against another edition

2.0

Very slow moving & with very dated racial attitudes. I only gave it 2 stars because the twist at the end genuinely surprised me.

hooksforeverything's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

Another perfect Tey gem. Everyone completely plausible, everything knitted together inexorably.