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blackcatlouise's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
nwhyte's review
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1387122.html
Gervase Fen is embroiled in a mystery of murder and espionage in a West Country cathedral town in about 1940. The book is not quite successful at keeping a consistency of tone (also Crispin, like his male characters, seems a bit uncertain about women), but there are some glorious set-pieces, in particular the scene where Fen and his friend are trying to interview a clergyman who owns a pet raven and keep quoting Poe at each other. Fun stuff.
Gervase Fen is embroiled in a mystery of murder and espionage in a West Country cathedral town in about 1940. The book is not quite successful at keeping a consistency of tone (also Crispin, like his male characters, seems a bit uncertain about women), but there are some glorious set-pieces, in particular the scene where Fen and his friend are trying to interview a clergyman who owns a pet raven and keep quoting Poe at each other. Fun stuff.
fallchicken's review
4.0
A hoot, this. Supposedly not the best of the series, but good fun nevertheless. Think this may be the first detective story I've read that sent me to the dictionary, not once but several times. The spoof on The Raven cracked up me and had me dig out Poe to read that. Will look for more of this series.
laurenla's review
4.0
Argh, so torn about this book, written in 1945! On one hand, so much screwball comedy and offhand humour that I'll be laughing for a month. On the other hand, definitely misogynistic, though quite hard on most of the men too. Detective fiction featuring an impossibly ill mannered brilliant professor from Oxford, usually featuring a likeable young male sidekick. This one has spies, religion, music and witchcraft stirred up together. Likeable, but...
rhaenyratargaryen's review against another edition
3.0
2.75/5
Hubo muchas partes aburridas y poco interesantes que me hicieron trabarme con la lectura varias veces, pero en general, hubo más que me gustaron. Así que me parecía injusto ponerle a este libro menos de 3 estrellas, teniendo en cuenta que, pese a sus fallos, en términos generales, me gustó.
Hubo muchas partes aburridas y poco interesantes que me hicieron trabarme con la lectura varias veces, pero en general, hubo más que me gustaron. Así que me parecía injusto ponerle a este libro menos de 3 estrellas, teniendo en cuenta que, pese a sus fallos, en términos generales, me gustó.
sergi13's review against another edition
4.0
El primer cop que vaig veure aquest llibre va ser en una llibreria de San Sebastián en un viatge al 2016. Tenia molt bona pinta, la sinòpsi era interessant i la edició preciosa, però la meva part garrepa va decidir que ja tenia masses llibres pendents i que era millor no gastar-se diners. Al cap d'unes setmanes el vaig tornar a veure a Barcelona i aquest cop no em vaig resistir, però no ha estat fins a cinc anys després que no m'he animat a llegir-lo. Està escrit amb molta elegancia i en general és una bona història de misteri. Potser no és Agatha Christie però tampoc s'hi queda massa lluny.
autumnalia's review
4.0
I am loving Gervase Fen (I think maybe my favorite detective behind Poirot--sorry, Lord Peter) and the sudden moments of hilarity that Crispin throws into an otherwise tense and puzzling whodunit. Extremely enjoyable.
pugnax's review
4.0
All the usual traits are here in spades - great plot, surreal frivolity, perfect comedy and a regular breaking of the fourth wall. Adding in witchcraft, Nazi's and dollop of entomology can only help it along all the more.
la_pecera_de_raquel's review against another edition
3.0
(3,5/5)
Gervase Fen, es un profesor universitario y detective aficionado que pasa sus vaciones en un pequeño pueblo de la costa de Inglaterra a principios de la 2ª guerra mundial. En esta localidad aparece muerto el organista de la catedral y Gervase Fen invita a su amigo Geoffrey Vintner para que le sustituya con organista. Es este personaje Vintner el que toma el peso de la historia y se dedica a investigar la muerte del organista. Ya desde el principio cuando Vintner recibe la invitación de su amigo y prepara el viaje se encuentra con muchos obstáculos para impedir que llegue a su destino.
Es una novela con mucho humor, muchísimo, no es una novela de detectives al uso, con una gran prosa que es un placer leerlo. El autor mezcla, asesinatos, con fantasmas, quema de brujas, adoraciones al diablo, espías nazis, de una manera completamente surrealista, pero que encaja todas las piezas a la perfección. Llega un momento en la novela que lo que menos te importa es quien es el asesino, sino seguir las aventuras de estos dos excéntricos personajes.
Gervase Fen, es un profesor universitario y detective aficionado que pasa sus vaciones en un pequeño pueblo de la costa de Inglaterra a principios de la 2ª guerra mundial. En esta localidad aparece muerto el organista de la catedral y Gervase Fen invita a su amigo Geoffrey Vintner para que le sustituya con organista. Es este personaje Vintner el que toma el peso de la historia y se dedica a investigar la muerte del organista. Ya desde el principio cuando Vintner recibe la invitación de su amigo y prepara el viaje se encuentra con muchos obstáculos para impedir que llegue a su destino.
Es una novela con mucho humor, muchísimo, no es una novela de detectives al uso, con una gran prosa que es un placer leerlo. El autor mezcla, asesinatos, con fantasmas, quema de brujas, adoraciones al diablo, espías nazis, de una manera completamente surrealista, pero que encaja todas las piezas a la perfección. Llega un momento en la novela que lo que menos te importa es quien es el asesino, sino seguir las aventuras de estos dos excéntricos personajes.
christinecc's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Good god, Crispin really slides through this one with charming comedy and nary a hint of logic. The mystery is balderdash (sorry, sir, but it's true), and all the characters are silly finger-puppets except for three: Gervase Fen (everyone's favorite bratty Don turned amateur detective), Geoffrey Vintner (a composer and Gervase's long-suffering friend; also believes that every woman is out to entrap him into marriage when, in fact, not a single woman has ever wanted to go on so much as a second date with him) (the author said so, not me), and Fielding (a hapless helping hand who wants to contribute to the war effort).
The dangerous moments simultaneously conjure up tension and impeccable comedic timing, so hats off to Crispin for that. Unfortunately, Crispin makes better use of his writing skills in his other books, namely the first of this series (The Case of the Gilded Fly) and the book after this one (The Moving Toyshop).
Recommended if you're a skeptical completionist who, like me, thinks you should ignore people's kind warnings to steer clear of this book (but nooooo, you just had to spend weeks plowing through this nonsensical mystery out of sheer pig-headedness). Don't be like me, readers. Go find the good books. They're out there somewhere.
The dangerous moments simultaneously conjure up tension and impeccable comedic timing, so hats off to Crispin for that. Unfortunately, Crispin makes better use of his writing skills in his other books, namely the first of this series (The Case of the Gilded Fly) and the book after this one (The Moving Toyshop).
Recommended if you're a skeptical completionist who, like me, thinks you should ignore people's kind warnings to steer clear of this book (but nooooo, you just had to spend weeks plowing through this nonsensical mystery out of sheer pig-headedness). Don't be like me, readers. Go find the good books. They're out there somewhere.